Breastfeeding support thread

[CoachQueenie]

She spat it out after about 10 mins and i decided not to give it back, just got her down to sleep after 2 and a half hours of coming on and off the boob and in and out of her basket... feeling a bit sorry for myself on only 2 hours sleep and DH wakes up for work and proceeds to tell me he is sooo tired, oh really?? Poor you! NOT! I know I should count myself lucky she isn't screaming the place down, she really is so good in that respect... I cry more than she does lol x

 

[Sprk]

Coachqueenie - don't feel bad about giving your lo a pacifier. I wish mine would take one! As you've found out, if they are hungry, they will just spit them out and 'ask' for food. Sometimes, they do just want to comfort suck and pacifiers are great for that. Mine woke up at 5 and 6 am this morning, and each time she 'fed' for less than a minute and fell back asleep. She just wanted some comfort, not food.

Kaa- I agee, feeding more is fine. When I left the hospital, I was told to feed every 4 hours. Sometimes we fed more than that. I just followed what lo wanted. Since her weight was fine, she sometimes went a bit longer. Then there are times where all she does is feed. Not fun, but it's a growth spurt. Keep up the great work.

 

[SR35]

Coachqueenie I felt the same about dummies but since using one it has really helped settle her at bedtime and stopped her getting overtired. The only trouble is she quite often wakes up when it comes out! I totally sympathise about baby being on and off, and in and out of bed too, it's a nightmare. When it becomes obvious it's just for comfort is when I try her with the dummy. Oh and I also have a dh who lays snoring next to me while I'm up half the night and then tells me how tired he is the next day. Men eh?!!

Sprk did you manage to get anywhere with giving lo a bottle? I'm having the same problem now, she gets in a right state when dh tries giving it to her. Am so disappointed as she used to be fine, she would have loads and then go nicely off to sleep giving me a bit of a break, but now I'm going to have to go back to feeding her for ages in the evenings!

 

[Sprk]

Sr35 it really seems to depend on her mood. If she's very hungry, she wants boob otherwise we can get getbherbtobsleep the bottle by squeezing a tad in her mouth. Sometimes I will start her off with the bottle by holding her clothes like welfare going to fb, then I slip the bottle instead lol. She drinks it all so fast however, that I usually have to bf her to sleep (but doesn't take nearly as long as the marathon feeding sessions). I wish she would take a pacifier :/

On an unrelated note, I have less than 4 hours sleep the last two nights and am dead tired. I thought by now she would be sleeping longer. I feel like I'm doing something wrong (but know I'm probably not) just feeling a bit

 

[SR35]

I know how you feel, it's so hard when all you want to do is sleep and you can't! Tried the bottle again tonight and she still wouldn't have it so had to throw it away and breastfeed. She went to sleep about 8.30 and has just woke up again wanting more. I think it's going to be a long night!

 

[MrsHttc]

Hi Ladies...hoping you can give me a bit of advice, or even done reassurance that this will get easier.
Alice is 5 weeks today and still feeding every two hours...she is sleeping a good 6 hours during the night, so I can't complain with that. Today it's every hour to an hour and a half, and every day I just can't seem to settle her between feeds. It's not often that she isn't crying if she's awake. I do everything I can to settle her...offer her another feed, change he nappy, different bouncers, holding her different ways, singing, taking, pacing the floors, drink of water....she eventually does settle with a dummy but only after what seems like hours. I've just managed to put her in her crib 5 minutes ago since 8:30 this morning as she won't let me put her down...has anyone used a sling before to keep your baby close and so you can also get things done, even if they are feeding every two hours? I could happily cope with the frequent feeding if I could get things done inbetween...I have another 3 children too so, not unlike other new mummy's, I'm just exhausted x

 

[SR35]

Hi mrs h, I often have this problem too and my lo is 7 weeks. We have a sling and its a lifesaver! It's good because baby feels close to you and it's great being able to get on with things. Quite often she will fall asleep in it too and then you can transfer them to bed if you like. Six hours during the night is brilliant, I'm lucky to get 3 hours! Do you think she might have a bit of trapped wind or something making her uncomfortable? I'm currently trying my lo on dentinox in case this is an issue for her. It can also be worth seeing a cranial osteopath if your lo is constantly unsettled. sometimes the trauma of birth can cause certain problems which make them unsettled and the osteopath can identify this and rectify it. During labour I was pushing for a long time and eventually they used ventouse to get her out which has resulted in her mainly looking only to the left so she obviously had a stiff neck etc and so she is having a couple of treatments. It sounds as though you are doing great though, you should be proud of yourself!

 

[Maud]

My little one was very unsettled in the early weeks. I did buy a wrap but hardly ever used it as I found I couldn't do anything once she was in it. She did go through a phase of feeding every 1.5-2 hours (not just a growth spurt), but we're pretty sure she wasn't always feeding for food - she would use it to help her fall asleep too. In the early weeks this was ok, but eventually we had to instigate a more structured routine for her so that I got some time to myself. It might be worth investigating whether there are any places you can try on some slinmgs/wrapos to see what suits you best before investing in one - I think the nct do this in some areas.

