Newborn ds constantly feeding

[cogitosum]

Ds was born sat morning. Saturday he fed about every 4 hours, hardly cried and slept really well at night (I understand this is normal as they are tired after labour). Sunday he was the same but from Sunday evening he hasn't stopped feeding.

He'll feed on each side for up to 40 nins. Will come off himself but then immediately start rooting and will scream if he doesn't get the breast again.

I don't think my latch is too bad. Midwives didn't seem worried and his output is good but I'm worried he's not sleeping. He got two 3 hour stretches last night, and one 2 hour stretch today but other than that it's been half hour at the most once or twice and the rest of the time he's either feeding or crying.

Midwife said it could be my milk coming in. Is it normal for them to feed this often while that happens?

Dh read some pamphlet today that said a newborn should cry only about half hour a day! Is that right?

I don't mind the feeding it's just I need to sleep and I think he does too.

Does anyone have any suggestions or assurance that it gets easier?!

[maja00]

Yes, constant feeding is normal - your milk will be coming in and newborns just need to be at the breast feeding and dozing constantly. Maybe you could lie down and feed in bed with your DH watching over you so you can get some rest too?

[queenofthepirates]

Totally normal, I highly recommend the complete box set of Greys Anatomy, Arrested Development or something else suitable long and not too brain consuming to occupy you whilst you feed. Oh and loads of food and drink to keep you hydrated. Tell your DH to pop out and pick up all of the above quick smart!

[aufaniae]

Yes it's normal, and it does get better I promise. Your body and your DS will get much more efficient at the whole milk thing.

[cogitosum]

Thank you! So just to clarify he doesn't need much sleep?

Also he doesn't stop moving. He's constantly wriggling and kicking his hands and feet when not on the breast.. Could this be colic?

[maja00]

Colic just means unexplained crying for long periods.

Wriggling and kicking doesn't sound like a problem - he probably just wants to be on the breast though! I think at this stage my DS fed and dozed in little bursts in my arms rather than sleeping hours at a time in a basket.

[cogitosum]

But surly they must sleep at some point or how do you sleep?

Sorry labour started Wednesday night so Saturday was the first sleep I've had for nearly a week and I'm so exhausted!

[maja00]

Personally I just had the baby in bed with me. While your DH is on paternity leave you can sleep in shifts so he can watch over you if you feel happier that way. Some newborns will only sleep on their parents' chest.

[StealthToddler]

Totally normal. So much so that I watched all the series of Madmen in the evenings sitting feeding my newborn ds4 in the evenings till he was in a deep enough sleep to be plopped into bed. Just accept this is what a newborn is like and try to enjoy the snuggliness! I know it feels very frustrating but it really won't last long.

[twirliedobbit]

Just another thing to add to the mix. Crying and rooting can also be wind signs, try winding for longer, my D's quite often looks as though he is desperate for more milk I wind he does a huge burp/ pooh then falls asleep, meaning no feeding required and a bonus nap for me

[Sunnysummer]

Normal but stressful! For us, cosleeping was a saviour, but it does sometimes mean a bit of a pain with getting rid of pillows etc for a bit. Box sets are also definitely your friend, I love Netflix - Orange is the New Black is great!

If you are still having hours a day or crying in a few weeks, do go to the doctor - in our case the 6 hours a day of screaming turned out to be severe reflux, and there are treatments!

[speedyboots]

Sounds normal to me. I found lots of skin-to-skin helped us both feel calmer and made DS more settled. Agree that the thrashing might be wind though - always a sure sign that a burp is needed.

As an aside, I found after about three weeks that deleting the word 'should' from my vocabulary helped with my sanity a lot! It's hard enough coping with the demands of your baby without worrying about what someone else who has never met him/her thinks they should be doing.

[starsandstripes72]

My baby is 2 weeks old and i was just as confused as u were. Because she was feeding non stop and i hadnt slept in 3 days i spent the night crying because i thought she wasnt taking enough. Spoke to midwife the next morning and was told it was normal. She wanted to be close to me all the time and just wanted to constantly feed to bring my supply in. I wish it was explained on leaving the hospital because it seems it confuses every new mother. Dd settled after a day or 2 and was feeding every 2 to 3 hours instead.

