Feeding from Both Breasts

Behavior: Mother offers second breast after infant stops feeding from the first.

• Mother lets infant continue feeding at the first breast until infant releases the breast (mother should not take the baby off the breast). This enables the baby to get the fat, rich "hind milk," which provides much of the energy at the end of the feed, as well as the water and nutrient-rich "fore milk" at the start of the feed. Mother then offers the second breast, which baby may or may not want, and lets the baby decide whether to continue feeding.