Stephanie Dupras asks, quite rightly, whether there is such a thing as the
'norm' for babies in terms of how many 'sides' they take at a feed.

Babies don't know how to count, nor tell time, nor can they distinguish
between right and left, and they are decidedly obstinate on the matter of
adapting to norms.

I'm with the posters who say to watch the baby.  The BABY, not the clock.
When the baby shows that she's done with a breast, it's either because she's
fallen asleep or she's let go while awake, in which case she may be
interested in something else or on the prowl for more milk.  Depending on
which it is, act accordingly.  In most cases this will be sufficient for a
smooth start.  In the ones where it isn't, the mother may be helped by
having an experienced BF support person Watch Her And The Baby for a meal,
and give suggestions.

The variation on the theme of one-sided feeds that I use most often, is the
one used when I discover that mother has been switching the baby at her own
discretion, usually due to high pressure in the second breast which she
would like relieved.  We talk about letting the baby show when it's done,
and offering another breast only if the baby seems eager for it.  Manual
expression to relieve discomfort is my first choice for the not-suckled
breast, and mother can start with that one next time.  If both breasts have
been drunk from, then what difference does it really make which one she
starts with next time?  If it makes a difference to her, because of
pressure, she'll figure it out all by herself.

It helps to remember that mothers of multiples have the same number of
breasts as mothers of singletons, which means that most of us have a
sizeable reserve production capacity which we never need to use.  For most
of us it is simpler and more comfortable (and possibly beneficial to the
breast itself) to lactate in both breasts even when we only have one baby.
Our breasts figure out sooner or later how many babies we actually have, or
at least how much milk the baby(ies) need.  Exceptions are those who suffer
from underconsumption, more commonly called the 'too few babies' syndrome.
(These are the women who could make a killing if the wet-nurse business
didn't have such a bad name.)

So, Stephanie, you're right.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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