Breast feeding help... third day, hungry baby!

[beansbananas]

I'm on day three with my gorgeous new baby, but still not really producing anything to feed her with. She was a forceps birth so was very tired and couldn't seem to find the energy to suck when she matched on, until last night when she actually seemed hungry for the first time. The problem is im not producing anywhere near enough colostrum to feed her and so she is really distressed and screaming constantly. Aibu to top her up with formula while I try and stimulate milk production? I just don't know what else to do. It's so upsetting and I feel like I'm letting her down.

Eat lots of food with oats eg flapjacks, muesli etc
It's help you to produce milk. I got loads with my second DC after a lot of problems with my first.
Tbh you don't get much in the way of colostrum in the first couple of days.
I also bought an electric pump, a real Godsend.

Can you hunker down on , favourite TV on, with her feeding whenever she wants while your dh brings you tea and biscuits chocolate

Day 3 should be feet up time, constant feeding is the norm until milk comes in and she gets more efficient at feeding

Have you tried expressing?

Today or tomorrow you will suddenly have more milk than you know what to do with, especially if you feed at night.

Yes, give her a bottle, having a screaming hungry baby does not help anyone. Giving her a bottle of formula will not delay your milk coming in.

You do have enough. I know it feels like you don't, but you do. This is normal. It's cluster feeding & you're doing great.
Each feed is tiny & right now all this feeding is to establish your supply and is totally normal. Best of luck & keep doing what you're doing.

You could top up with formula, but in my experience it is hard to then stop using formula. I think a very new baby's stomach is tiny, I was told the size of a cherry so she won't need that much milk to feel full up. Could you call your midwife for advice? They look after you till baby is 10 days old. After that call your health visitor. Do you want to ebf? If so I would recommend the La Leche League advice line, they were lovely when I rang them when DD was 2 days old and had a tongue-tie and couldn't nurse. Please be kind to yourself though - whatever you do decide to do, you won't be letting your baby down! You sound very caring You are probably absolutely exhausted at the moment but it does get easier and congratulations on your beautiful new baby

Top up with formula. I did day 3-7 for both of my ds's and ended up bf ing for 3 years!
It's just to tide over while your milk comes in.
And congratulations!

Just put your feet up and keep her at the breast all the time. Your milk should come in today- hang on just a bit longer........,

As difficult as it might be I'd bear with it. Loads of skin to skin, she'll probably go on a bit of a cluster feeding frenzy which will help your milk come in. Day 3 is so early her tummy is wee, she doesn't need much. Just keep up with her demands and hopefully nature will kick in.

Hi! Also on day 3 with new baby. Disclaimer- not a professional but this is baby no 2, first child had tongue tie and feeding issues, I am autistic and breastfeeding problems became a 'special interest' for a while.

Best thing to encourage your supply is lots and lots of skin to skin. You can try expressing some colostrum for her, easiest way is by hand, did you get a breastfeeding guide from your midwife or antenatal classes? If not google the technique.

If you do decide to top up with formula while your milk comes in, she only needs literally a couple of ml at a time- either drip it in her mouth with a syringe or use a cup (google again). Her tummy is only the size of a marble and bottle feeding encourages them to take too much and stretch their tummy, so she will find it harder to be satisfied after breastfeeding in future.

Your milk will come in on day 5/6

Don't worry u will know because u will like Pamela Anderson lol

@sassypants is right. You do have enough. Feed as often as possible. Also make sure baby has been checked for tongue tie as this can hamper stimulating milk production and correct latch. Do lots of skin to skin with baby, just sit together naked and take in deep sniffs of her head. My milk didn't come in until day five.

Your milk will probably be in by tomorrow or Monday so hang in if you can. It's very draining so if it gets a bit much tip her up with formula. It's not the devils potion.. happy mummy equals happy baby. As long as she gets calories doesn't matter where they come from!
Congrats on your new baby x

Don't worry just put baby on breast often .. dc only has a small stomach so little and often

Even if I express now u won't get much
And if u give formula then baby will not be sucking on your breasts therefore you body will not produce as much milk.

Baby's suckling on breast determines how much milk you produce

Most important thing is to persevere and put baby on breast whenever baby wants it

Milk doesn't come in properly until day 3 or later. As others have said you should soon have lots of milk. If she is wanting to feed a lot, let her, it builds up your supply and comforts her even if not much is coming out (although probably more is than you realise). The best way to stimulate you milk production is to feed her as much as possible.

This is totally totally normal. Day three is a killer. They have a teeny stomach and feed constantly to tell your body to build supply. As long as they are having wet nappies they will be getting enough.

I wouldn't supplement with any formula at this point as it will interfere with the signals she will be giving your body at this point. Hunker down with snacks, drinks and a box set if possible.

If you need a break get someone to pop them in the pram for a walk around the block whilst you sort yourself out.

You're doing great! Xxx

I did mixed feeding with my enormous baby (4.7kg) but she was basically on my boob all the time. Their tummies are tiny at this age and in my experience she was constantly hungry. This helps your milk to come in. As others have said eating oats is helpful and hunker in front of a Box set with a pike of snacks and encourage the skin to skin and feeding. If you want to use formula then use a cup or feeding syringe and only small
amounts - I think we were doing 30 ml a couple weeks of times a day.

I'd give formula.
My son was like this, then got drowsy with low blood sugar. A year on there's no sign of brain damage due to low blood sugar but it's a very real risk.

Oh and then i went on to breastfeed until very recently

Echo all the above advice, but also be aware that day 4-5, when milk comes in, is insane, baby might feed constantly for 24 hours, and you will probably cry all day (nevermind baby), totally normal happened to most people I know. Just warn your partner/family so they are supportive. Good luck

I read somewhere that mix feeding with formula kills some of the antibodies of breast milk so baby will not get full benefits of breastmilk

I was told to supplement by midwife but wish I didn't because DS1 got really ill at 8 weeks so I built up my milk supply more and dropped the formula

If you do decide to give formula then express when you give your baby an bottle so you are telling your body to produce that milk

I had an emcs with Ds, he had low blood sugar and was being tube fed formula before I even made it out of recovery. We were told he had to eat due to being poorly with an infection so he had formula for the first few days.

He would latch but not suck as he was tired from being poorly and all the antibiotics. He had a combo of formula and expressed milk until my milk properly came in and he got a bit better. He started feeding better after about a week and was ebf from then onwards, still going now at nearly 11 months.

I would send DH out for an infant starter pack now so that you have it (no sterilising or anything required). Nothing worse than it being the middle of the night and needing to faff about.

I'd also try and get some real life support ASAP, call your midwife and LLL and see if someone can come and see you urgently.

If you do decide to give formula in the short term it doesn't mean the end of breastfeeding but I think you have to be a bit disciplined not to 'skip' breastfeeds and give formula instead as that will affect your supply.

It does get easier but it does feel all consuming initially! Look after yourself, eat and drink plenty, keep your feet up and congrats on your baby!

I packed my bags and tried to leave on day 3 saying I'd made a mistake and I couldn't do it. I cried harder than I ever cried before in my life including when my mum died.

It's the hormones leaving your body saying you're no longer pregnant. It's a lot to take in 🙈