My son James is 2 weeks old and we have had problems feeding however one thing the MW said was to keep swapping breasts as this might keep him interested and awake - is this right though as will he get the hind milk? how do you know if your baby gets hind milk and also people keep talking about a let down - what is this? I dont understand. My breasts have never felt hard or full, they are bigger and heavier but always soft so I worry constantly there is no milk but I know there is as I leak, I can hand express easily and baby's mouth dribbles milk here and there when he stops feeding...does this sound ok?
xx

Hi hun.

Right first of all, take a deep breath

Ok, my mw always told me to feed from one breast and then use the other one at the next feed if it is more than an hour later. If the next feed is within an hour, just use the same breast. If your lo is falling asleep during the feed, change his nappy or strip him off so he doesn't get too cosy and is a bit more alert.

Not everyone experiences the let-down sensation, when i get this i feel like my boobs tense up slightly and i get a tingling sensation. I think (and i am sure someone will correct me if i am wrong) that the let down is when your milk starts to flow a bit faster, making it easier for your baby to get the milk.

If you are feeding regularly your boobs may not feel hard or really full. They tend to feel like this if your baby goes a bit longer between feeds than usual. Although some women don't experience the hardness etc. It is perfectly healthy for your breasts to be feeling soft, it means that there are no blockages. The size of your breasts and how hard/soft they are doesn't really have any bearing on how much milk you have. Every woman is different!

Just relax, you are doing a fab job

Lx

Have you tried winding mid feed ..... I wind my LO about 4 times within a feed,,,, i do it because she has wind issues, but nituce it helps if she is having a sleepy feed...

xx