 

[Maud]

I'm feeling a bit sad as my LO is starting to drop feeds now that she is eating so much at proper mealtimes. I know it's silly but I am sad that she doesn't need me as much anymore.

I'm currently sat watching her doing acrobatics rolling around the room and waiting for her to show signs of wanting her first breastfeed since 3am...

(Sorry to those of you wishing your babies would feed less; I was there once too!)

 

[SR35]

Aww I imagine I will be the same when I get to that stage. It's like you say though, at the moment I would love a break. We always want the opposite of what we have!

How old is your lo now? It sounds like you have done a great job and she is healthy and content so you should be really proud of yourself xx

 

[Maud]

Thanks. She's 7.5 months. We're doing baby led weaning and she eats masses so I know she needs less milk. Just brings home how fast she's growing up though. I want to keep breastfeeding to at least one year; longer if possible.

At least it bodes well for my trip to the theatre in December. (First time I'll be leaving her)

 

[SR35]

It certainly does fly by, can't believe my lo is 9 weeks tomorrow, it's gone so quick. She had her jabs yesterday, that was horrible!

That would be great to breastfeed for a year, not sure I'll be able to do it for that long as the night feeds are so tiring but I will keep going as long as I can.

Enjoy your theatre trip, you deserve it!

 

[Maud]

She didn't have another feed until 3pm!! Tried at 2 but she refused, which she never does! Guess she knows what she needs though.

 

[MrsGriff]

What a great thread. It's been so interesting reading about everyone else's experiences and realising that I'm not the only one who's found breastfeeding quite hard.

My story is this: I had my LO at 33 +2 weeks so she spent the first couple of weeks in special care. For most of her time there she was tube fed and I was expressing every 4 hours but eventually she learned how to feed independently.

As she was so premature she has to have vitamins and iron every day so she has had to learn how to feed with a bottle as well as on the boob. Luckily she can manage both without any confusion. This is also good for me as hubby can give her that feed every day using expressed milk which gives me a break.

After we got home things started to get very difficult. She was feeding constantly for sometimes 2 or 3 hours at a time and I just wasn't getting any rest. I was constantly exhausted and felt that she was literally draining the life force out of me. I kept getting told my inlaws that if I fed her formula that she would settle much better but I really didn't want to do that. It led to quite a few fights with my OH who couldn't see why I wouldn't.

However, after a few days when she was just horrendous with the constant feeding, I was about to crack and was seriously considering formula. But then she was diagnosed with a tongue tie by a breastfeeding councillor at my mother and baby group. I was surprised that the hospital hadn't picked up on this but I don't ever remember them checking for it. She gave us the name of a specialist and we booked in the next day to get it sorted. We could have waited to do it on the NHS but it would have taken weeks to get an appointment and by then I think I would either have chucked her or myself out of the window.

Anyway, it was the best £100 I ever spent. Since then she hasn't had any long feeds at all. She is on the boob for about 20 mins and then is satisfied. She still wakes up every 2-3 hours in the day and every 1-2 hours at night so still not getting lots of sleep but it's much much much less stressful than it was and my nipples are also far less sore than they were.

Am really hoping that she starts to sleep a bit longer during the night now as the sleep deprivation has definitely kicked in now. I've been told that as her gut matures she will so I really hope that happens soon.

 

[SR35]

Hi mrsgriff, it sounds like you have been through quite a tough time with your lo but getting through it all and still managing to breastfeed is quite an achievement, well done for sticking with it! I'm glad that things are getting easier for you but totally agree on the sleep deprivation being a killer! I have been so close to giving up on many occasions and going onto formula so that dh can help with the night feeds as I get so exhausted, but somehow I keep going! Apart from the fact she started refusing bottles when I expressed, I also know how much better breast milk is than formula and want to do the best for her. Also sterilising is a hassle plus breastfeeding is free! So there are lots of benefits but like you say it's hard when you just want them to sleep longer at night! It will happen, I am starting to see an improvement with my lo who is now 9 weeks. I take her up to bed for her last feed at around 6.45pm and if I'm lucky she might be asleep by 8pm. Then she wakes between 11/12 and then at around 3, then 5 and then 6ish. So it starts off okay, will be so nice when she manages a bit longer! Just remember you're not alone!!!

 

[Sprk]

Ouch! Emily is only 10 weeks and last week she has started to bite down and pull on me! She's been drooling like crazy so I think teething has begun (although she's not too fussed) I've finally started a 'no biting' policy. If she bites down hard the feed is over. Don't know what else to do, as it's very painful.

 

[Kaa286]

Hi ladies! After some advice again.

Baby has been on my breast for almost an hour now. She appears to be asleep and is completely relaxed. She will not let go of nipple when I try to move away from her mouth and every so often suckles but I just can't believe she is still actually feeding after this long!!

Is this just comfort sucking? How do you tell the difference?
I'm desperate to move my bums numb and I need a wee ha. But don't want to remove her if in fact she is still feeding or at least gaining something from this.

Thanks in advance for any advice xx

 

[Maud]

It doesn't sound like she was still feeding. Did you take her off in the end? Sometimes a bit of breast massage can help stimulate some more milk when they aren't actively sucking and if they don't react to that you can usually take them off.