b'fing please help me!!!

[cassi]

Im finding it really hard, i think the baby blues have come abit late because of the stress of hospital and now i find myself getting really tearful but the thing adding to it much is how much i want to breastfeed but feel like im failing, things were looking up, my milk was in loads and i was dripping like nothing else, then he seemed to not get full at all from me so i have been giving him some bottles of the EBM that i expressed in hospital so i missed a few feeds here and there but and my boobs seem to be quite empty already, i can still get milk out of them but they are not leaking like they did...and whenever i feed him he will feed for ages on both sides and then still look for more and cry!

earlier i fed him for over an hour, and then i cuddled him and he was still crying and looking for more! he even tried to suck on my chin and nose! so i gave him some EBM and he had 4 ounces!!!!! I just dont get it, its like he is getting nothing out of been breastfed and its really upsetting me.

What do i do??

Cas x

 

[Urchin]

Aww hun

He could be making up for lost time and having a little growth spurt.

I know how hard it can be, but keep getting him on the boob as much as you can, every minute there will help you produce more milk, and carry on expressing if you can too.

Your milk supply will produce what he needs, I promise, it just takes a while to settle down at first.
Is he having plenty of wet nappies and a few poos too? Thats a good way to make sure he's getting enough.

Also, remember that even when you may think your breasts are "empty" you will make milk as he feeds and it will be the high fat milk that's so important.

Here's a useful link clicky

P.S. Remember you are doing GREAT and soon you will settle into it and start to enjoy feeding more

 

[Sarah&Braydon]

i completely agree with Urchin hun
u r doing a great job hun

 

[Tina & Gabs]

Aww Cassi, it can be really hard hun. I agree with the others though.

Sometimes I feel like I am constantly feeding Gabriella and to start woth I was really worried that she wasn't getting enough but her weight is going up (rapidly) so I know she is.

Keep up the good work hun

 

[Hypnorm]

The first two weeks are sooo hard, i really sympathise, Ewan would be at the breast every hour, it really is draining,
As Urchin says as long as he is producing wet nappies and poo then you are doing fine. It may just take a while for him to settle down.
You will find that your breasts have adjusted to how much milk he takes in a feed and so will not always leak as they used to, making you feel like your not producing enough.
Remeber that he only has a small tummy so will probably take small regular feeds.
If you have a breast feeding support group near you i really would go as they will be able to check that he is latching on correctly and all stuff like that.

You are doing a wonderful job, its hard i know but if you can really stick at it you can get through the other side.

 

[Hypnorm]

http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/ ... wcentre=43

This might be of help to you.

 

[cassi]

I just fed him for an hour and a half or more, he then fell asleep so i lay him down and he started crying again!! He is now having a cuddle with alan and not crying because he is sucking his finger, is it possible its just a comfort thing and he wants to suck on something? but i dont want to keep giving him a dummy after a feed because then at night whever he drops it he starts crying and i spend ages and ages getting it up to put it back in i am getting absolutly no sleep at all....shall i just stop giving him EBM and exclusivly bfeed for a week and see how it goes?

I just find it so easy to grab some ebm out the freezer and give him it in a bottle its so much quicker.

Has anyone else had a similar experience to mine? Last night he woke, i fed him on the breast for ages! then he was still crying so i gave him his dummy and kept putting it back in for him and eventually he settled to sleep, so is it definatly hunger or comfort and the need to constantly be sucking on something?

 

[Lucy]

Cassi

Yes I know exactly what you are talking about hun, I felt the same with Olivia. At the time I was very mixed up - like you with baby blues, thrush in my boobs and very sore bleeding nipples, I didn't know what to do for the best but I did want to continue breastfeeding.

I don't want to cause offence as I know you've been through a lot lately but I will say what I believe to be true.. yes I would drop the expressing and bottles for a few weeks. Your milk supply needs time to adjust to Jakobs requirements. Jakob is still very young and there could be a possibility that he will get nipple confusion or nipple frustration - he has to work harder at your boob to get milk than what he does with a bottle.

I know the bottles are a lot easier and quicker but if you express a lot of feeds I would worry that your milk supply will go down.

Suckling is one of every newborns comforts, I gave Oivia a dummy when she was 10 days old and took it away when she was 7 months old. I found Tommy Tippee Nuby Flex orthodontic dummies stayed in best and mimicks the breast.

You are doing such a great job and it's so difficult in these early days. You're still getting to know each other and wee Jakob is still getting used to life outside of the womb! Try and relax and be as comfortable as possible during the long feeds, they wont always be this long as Jakob will become more efficient at getting milk from you.

Hang in there hun, are you feeding lying down to get some rest? How frequently is Jakob feeding? It's very normal for newborns to have 8-12 breastfeeds a day. Feeding will help flush out any remaining jaundice as well .

This will get easier I promise.

