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Infant feeding

Finding things a bit distressing :-(

8 replies

stowsettler · 04/03/2013 20:50

DD is 7 days old today, and bf is going incredibly well - too well I think. She's feeding for about 1hr - 1.5hrs at a stretch, with just a few hours in between. Plenty, plenty of milk; so much I will need to start expressing in the next day or so.

Now this bit I can cope with; this phase may not last for long and I'm managing to get a reasonable night's sleep. But the thing which is really upsetting me is that I can't currently just pick her up and cuddle her. The smell of my milk must be so strong that it's all she can think about. I'm finding that I avoid picking her up unless it's time for a feed, and this is really distressing. I just want to cuddle her, she's so beautiful, but if I do I'm just setting myself up for yet another feed - doesn't matter if she only fed 10 minutes earlier, she'll inevitably go rooting for the boob.

Can anyone help? How long will this last, or does anyone have any miracle ideas to break this cycle?

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WickWackThurso · 04/03/2013 20:57

Congratulations on your new little one! It sounds like you're doing brilliantly.

Nothing lasts for ever with babies, this too shall pass. Mine were like this for a couple of weeks, but they used to fall asleep on the boob so I did get a bit of rest. Feeding is the best cuddle you can give her right now. Have you tried a soft stretchy sling to help her get that skin to skin comfort without feeding?

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Shybairns · 04/03/2013 20:59

All I can say is that her wish to suck constantly is very normal. At 7 days its impossible to tell if its just for comfort or because she wants another drink. They grow so rapidly at this age.

Try your best to relax about it. Enjoy the cuddles you have while she sucks. Spending these first few weeks on the sofa is what is best for both you and her. You get to rest and she gets to feed.

Believe me this phase will be over before you know it. They are tiny for such a short time.

If she is still like this after 8 weeks think about a dummy as some babies are suckier than others. But I promise you she will give you a break soon.

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stowsettler · 05/03/2013 04:55

Thank you. I will try her in a sling, she's been out in one and loves it so that's a good idea. It's true, they're tiny for such a short time - I'm already getting tearful about the time we'll never get back! There's no pleasing some people!

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Twattybollocks · 05/03/2013 21:16

Has she been weighed? Feeding for that long at every feed sounds quite a long time, and the hours in between - how long is she going between feeds? Issue jaundiced at all?

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FannyFifer · 05/03/2013 21:20

My first baby was like that, constantly on the boob, I lasted about 5 weeks then gave a dummy, best decision ever.
On DD, I didn't torture myself and she had a dummy a few days in.

Both just very sucky babies, dummy ( nuk ones) didn't cause any nipple confusion and they were both breastfed till around 2 years.

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Booboostoo · 05/03/2013 22:36

DD bfed loads as a newborn and still bfs a lot now for her age. Any time she is worried or unwell she just reverts to a lot of bf. The longest session she once did was 3.5 hours!

On the plus side it has always been very easy to stop her from crying, reassure her and keep her ocuppied so there are positives to a boob-monster baby!

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NaturalBlondeYeahRight · 05/03/2013 22:49

It always feels like a 7 day'er is permanently attached. It does feel a bit endless at the beginning but it won't last. I'm a bit concerned that you think you have to express, this will make your body produce MORE milk. Great if you want to stock up in freezer, but don't do it to get rid of the milk. At 7 days your body wants to see how much you need, takes a while to settle.

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stowsettler · 06/03/2013 05:40

She was weighed at day 6 and had regained 130g of the 180g she'd lost since birth. No jaundice. Just had a very fussy night, took til 1am to settle - but I'm pretty sure we've hit the dreaded growth spurt.
I will definitely consider a dummy if she carries on like this, and yes I do want to stockpile a bit hence expressing - although I think I should probably wait a bit just yet.
Tbh I think she's behaving perfectly normally, I just need to give her a chance to find her pattern. Thanks for all the suggestions, we'll get there I'm sure!