please help - 4 day old

[splatt]

my 4 day old is feeding constantly and doesn't seem it be satisfiable.

we've been at it now for over an hour and a half. she gas a really good latch and sucks really well. My boobs which became engorged yesterday were clearly very full before we started are now both seemingly empty. But as soon as she comes off she's scream, routing, mouthing, lip smacking.

Please, is this right and if so how does anyone keep at it?

Totally normal, and likely to be for some weeks to come (and then everytime she has a growth spurt too). Get some good books or books, get comfy on the sofa and go with it. You are doing a fab job.

you're doing well, it's great her latch is so good.

Is she burping ok?

Take it really easy, keep hydrated, keep cuddling. Soon she'll have a big long sleep and you'l be able to catch up yourself.

Have you got something to watch or listen to it can help pass the time...

Also apply lansinoh to your nipples to stop them getting sore

sittingbull i watched west wing all way through too! My dds will probably stand stock still, stroking their chins, when they hear it in years to come and not know why it is so familiar!

thank you ladies
I'm just so tired. DH keeps suggesting we give her some formula but I'm really not keen.
doesn't seem to bring anything up on trying to burp

Formula won't 'fix' her but may give you a break. Like the others have said, 4 days is so young and feeds can easily take an hour and a half at the start (even for a few weeks) but gradually she'll be able to go longer in between feeds. She will also find suckling comforting, so ensure she's swallowing (you can tell by the little gulps every now and then) rather than just suckling for comfort.

Congratulations by the way - welcome to the world babysplatt :O

That was supposed to be a :o not a :O

she was at it for the best part of 4 hours yesterday evening as well you see and when she finally settled wouldn't go in moses basket so had her in bed with me so I didn't get much sleep though she had 3 and half hours

she doesn't settle if you give her something else to suck (ie finger and have even tried dreaded dummy but she just throws it out!) so I'm sure she's hungry. Worry there's nowt there for her

Putting her down to sleep can be difficult at first (the moses basket can seem vast to a little thing at first) - have you tried swaddling her tightly so she feels secure? Each person does things differently, but with our DD1 we spent ages trying to settle her and jumped at every sniffle and sound. By the 2nd DD (I'm currently pg with #3) we put her down much more confidently and it became a lot easier.

Splatt, if she keeps sucking, your body will keep producing. Honestly.

What your DD is doing right now by sucking lots is telling your body to up its milk supply. In 48 hrs or so, your body will respond with lots of extra milk. I'm not anti-FF but if you want to bf, then adding formula into the mix now is not a good idea because it interferes with the supply and demand equation (your DD is hungry, you give formula to top up, your body doesn't realise that it needs to produce more - it becomes a vicious circle).

You are doing a great job. Put your feet up and relax as much as you can.

Also, if are tired, you might want to consider learning to bf lying down and co-sleeping. It has been a lifesaver for many bfing mums (eventually baby may even learn to latch on without waking you up). There's plenty of guidance available on safe co-sleeping. Also, although the research is still ongoing, done properly, it is thought that it may also protect against SIDS.

Its all very normal, it's so hard to start with but in 3 months time you'll be so so glad you persevered.
a good line I heard on here, is that your breasts are not like a pond, but a river. you can never really empty them, and the emptier you breast feels the fattier the milk you're producing, so when you've been feeding constantly for hours she'll be getting the super creamy stuff.

you can do it.

Also it sometimes took my DD 15mins to produce a burp, but it did eventually come, and she would never settle until she'd burped.

although she latches really well in arms or craddle I can't seem to get her to latch with me laid down

she seems to be asleep!!!!!!!!!!!!
i'm off to get dh to sit with her and try to sleep too.

thank you

AH yes, breast feeding West WIng sessions.... very enjoyable once I relaxed and realised that this was how it was going to be. My backside got a bit sore mind...

This wont last forever, your baby will get more efficient at feeding and be spending less time feeding and more time being smiley and gorgeous soon.

Stik with it - its really worth it.

Though if you are feeling desperate a dummy or formular wont ruin everything. If it becomes a regular thing it will change supply but you will work all of it out and be grand

COngratualations!

Oh yes, you're boobs can;t run out :)

Congratulations.

As BandB said formula won't fix her, she is 'ordering' her milk in at the moment the more she suck the more your body produces. Is she sucking lots of little sucks or little sucks then big drawing sucks (so you can see her jaw movenear her ear)? The other thing to remember is that breasts are never empty at bit like a river and not lake - they keep producing more as she feeds so you will never be empty - softer because she has taken the milk stored in the breast but your body will keep making.

Do you have a sling you could pop her in for a ittle while? or can your DH cuddle her skin to skin for a bit so you can get a little nap in? She won't want to be put down as she is used to being snuggled in and warm - swaddling her and warming her moses basket before putting her in could help.

aah I see she is sleeping - off to bed quick before she wakes.

Lyingdown feeding took me a while to get to grips with as well but it got easier as DD got bigger.

ALso I became quite skilled at grabbing naps when I could: my three favourites were:

-When DD fell asleep in the car I would stop in a layby and snooze for half an hour....

• WHen DD was asleep on our way home I would nap in the car on our drive untill she woke (this also happended in car parks, outside relatives' house....)

• Got quite good at sleepng while DD fed sitting up with cushions behind my head.

• Found DD liked being in a sling with Daddy while he did the washing up...

Thanks for your support ladies.
Feeding during the day today gas been much better. Less than an hour followed by a settled baby. Presume cos is now more milk than colostrum so more filling for her. About to feed then bed. Fingers crossed for a more settled night.

Thanks for your support

Glad it's moving in the right direction with babysplatt. Let us know how you get on.

Thanks for all your helpful comments at what was a very difficult time for me the other night.

Things have gone from strength to strength since then. DD is now 8 days old feeding well roughly 3 hourly in the day and 4-5 hourly at night the last 2 nights. I'm sure we're just being very lucky at the moment!!

I'm feeling much more confident about everything and even managed to feed her in John Lewis cafe today. Again thanks for the support the other night, it was very much appreciated.