Phoebe & Allyson
July 20th 03, 10:32 PM
I put Caterpillar on the slow-flow side last night, and fed
her until she refused to latch anymore. (She ate about as
long as she normally does on the fast-flow side, but I
suspect she got a lot less milk.) Sure enough, 5 minutes
later, she started making "hungry" cues. So I put her back
on that side, and she just fussed and fussed and refused to
latch.
I didn't want to reward her for fussing by giving her the
other side, so we did "suck finger until primed, transfer to
mom, unlatch and fuss, suck finger, relatch, lather, rinse,
repeat" until she finally decided she was full enough. (She
does get the fast-flow side quite a bit, and I've been known
to switch her if it's my decision, but I don't want her to
learn that refusing what's offered gets something better.
She can nurse as long as she wants, as often as she wants,
but I decide what she gets to nurse on.)
If the fast-flow side were a bottle, we'd have a real
problem, especially since the slow-flow side now never feels
more than slightly full, even if it's been 8 or 9 hours
since she's nursed on it. (She's sleeping a 5-hour stretch
and a 3 hour stretch some nights, and I'm not willing to go
8 hours without nursing on the side that's huge and
uncomfortable at 4 hours, nor am I happy at the thought of
pumping at 3am after spending half an hour coaxing her to
drink from the other side.) And I can't pump more than half
an ounce from that side anymore. I'm starting to think that
this might be a problem even with everything coming from me.
Is the solution the same as the solution to a bottle
preference -- take away the fast-flow side (and pump, both
to maintain some supply and to build the freezer stash), get
some water and oatmeal and fenugreek, and just keep putting
her on the slow side? If I can get her on the slow side for
every feeding during the day, is there any harm in giving
the fast side at night? How do I keep from being unbalanced
in the other direction? How long should it take to even
things out? Anything else I should think of?
Phoebe :)
her until she refused to latch anymore. (She ate about as
long as she normally does on the fast-flow side, but I
suspect she got a lot less milk.) Sure enough, 5 minutes
later, she started making "hungry" cues. So I put her back
on that side, and she just fussed and fussed and refused to
latch.
I didn't want to reward her for fussing by giving her the
other side, so we did "suck finger until primed, transfer to
mom, unlatch and fuss, suck finger, relatch, lather, rinse,
repeat" until she finally decided she was full enough. (She
does get the fast-flow side quite a bit, and I've been known
to switch her if it's my decision, but I don't want her to
learn that refusing what's offered gets something better.
She can nurse as long as she wants, as often as she wants,
but I decide what she gets to nurse on.)
If the fast-flow side were a bottle, we'd have a real
problem, especially since the slow-flow side now never feels
more than slightly full, even if it's been 8 or 9 hours
since she's nursed on it. (She's sleeping a 5-hour stretch
and a 3 hour stretch some nights, and I'm not willing to go
8 hours without nursing on the side that's huge and
uncomfortable at 4 hours, nor am I happy at the thought of
pumping at 3am after spending half an hour coaxing her to
drink from the other side.) And I can't pump more than half
an ounce from that side anymore. I'm starting to think that
this might be a problem even with everything coming from me.
Is the solution the same as the solution to a bottle
preference -- take away the fast-flow side (and pump, both
to maintain some supply and to build the freezer stash), get
some water and oatmeal and fenugreek, and just keep putting
her on the slow side? If I can get her on the slow side for
every feeding during the day, is there any harm in giving
the fast side at night? How do I keep from being unbalanced
in the other direction? How long should it take to even
things out? Anything else I should think of?
Phoebe :)