Feeding apps - stress!

[squizita]

Anyone else have this? Started using a feeding app (that tracks feeds) out of curiosity. DD is fed on demand. Unfortunately she had a weight blip around the time and now I think I'm a bit addicted to it! It's now a source of stress.
Basically if I notice she's spent less time on the breast one day than another, I worry and start putting her to the breast loads - of course if she's not hungry she plays, fusses or sleeps there it doesn't mean more food.
It's started eating into my life! I'll cancel things to try to up the minutes. I'm turning into a hermit.

I also think "we'll this got me out of her weight blip, so I should continue" not "she's ok now so can feed when hungry".

But of course time on the boob means little really doesn't it because a 10 min efficient hungry feed makes my boobs feel empty ... but I just see 'short feed' and worry.

Is this only me? I know I should ditch the app but fear (irrationally) it will lead to hunger. Silly as I feed on demand so if she signals I feed.

[eurochick]

It does sound like the app is making you anxious. I think you should ditch it.

[Shesparkles]

Delete the app!
No way do you need an app for a breastfed baby! I can almost see the point of keeping track of what a formula few baby is having but the whole point of breast feeding on demand is you don't need to do that.
You don't need the stress

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

Delete the app!

They just breed insecurity.

And they are stupid. Does it always take me the same length of time to drink a cup of tea? No, of course not. It tells you nothing about your baby's wellbeing.

Isn't your baby something like three months now too Squiz? She's well old enough to make a big loud fuss if she's hungry. We're not talking about a jaundiced 2 day old.

[squizita]

Penguins yes dh points out she's pretty vocal! If she's unhappy she shouts (lol sounds like NAANBREAD !) prior to tears! ??
And yy to the tea thing. The difference between a hungry feed and a doze on the boob - nice though they are - is clear!

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

So are you going to delete the app then? Go on, you can do it. You don't want to be tracking feeds and obsessing about minutes over the holidays, so get some practice in now.

[squizita]

Yeah I reckon I should !!!

[tiktok]

You know in your head it makes zero sense, *squizita.

You cannot track volume of milk with a timer - that's not how it works at all.

In fact it is misleading.

A bruiser of a six month old, for instance, might spend all of two minutes at each feed, but be taking loads :)

I think anything that gets in the way of the mother and baby communicating with each other in the lovely, mutually-responsive way that grows with time, should be banned or at least binned :)

That little trash icon on your phone is there for a reason :)

[squizita]

Yeah thanks tiktok I know when she's hungry so also realise the app is just making me crazy!
Also looking at her weight - the "dip" is the 1st point from which she starts a new line ... it wasn't a dip but her finding her line. And over the last 4 weeks she's had days with long feeds, short feeds ... logging them doesn't change them just logs them!

[Redling]

A good loud screaming cry for a feed doesn't mean that you've done something wrong or that you've left them too long or that they are starving. Well they may think they are starving, but they aren't :) at first there were obvious hunger cues but now at 16 weeks crying is DS hunger cue! Hand are always being chewed! It's playing playing playing laughing HUNGRY OMG IM DYING WHY WONT YOU FEED ME. You'd think he'd remember that he does get fed as much as his greedy little heart desires :) I found it terribly confusing when I stopped being able to read his hunger cues and was offering food all the time, had a 3 month old drinking 2oz bottles at a time, practically every hour because I was still thinking I had to preempt his hunger. now he can scream in my face if he wants it, like he does with everything else :) now he will chug a 6oz bottle every 3-4 hours. I'm sure the same would apply to the Breast, she's not one to comfort suckle all night when left to her own devices is she? She knows when she wants milk!

[squizita]

Yeah she likes a cuddle as much as the next baby but bed time feed is always 15-20 min on the breast, looks drowsy, cuddle and bedside crib - then a good 4 or 5 hours sleep till she wakes chirping and swinging her head side to side (which means hunger!). Ditto out in the pram or carrier, she'll snooze or look around for a good couple of hours then start to vocalise and wobble her head and I find a cafe or comfy bench.

I made myself ignore the app since her noon feed. She had a nap then made noises and looked at me so I fed her without timing and of course she satisfied herself - starting out with thirsty drinking then naturally slowing - and is now having a little play, obviously not starving for having waited!! :)

[Inbl00m]

I had the app in the beginning and realised it was making me borderline insane. Have been much happier since I ditched it and just focused on making sure there are dirty nappies and DD is growing out of clothes :)

[squizita]

Yup I am going by wet nappies (3 month ebf means she poops once daily or even every 2 days) which are usually properly wet after an hour to two hours. So long as she is urinating and it's clear and frequent I will know she's drinking!

[tiktok]

squizita, just a little hint....don't ditch the app, only to replace it by counting nappies.

You absolutely don't need to count nappies - not for a thriving 3 mth old.

It's a useful thing to watch for in the first week or so but thereafter it doesn't tell you much.

If you start counting nappies and watching/assessing for how wet they are, you'll become anxious if one is dry for longer than you are used to.

Babies actually decrease frequency of urination as they get older - it's to do with the way the bladder matures.

[squizita]

Tiktok Thanks! Will avoid doing that! 3rd day app free and finding life a lot easier. She's suckling well and hasn't looked sad or hungry! Just vocalised and sucky mouths every 2 or 3 hours.