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Subject:
From:
Fiona Coombes <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 14 Oct 1997 07:32:01 +0800
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Hi all
With regard to what Beverley  Walker said about one sided feeding:

> The advice allow the baby to drain one side first and let the baby
> lead to
>the second side to prevent 'colic ' and 'overfeeding'  (if that is
>what a baby can do?) was well intentioned and does work.  I am sure
>Woolridge and Fisher (l988) when they described their strategy to
>overcome colic never intended that this method was a "forever"
>method.

I think the thing to emphasise is that the baby drains one side first
and then has the other if it is still hungry. Chloe Fisher has
described this as 'Finish the First Breast First', in an attempt to
get people away from timed feeds or putting baby to the second breast
before the first is drained. For some babies, one breast is enough,
and they will not take the second (fast asleep with a full stomach),
others will drain the first breast in their own time, and then have
some of the second breast as well. I suppose what we need to be
telling mums is that they follow their baby's cues, and not the
clock.
Mastitis or engorgement can be a problem early on if one breast is
drained and then baby is not interested in the second side, which
then becomes very full. In these cases, expressing enough for comfort
(not until breast is empty), can relieve the fullness without getting
into a cycle of expressing and increasing supply. The same problems
will occur if a baby is fed from one breast for a few minutes, then
swapped to the second to 'avoid the other one filling up' - each
breast is part emptied, can still fill up and get uncomfortable, and
in Chloe's reasoning, baby gets more foremilk and less hindmilk and
suffer from 'oversupply colic'. (though we know now that the
foremilk/hindmilk theory is not black and white).
 The articles that
Beverley quoted explain this very well.

Fiona


Fiona Coombes MBBS IBCLC               [log in to unmask]
Lactation Consultant, Family Physician
Perth Western Australia

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