When feeding is effective, your baby will get what they need and then spontaneously come off the breast. Don’t worry if they fall asleep when feeding as it’s so comforting and cosy for them. There are hormones in your milk that help your baby to be relaxed. Unless your baby is particularly sleepy and not waking to feed themselves or is small and needs some help, you can trust your baby to take what they need.
After your baby has fed from the first breast, you might want to try winding them and then offer them your second breast. Although most breastfed babies tend not to be that windy, it’s a good idea to assume they do until you really get to know them. They may take from the second breast and they may not, both are completely ok. You would then offer the breast that they didn’t feed from or only took a little of at the next feed.
Some mums put a hair bobble on their wrist so they know which side to start from the next time, or you can give your breasts a squeeze to find the fuller one.
If it’s a particularly hot day, you may find your baby just takes the more watery part of the feed more often than taking the whole feed, but again this is completely normal.
Have confidence that if your baby is giving you feeding cues, it’s always ok to offer them your milk – you can not overfeed a breastfed baby at the breast.
You can use your smiley face chart for reassurance