[starsandstripes72]

And i agree with other posts...plenty of skin to skin.

[tiktok]

cogito, all this sounds normal - the amount of sleeping and feeding and wriggling he is doing is not at all unusual, and the crying he is doing is a sign he wants to be close to you, on or near the breast (a few days ago he was inside you....why would he want to be away from you now? :) ) .

Respond to his cries by doing what he wants you to do! Whatever you need to do to comfort him, do it :)

[aufaniae]

cogito I was thinking about you this morning, and came back to the thread.

The feeding sounds normal, but you're right, they must sleep eventually. Newborns are meant to sleep about 18 hours a day IIRC.

I'm not a BFing expert, but Tiktok is. I imagine however that the extreme lack of sleep is just in these early days, and once you've got through them he'll sleep better (as will you!)

I think you need to make a plan to get through this stage, remember it is only a stage and won't last forever (the mumsnet mantra is "this too shall pass"!)

Cancel everything (visitors and housework can wait!). Get a book, a few DVDs, your computer and some chocolate! and go to bed for a few days. Do lots of skin to skin, and just hang out with your baby until he's got the hang of this sleep stuff, sleep when he does. He's too young to be in any kind of routine, I'd just focus on getting any sleep whan you both can.

I found this website on sleep which might have useful info on what's "normal" sleep: Infant Sleep Information Source www.isisonline.org.uk/

I'm sorry, you must be totally exhausted. ((((hugs))))

[aufaniae]

tiktok a baby can't sustain only a few hours sleep a day forever surely? Are you able to reassure the OP that he must start sleeping eventually? Waking a lot at night and sleeping at funny times is perfectly normal, but not sleeping isn't, is it?

[tiktok]

"Newborns are meant to sleep about 18 hours a day"....well, some do, some don't, there's nothing 'meant to' about it :)

[tiktok]

But the baby is sleeping.....he's just sleeping unpredictably :) A couple of long naps with a few shorter ones is within normal, and in any case the baby is only 2-3 days old! Far, far, far too soon to be pressing any any buttons about how much sleep he needs....tomorrow could be different. In any case, the baby prob dozes at the breast sometimes :)

[aufaniae]

I took that from the ISIS website. It says "Newborns sleep for 18-20 or so hours a day, but only for 2-3 hours at a time. " source

ISIS is a reliable source IMO as it "draws on the combined experience of Professor Helen Ball and her team at the Durham University Parent-Infant Sleep Lab, and senior representatives from La Leche League, NCT, and UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, all being organisations working directly in the fields of parent-support and health professional training in the UK."

I understand not all babies will fit the mould, but I'm just worried we've left the OP with the idea that babies can survive on 3 hours! That's got to change, surely?

[aufaniae]

"tomorrow could be different." Indeed. I'm not trying to say to the OP she should be worried he's not getting enough sleep, but more to reassure her that it it's not normal for babies to get 3 hours sleep a day on an ongoing basis.

I'm trying to reassure her that he must get some sleep eventually! This is true wouldn't you agree?

[aufaniae]

Where does he sleep OP, and does he wake when you return him to his crib - if he has one? With DS, I found I got an extra hour sleep in the mornings when we switched to co-sleeping.

With baby DD, we can't co-sleep as not enough room in the bed! (DS still come in, in the mornings, and goes back to sleep). So we have a co-sleeper cot (3-sided, up to the edge of the bed). I find it helps keep DD asleep , I feed lying down and can just slide her back in, she doesn't wake).

Just a thought!

[tiktok]

ISIS is an excellent site, and they don't say 'newborns are meant to....' as if there was something wrong if they do not :)

yes, the pattern of the OP's baby will change :)

[tiktok]

And the baby is not having only three hours sleep....even on her calculations, he had six.

[tiktok]

Actually not six but 2 x 3 plus 2 plus 2 x 30 mins, so 9 :)

[maja00]

I think newborns can feed and sleep simultaneously, can't they? A couple of long sleeps a day sounds good, and then a lot of feeding and dozing at the breast. I know DS barely opened his eyes in the first week or so but still managed to feed almost constantly.