Lactation questions

Hi I'm a second time mom but some breastfeeding issues are still a mystery to me! If you have answers to any of the questions below, I would love to know. Thanks!


1) How long does it take for breasts to respond to changes in supply?

2) How many let-downs do you have before you theoretically ‘empty’ a breast?

3) Is foremilk only the stuff that comes out at the beginning of a feed? Or at the beginning of every let-down?

4) If you swap breasts after one has been emptied, is the milk in the second breast fore or hind?

5) If you don’t empty a breast at one feed, should you begin the next feed on this one or start on the second breast?

6) If you are pumping because you will be missing a feed (e.g. because of work) should you pump before or after the usual feeding time?

7) If you are pumping because you will be missing a feed, should you pump both breasts until they are empty or just however much you think your baby drinks?

8) Does switching breasts too early affect your supply?

I highly recommend attending a Hk La Leche League meeting. There you will get a roomful of mothers all bf so you can get a large range of answers...many mothers find different answers for the same question. Or you can just call one of the Leaders like Sarah and she can go through them for you personally.

Good luck! Congratulations!

Ruth and Cara, thanks as always for your helpful replies. I breastfed my first exclusively for a year and so far it has been going well with my second so am not too worried about whether I am doing it 'right', just curious as to how my body works!