Sarah,

It sounds to me like you are doing a wonderful job! Instinctive mothering is what it is all about when it comes to breastfeeding. My first baby fed hourly and I quickley learnt to surrender. It was all that made him happy! I bought a babasling which he could have access to the breast when ever he liked and this allowed me to get other things done. When it comes to your little Noah wanting to be fed again in under 1 hour, I remember reading an article on the Australian Breastfeeding Assn's Website a few years ago now, so don't quote me verbatim, but the jist of the article was this..... if baby wants a top up in under an hour it is likely that they are requiring a top up of the sleepy hormone abreviation CCK or CKK which peaks in breast milk approx half to one hour after a feed. If you put baby back to the same breast they were feeding on the hind milk will contain this hormone which will help to settle and keep baby asleep for longer! So I took this on board and if it was under an hour I went back to the same breast if over an hour thought of it as a new feed and so new breast!

It might be worth getting onto to the Australian Breastfeeding assn and getting their info booklet for grandparents it very gently gives them the accurate and up to date info on how things have changed in terms of what we know about infant requirements and breastfeeding, since thier day! It might alleviate some stress for you!

Good on you for sticking with it, there is nothing like the shock to the system that a first baby makes in the early days but let me reassure you it all gets easier! Continue to follow your babies lead, and remember to enjoy it, it really does go so fast, I can't believe that my first child is at school!


To all above who have made posts... good on you all your words are lovely and kind and so positive, it is nice to see so many so positive about breastfeeding and mothering!!!!!

Happy Mothering!
Renee Brown
mother of 3 wonderful boys.... morgan 5, mackenzie 3, mylo 11months and bump due nov 07.
paediatric nurse, and importer of the arm's reach co-sleeper range.
www.mybondingbabies.com