Nursing One Side

QUESTION: My daughter only nurses on one side for 5 - 8 minutes. She is never interested in the other side and is satisfied with the limited time she is on the one side. She nurses every 2 - 3 hours during the day. In the evening she may have a 4 - 5 hour stretch. Is she getting enough on the one side for the short amount of time she is nursing?
(Birth weight: 7 pounds10 ounces - Weight at 7 weeks: 11 pounds.)

Many babies breastfeed on only one breast at a feeding. Whether your baby is breastfeeding on one breast or both, there are three simple signs that will tell you whether she is getting enough to eat: her weight gain; her stool pattern; and the extent to which she is content after being fed.

Weight gain is the most important indicator, and your daughter appears to be gaining well. Anticipated weight gain for an 8 week old baby is 4-8 ounces a week. Sydney is at the upper limit of what we’d like to see at her age. She is obviously content after feeding, because of the long stretches that she sleeps. So, if she is gaining weight appropriately and sleeping well between feedings, I would guess that her bowel movements are normal as well.

It is normal for a baby of this age to have 3-5 stools a day, but it also is normal for him or her to stool only once every 3-5 days as long as the stool is large and soft. If baby doesn’t have at least one large, soft stool at least every 3-5 days, or if the baby has very hard stools that suggest constipation, I would be concerned. However, since your daughter’s weight gain is so substantial, her stool pattern is probably of little concern. 

Amy Spangler, MN, IBCLC, is a nationally known perinatal nurse, lactation consultant, author and member of the Breastfeeding.com medical advisory board. She has answers several of your breastfeeding questions. Look for more Q&A forums with Amy in the future.

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