Hi Dawn,
Well, my son is only seven months old, so I just went through this stuff :D
In the early days of breastfeeding him, he would also always fall asleep and feeding would take forever. I also worried that he wasn't getting enough to eat. Then, my doctor told me to do whatever I had to, to keep him awake for feedings and get him used to it... She told me to blow on his neck, or cheek, tickle his ear, neck, or feet, move his legs around to keep him from dozing etc. All of these things work. You could also try undressing them down to their diaper, so that they are not as comfortable, but, that also offers a skin to skin contact that's kind of nice for both of you...or, for night time feedings, change their diaper to wake them up a bit first, then feed them.
As for knowing when they're done ... Seems to me that's an individual thing..My son simply pulls away or just comes off the breast and closes his mouth, he's always done that. My friend's six month old gets fussy when he doesn't want anymore he's more vocal about it :D
Hope these tips help...You'll get used to your own baby's cues too. |
