Further to my plea for help with newborn BF baby yesterday, I've got even more questions!

[hopefully]

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice yesterday here, it made such a difference. I had many many hours solid skin to skin time with DS, and things have definitely improved. However, the improvements have now led to more questions! Sorry if they?re really silly (and they probably are), I?m just terrified of causing myself more problems without realising.

After all the skin to skin, the situation is now that he is feeding for between 30-90 mins at a time (on one breast, with no signs of distress), at the end of which he falls asleep, more or less on the breast (he might roll off a few second before dropping off). This is then followed by between 1-2.5 hours sleep. When he wakes he is having a nappy change, then going straight back on the breast.

1. He's now basically just alternating feeding and sleeping, generally around an hour's feed then 2 hours sleep, but it varies a bit. Should I be making some effort to keep him awake after any feeds, or interrupt them a bit? It just seems insane that at a week old that he's not really having any 'awake' time.
   
2. Some feeds (such as the current one) are lasting up to 2 hours, with no signs of finishing. Seriously? Is this normal?
   
3. As he is basically feeding to sleep (I then move him to basket or cot), am I storing up problems for the future? I know everyone says that you can't spoil them at this stage, but should I be trying to get him to settle himself occasionally?
   
4. He's only feeding from one side per feed. I've been squeezing the nipple after he's been on there for 45 mins, or after an hour, and milk still seems to be coming out, and he still seems happy on there, so I'm wondering if his laziness means it takes a long time to empty the breast? Or should I unlatch him and get him onto the other breast at each feed? Is the fact that I can still express a bit after an hour of suckling indicative of anything at all?

[MarmMummy]

Well done!!! All sounds good!I'm no expert tho, but have fed/feeding 2 of mine.

Questions in order:

1. perfectly normal, make the most of it. Mine was sleepy for 5 weeks!!
   2)I think it can be very normal in the early days, be led by them. If you listen you may find he is not really drinking after 45 mins or so, but just sucking slowly. Hate the phrase but he's probably 'using you as a dummy' - which is what he should do!
   
2. As someone once said to me if it was that easy to get them into a 'habit' so early on, we'd all be home and dry!! Personally I wouldn't worry about bad habits/routines any of that stuff till 12 weeks at the VERY earliest.
   
3. Again in my experience perfectly normal at the beginning, just remember to alternate for each feed.

[likessleep]

All sounds totally normal - enjoy the feeding and sleeping (believe me, in a few weeks, his eyes will suddenly ping open and you'll be willing him to sleep!) I don't think newborns really have any 'awake' time for quite a few weeks. Sleeping and feeding is very good for him to grow!

[idontbelieveit]

1. sounds normal to me. He'll wake up soon enough.
   
   
2. normal as well. My dd was very similar. Sometimes the feeds went on for 3 hours until she was about 8 weeks old. (Am going to get a sling i can feed in for the next one!)
   
   3)I would not bother about him settling himself at all. DD fed to sleep until she was 2 but now goes into her cot, covers herself up and has a story then sings herself to sleep happily. (She's now 2 and 3 months).
   
   
3. normal too but i would always offer the second breast, even if he's asleep, he might wake up if you swap him. if he doesn't, just start the next feed from the second breast. You may find it helps to swap more frequently if you get sore but otherwise I wouldn't worry.
   
   You're doing brilliantly!

[glaskhamhasoneintheoven]

1. perfectly normal up until anywhere around 6-8wks in my experience.
   
   
2. Can be normal, i know many friends who had long feed times early on.
   
   
3. my 2 never settled alone until about 8 weeks when i'd be playing with DS or doing some housework a bit, mainly it was lying in the moses basket looking at things till i picked them up, my 2 self settled and went to sleep from around 12wks with DD and about 6mths with DS (i spoilt him a bit too much i think!!
   
   
4. i only ever fed from one breast each feed, my letdown was very fast and my DC's were very greedy for it too so my feeds were only 5-10mins from about 1wk onwards, but they would almost empty the breast and then fall asleep, next feed do the same with the second.
   
   all sounds like you're doing brilliant- keep at it girl!!

[BabiesEverywhere]

He will never 'empty' the breast, as your breast will keep making milk whilst he is nursing. As long as he is happy I wouldn't unlatch and move sides, just let him come off on his own.

[MissMarpleTastic]

1)He will gradually become more and more awake. With newborns they do just basically sleep and feed.

2)Totally normal.

3)No, my DS2 is 23weeks and still feeds to sleep sometimes, others he goes down awake quite happily. Just do nighttime/daytime distinction and he'll learn his own routine gradually.

4)The breast will not empty and as he gets older he will feed more efficiently and faster. Every time he suckles your body produces more milk, slowly if he is sucking little, fast if he is sucking a lot.

Best place to go to find out about breastfeeding is www.kellymom.com just read through it all. It explains everything.

Congratulations btw.