how do you know when they are done??

[MissSookyLaLa]

hey ladies, i have just hit the one week mark breastfeeding my newborn...

initial attachment issues (pinched/clamped nipples) seem to have worked themselves out, but i am facing a new challenge...

At night especially, Nick will feed off one boob and fall asleep in the process, so I will wake him by doing a nappy change etc then put him onto my second boob...during which he will fall asleep again looking milk drunk and quite satisfied, he will often even detach himself before falling asleep...i wake him up by tickling under his chin etc, but he falls back to sleep again soon after...

my problem being I will then put him to bed and he will wake 10-15min later for more...so my question is, how do I know when he has actually had enough? or is this a natural routine that I will have to get used to? luckily enough it doesnt happen every time i feed him!

thanks!

[punkbaby]

Great to hear the initial problems have sorted themselves out. THe first two weeks with all of mine they seemed to hang off me constantly, then there would be one part of the day where they actually slept for a few hours (3-4).

Sounds like your doing a great job :) i found mine always fell asleep as well too and i did exactly what you did, feed off one side, change nappy, then i would burp and then offer the next breast. Then it was burp and sleep again. Mine were windy babies though but 9 times out of then they would hop on again and have more after the second burping etc.

If his got plenty of wet nappies and his feeding well then thats a good sign that his getting enough. By all means though demand feed him I always offered mine the boobs and still do with indie (shes nearly 13 weeks now) when ever she was awake or a little sookie, he wil form his own routine soon and these grazing feeds should settle down soon.

When he wakes up if he wants more he obviously needs it so i would keep doing what your doing but like i said he will slow down and form a routine soon. His only a week old so its letting him find his own way too and you as well . Mind you now indie sleeps 6 hours at night but constantly hangs off me from 6am to 6pm (usually 1-2 hour breaks between feeds then sleeps from 7 to midnite, then midnite to around 6am, but i am happy as i get a solid nights sleep

Congrats :) on your new arrival too

[deb1234]

congrats on your successful bfing relationship...it took me a lot longer than that! (10 weeks...ouch)

sounds like you are doing great. isaac always used to fall asleep as well, there was just nothing i could do to wake him up - even a cold facecloth didn't do the trick!

i think when they are really young you just have to accept that sometimes they will wake up again, usually just as you've hopped back into your warm suggly bed!

even now (6 months) isaac will fall asleep at the breast and i only know if he's done if i pull it out and he doesn't go searching for it again. he's never been one to pull off naturally when he's finished - only done this a handful of times - so i have to just take him off and see what he does.

i still feed him to sleep and he's really easy to settle.

good luck! :D