Hi all. I am new to mumsnet and just wanted some advice. My baby is 5 weeks old. As my milk didnt come in she lost a lot of weight we were told we had to top up with formula at the end of each breast feed. I am trying to reduce how much formula i give now but it is hard. My milk is better but she is rarely satisfied with a breast feed. If she falls asleep she is fine but if she stays awake she is very restless and literally 10 mins later she cries and roots for more food or sometimes it is continuous so i feed her constantly for 2 or 3 hours. She is latched well and is swallowing. Eventually i get so fed up i give formula and she is fine, she will sleep or stay awake and play. I was originally hoping to exclusively breast feed but I am not anti-formula as it is convenient and she seems to be thriving but would like to get to the stage where i only give a bottle when i am out and maybe last thing at night and do breast the rest of the time. I can't express any significant quantities so ive stopped doing it as it was depressing me. I dont really wish to start again. I am happy to feed a lot but i need breaks of at least 20-30 mins at least a few times a day so i can shower etc. i find it is better when i am out as she sleeps in the pushchair which stretches feeds but it means i can not get anything done at home. Unfortunately i do not have much support with cooking and housework for numerous reasons. Any advice will be helpful. My questions are:
Why is she rarely settled after breast feed even though i have milk now?
How can i reduce top ups without expressing and affecting her weight gain?
Thanks.