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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Need some reassurance...

7 replies

harverina · 23/08/2010 21:32

My DD is 20 weeks old an EBF. I keep losing confidence in my ability to feed her all on my own- I'm great at giving out advice to other poeple then I start to doubt myself, so I understand if you tell me just to get on with it.

Posted a thread a few weeks ago about my DD cluster feeding in the evenings. I was worried that my suply was low but think that I was just a bit slower and that it was taking her longer to feed. Also think that she was going through a growth spurt and that sore gums were making it harder for her to feed. I was reassured by mumsnetters that this was all normal.

Anyway...the past couple of weeks have been different again. For most feeds my DD will rarely feed for more than 5 minutes and then will refuse any more. I am getting stressed out that she is not getting enough milk. She sleeps through the night most nights - been a couple of times in the last few weeks where she has woken for a night feed but she seems to be back to sleeping all night. I have noticed that her nappies are not as wet this week, though they are still wet most changes. There was a little green poo last week but we are back to normal yellow poos. She will latch on to one bbob for a few minutes, refuse to go back on, then latch on to the other one for a few minutes???

Today I was working for the first time - went in for a "Keep in touch" day and I left 3x 7oz bottles of expressed milk. Was actually worried that I might not have left enough but she only drank 14 oz between 11am and 5.30pm and I fed her about 5.45pm. Are these normal amounts. I read on a formula packet that she should be drinking about 6.5oz per feed. Is this different for breastfed babies?

Sorry for the long post - I suppose leaving her with bottles today and the fact that she did not finish them made me worried that she is not getting enough.

Any advice would be appreciated.

OP posts:
strawberrie · 23/08/2010 21:49

My DD did the same thing at roughly the same age. I think it's partly down to a greater awareness of the world around them - being nosy can get in the way of feeding for any great length of time!

To be honest I would have been more worried had she guzzled all the milk and been looking for more - my DD only had the occasional bottle till we stopped BF at 10 months and I don't remember her taking much more than 5oz or so at any one time till she was a good bit older.

Latching onto one boob then the other is sometimes called switch feeding I think - it can be a strategy to boost your supply a bit in anticipation of a growth spurt, which would fit with the extra waking at night.

You're doing fine, but I know that you knew that anyway Smile

harverina · 23/08/2010 21:55

Thanks for replying so quickly - didnt know about the switch feeding. Think you are right about them being nosy. DD is so nosy just now! Even the smalest noice makes her pull off and look round. Its making feeding outside more interesting!

OP posts:
GruffaloMama · 23/08/2010 22:51

Hiya - this link is a good one about nosy interested babies! I remember ds at that age also seemed very distractible but also sped up his feeding massively (he was a right little pig). So she might be getting more than you think even in shorter feeds.

pookamoo · 23/08/2010 22:57

It sounds like you are doing a great job, and all totally normal! Smile

It's not unusual for babies to refuse expressed breast milk from a bottle. My DD totally refused it when I went back to work, but she was over 1 and we were able to go onto cows milk. Even then, she started off taking just an ounce or two each time. Your DD probably made up for it later, I'm guessing!?

Good luck, you are doing really well (which you already know!)

MumNWLondon · 24/08/2010 08:35

I think 14oz from a bottle is fine for that length of time, esp for a baby used to BF, all sounds fine, esp if sleeping well!

re: switch feeding DS1 did this as he liked the "fast milk" (ie let down milk) the best as it just went into his mouth with minimal effort.

harverina · 24/08/2010 22:09

Thanks everyone. Feeds were slightly longer today and DD took 7oz expressed bottle from her dad tonight...talk about keeping me on my toes! I need to learn to relax a bit and see changes in patterns as a normal thing instead of somthing to worry about.

mumnwlondon was at bf group today and they said the same thing about my DD probably liking the fast let down...babies are really clever!

OP posts:
pookamoo · 25/08/2010 13:34

Glad to hear things are going ok Smile

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