Lucy

 

[*saulino*]

hi

Hun i know its so stressful, but it will get better. It is possible it ocudl be for comfort they have a natural urge to suck, ide suggest a soother but think tehy say to wait till breastfeeding is established? correct me if im wrong anyone. Kiara was the same till i gave her one though.
Goos luck hun your doing great
Katrina

 

[cassi]

well he is now on the breast again even after that 1.5 hour feed he just hasnt been content at all ... did you guys have this? what did you do just give a soother? i have the nuby ones and he keeps them in really well but he starts to drop off and it falls out n then he is crying again...

thx 4 all the advice

 

[Lucy]

Like Urchin says I am inclined to think wee Jakob is making up for all the feeds he missed when he was sleepy.

I really understand how hard this is and very tiring and you're still recovering from birth yourself but I do believe this is normal feeding behaviour for a young newborn. My advice is to breastfeed him on demand, if he keeps falling asleep on your breast then he is comfort suckling and I would give him a dummy or put him in a sling or a swing to help soothe him in other ways.
Olivia would do the same, she would fall asleep on my breast, I'd try everything to wake her up so she could finish her feed (try tickling their hands, blowing on their face/wet tissue on their face, changing their nappy, stripping them down to their nappy) but she would stay asleep so I'd put her down in her carrycot then she would start screaming. Sometimes if she'd been feeding very frequently I'd put her in my sling and walk about (that instantly soothed her) or else put her in her swing (didn't buy that until she was a few wks old) this also helped to soothe her. I also gave her a dummy if neither of these two tricks worked!

Our babies have been carried in our wombs constantly for the past 9 months so I understand why they are not happy with being put down on a cold semi-hard surface!

How is his weight gain now?

Lucy

 

[Urchin]

Some babies are just "sucky" babies, he's probably just after the comfort. Don't sorry it will settle down. Will rocking him or carrying him in a sling help? Brody wasn't exactly like this but I'm sure someone else will have some good advice.

I know you mentioned not getting much sleep...I hope you are taking naps when you can in the day and resting when you can. Your OH needs to be doing all the jobs while you just settle into a nice relaxed feeding routine.

 

[petchy]

if he's just after comfort then i second urchin here - SLINGING is the way to go! i'm quite into babywearing so if you need any info on the different types of slings please do ask.

otherwise - stick with the BFing, you are doing BRILLIANTLY! i promise 100% it will get easier! almost 9 months down the line i am still BFing and now i can't even remember the bad times anymore.

chin up! (((((hugs)))))

 

[Hypnorm]

One thing that just sprang to mind, how was his birth?
Some times babys will suck because their head hurts, and sucking releaves the pain, i have been told cranial oseopathy can help.

I wouldn't use expressed breast milk at the moment, certainly freeze it and keep it, but it the early stages of breast feeding you need to feed as it will tell your breast how much milk he needs, if you are giving him a couple of bottles a day then your breast will account for the missed feeds and reduce the production.

Ewan would feed for about an hour at a time, but then it gradually reduced. to 35 mins to 20 and he became quite quick at feeding.

Also try and relax when feeding, if you are tense that wont help either, but you are doing really well, keep your fluid intake up and eat well,.

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Cassi, the bresat feeding drop-in clinic at the Royal Berks is brilliant. The staff their are really friendly. They open from 10am every week day morning but can get very busy. I would suggest getting their for 10am. I went their several times in the first few weeks. I am thinking of going back but might go to a more local one this time as I am now having problems feeding when out.

 

[skatty]

Cassi, your little boys behaviour is quitye simailar to Leorah, she really likes to suckle and I sometimes mistake it for hunger! I give her a dummy but not at night, I let her fall asleep in my arms and then lay down with her otherwise I am searching for the dummy all night!

Leorah was in hospital Friday night as she was so sleepy she wouldn't feed for long. She has a virus and the doc said when she is better she will feed more to make up for what she is missing while sleeping so jakob is probably doing the same.

I also thought my milk was drying up a bit but when I thought about it I hadn't been eating and drinking enough, I find the more I drink the more milk I produce. these early days are hard aren't they? I have been tearful on many an occassion but it seems to be getting better every day, keep up the good work, you are doing brilliantly and I remember when we were both pregnant we were both eager to do our best to breastfeed and aren't we doing well?

 

[Lucy]

Skatty, you'll find your boobs will really start to settled down as rather than storing all the milk in your boobs like before (when they were hard and lumpy) they will be making it on demand when your baby feeds. Don't worry, it's not a sign your milk is going down, it's natural the next step of breastfeeding.

Lucy

 

[Hypnorm]

the midwife said i should be drinking a big glass of water everytime he fed from me,

 

[cassi]

you guys have really helped...he is on the breast again now kind of sucking and snoozing lol.

but since i stopped the emb this morning no poo and his nappy wasnt as heavy as usual?

cas x

 

[Urchin]

you guys have really helped...he is on the breast again now kind of sucking and snoozing lol.

but since i stopped the emb this morning no poo and his nappy wasnt as heavy as usual?

cas x

Try not to worry, just keep an eye over the next few days, as nappies vary all the time anyway.
They aren't an immediate sign that anything is wrong...they just are useful to keep an eye on.... don't worry, you're doing great