constant feeding at one week old - growth spurt?

[beaver33]

My previously saintly one-week-old has suddenly stopped sleeping and wants to feed constantly. All the time. Not just once an hour - literally constantly.

I did some creative googling and it seems this is a growth spurt. But it's shattering- and my boobs look deflated and feel empty. LO is having loads of dirty nappies so I know she's getting something out, but it feels like there's nothing there.

I couldn't express more than one ounce earlier, which scares me. There is nothing more terrifying to me than not being able to feed my bub properly.

Have upped my liquid intake, am resting up and ploughing on with the feeding, but am I being paranoid? Is she still getting enough?

Any tips to keep feeding but get some sleep???

[MyNameIsAnAnagram]

Don't worry about supply, just because you can't express any doesn't mean baby cant get any keep feeding, baby is trying to get your supply up to meet requirements! Can you try feeding lying down so you can get some rest?

[NotQuiteCockney]

If she's pooping, she's probably getting plenty of milk.

But I have some questions:

1. Is she actually feeding constantly? Or is she falling asleep on the boob, you put her down, she snaps awake, crying and rooting, you put her back on the boob, lather rinse repeat?
   

1. How are your nipples feeling? Are they sore? Do the feeds hurt?

[bionic77]

Watching with interest as am having exactly the same experience. DS is 6 days old and tonight has just fed constantly since 11pm. Plenty of dirty and wet nappies but zero sleep. He has emptied both sides and in a fit of panic thinking he must not be getting anything from my breasts (despite mopping up his milk tache earlier) I set up my steriliser, unwrapped a new bottle and tried to give him formula - he took an ounce and spat it up.

This was followed though by further melt downs and he is currently hooked on the left trying to wring it out!

Literally no sleep, not even 5 mins. Is this normal at this stage? DH thinks we have a faulty batch and it can't be right. I think I'm bring punished for telling MIL how swimmingly everything was going - which it was until tonight! Oh pride comes before a fall.

[bionic77]

Sorry not meant as a hijack but an 'I know your pain' - looks around for some knowledgeable person to pop along.....

[beaver33]

please do join, bionic - nice to hear we're not alone!

NotQuite in answer to your questions, she is mostly feeding when she's latched on. She will also do just as you've described - fall asleep, wake up, root around again etc, but only after a long guzzling feed of up to 45 mins.

In terms of pain, my nipples are getting sore now, mainly because they're getting only a few mins break. But in the main she appears to be latching well. The exception is when I try to give her a boob break and she gets really aggressive and will painfully chew quite desperately on the nipple when reattached, despite attempts to calm her down.

any thoughts? feeling pretty desperate...

[BuntyCollocks]

Growth spurt, but also check for tongue tie.

[MyNameIsAnAnagram]

After the mammoth feed will she settle on your dh instead of you to give you a break? Or if you offer a little finger to suck on for a bit?

[RubyrooUK]

All good advice to check for tongue tie etc.

However, my DS1 was like this. He fed for 45 minutes, every 45 minutes. And that was a good day. Sometimes he just sat on the boob all night. I remember going for a pee at 10pm once after starting a 6pm feed and he went mental - I was at the end of my tether! He was the king of cluster feeding.

But it did ease up as time went on. It wasn't always like that. And as long as your baby has a good supply of dirty/wet nappies, you are producing enough milk. I have never been able to express more than 2oz even with very full feeling breasts but my sons put on a pound each week in the early days! Babies are much, much more efficient than pumps at getting milk from you.

I have a ten week old DS2. Sometimes he sleeps for five hours at night. Last night he had 24 feeds during the day alone and was up feeding each hour at night. I assume he is just having a growth spurt.

I honestly couldn't believe how much DS1 breastfed. This time, it is much easier as I accepted that my only real job was feeding the baby in the early weeks and everything else had to fit around it. Now we can do much more as feeds are less frequent (except for yesterday!).

Www.Kellymom.com Kellymom is a great website for information about breastfeeding and

[RubyrooUK]

...is worth checking out. Sorry, posted too soon!

[RubyrooUK]

Stupid link didn't work. Kellymom

[beaver33]

Thanks guys. She has been checked for tongue tie twice so I know it's not that.

Went to a breastfeeding cafe today which was helpful in reassuring me that I'm doing it properly, and it's really useful to know that the constant feeding is normal and prob related to a growth spurt, albeit one which is quite early. Happy to accept it's something I just have to sit out as long as I know I'm not going wrong somewhere.

The lactation consultant also gave me some wonderful Novogel pads for my nipples, which feel amazing - highly recommended!

She's calmer today anyway so I think we're reaching the other side.

Fingers crossed for a quieter night...

[Signet2012]

I found dd did this in the early weeks. Then my supply would suddenly up and i would be back to huge boobs again then a few weeks later I would have three days like that again and the full milk just come in type feeling would be back the day after.

Even now at 9 months and having 3 meals a day she will still have the odd afternoon where she thinks she is at a eat all you can buffet!

[Signet2012]

Oh and if you have and doubts take her back to be checked again for tongue tie. My sil was told from 4 different people her ds didn't have tongue tie, eventually she kept going back and when a consultant checked he did, it was just in an unusual place.