My standard line is to suggest they "nurse fully on the first side... then
offer the second side but don't be surprised if one side is enough".  I
like "nurse fully" better than "empty the breast".  Suggesting that a
breast is empty is a sure-fire way to make new moms anxious!  In response
to what another lactnetter wrote, I also use the meal description
analogies... I explain that the rich, creamy high-fat milk comes toward the
end of the feeding, and they want to keep the baby nursing on that breast
long enough to get the "cheesecake", not snatch the plate away.  I also
remind mothers that a newborn baby's stomach is only the size of a walnut,
or their baby's fist, and I think this helps them visualize why babies like
to eat frequently, one breast at a time...
NancyH
Nancy Holtzman RN BSN MOM
Great Beginnings New Mothers Groups
Boston MA
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