Constant feeding

[nov75]

My LO is four weeks old, although 3 weeks prem and weighed just over 5 lb at birth. She has had consistent weight gain each week and now weighs almost 7 lb. However, she never goes more than an hour or two between feeds, which usually involves me feeding for 10-12 times a day, almost 1 hour per feed. I am very tired and recovering from an emergency c section and feel like giving up breastfeeding. Is this level of feeding normal and if so will this demand continue for much longer? Today she has spent the past 7 hours on and off the breast and I am convinced she is not getting enough from me. Do I give her a top up or will this make it worse? I am so confused, please help!

Constant feeding like this is normal. Don't have time to post more as DD currently shuffling in her moses basket and will want feeding in about 2 seconds but don't worry. Someone will be along later to give more advise but just wanted to reply quickly incase everyone is asleep. Ok she's up now, gotta go....

nov75 - sorry you're tired and feeling pressured :(

Honestly....this is great: your dd is catching up brilliantly . 10-12 times in 24 hours is 100 per cent normal for a healthy baby. The only way your dd can do this catching up is to feed often, and longish periods of being on and off, feeding little and often is the best possible recipe for making lots of milk and getting lots of milk into her.

The weight gain must be about 1 lb 12 ounces on top of birthweight, yes? That is a good weight gain, and she is clearly doing some serious catch up!

Would it help to gain some confidence? You could call any of the bf helplines.

Have you got good support for yourself, so you can be looked after and cared for as well?

Giving up bf would require more work, and more tiring work, buying the formula, making up the feeds, washing and sterilising the equipment. At the moment, at least you have the milk supply on tap :) And your dd sounds as if she is thriving on it :)

Normal, normal, normal, normal. You do not need to add in top ups of anything if you don't want to.

I say this all the time (probably sound like a broken record) but the best course of action is to find a way of making your life easier. Whatever it takes. All offers of help, co-sleeping, sleeping when the baby sleeps, purchase a sling etc.

It doesn't last forever. In a couple of weeks you could think about expressing and introducing a bottle so that somebody else can do a couple of night feeds.

BFing is very clever, as is your dd. She is telling your body exactly what she needs and the weight gain shows your body is responding.

It's hard. You've had major surgery and the worry of a premature baby. Are you physically well? Remembering to eat and drink plenty? Checked for anaemia after the cs? It's so much harder when you're tired and/or in pain.

I promise you it gets better.

That sounds normal, albeit exhausting, to me. At one point I gave dd formula as had awful, awful thrush & was near breakdow and was expecting her to go 3 or 4 hrs between feeds ..... Time to myself for sleep... Nah 90 mins after she ate recommended dose she was looking for food. The most I ever got her to stretch to was 2.5 hrs. The bottle washing/ sterilising/ 30 min cool down/ re heat when screaming is such a palaver that I am now back to ebf except when she's at nursery. She's now 16 wks old, try & persevere. You have obviously done fantatstic so far with her impressive weight gain

Just want to add my sympathy, it's so tough at this stage and you really do need to make sure you're getting lots of support. If it helps, think about it like this: she was born with such a tiny stomach that she can only take tiny feeds and needs really frequent meals. But as she's growing (and they do seem to get bigger before your eyes at this stage!) she'll be able to take more milk at a time. To make enough to supply this extra milk you've got to let her feed frequently. Then she'll manage bigger gaps. That 7 hours on and off is her way of putting in an order for you to make enough milk for her - and like magic your breasts will come up with it and she'll settle back to a less frequent pattern.

You've done so, so well and you're making your way through the stage that most people find hardest. It does start to get easier, it really does - and you'll be so glad you persevered. I'm EBFing a 6 week old and the faff surrounding sterilising stuff is such that I can't even face sorting bottles so I can express milk and have a few hours to myself!

In the meantime try to feed lying down. Might take a bit of practice but it means you can rest while she's latched on.

The early weeks of breastfeeding are exhausting but unfortunately what you are experiencing is very normal. I also had an EMCS and my DD did the same, I remember spending some evenings on the sofa in tears because she just would not stop feeding.

It will get better though, I found my DD started to get more efficient at feeding from 8 weeks and although she still fed every 2 hours or less the feeds themselves were shorter.

Do you have anyone at home with you? I found that having someone there to bring me food, drink, the remote control etc. while I concentrated on feeding was invaluable in the early weeks. It also meant then on the odd occasions that she wasn't feeding I could hand her over to someone else to be winded or cuddled and I could grab 10 minutes to myself to have a shower or read a magazine or even go for a (slow) walk to get a break.

Also have you been able to get out of the house? I found that when she was being pushed in her pram she slept and therefore went longer between feeds. Do you have someone who could take you to the shops or a for a walk in the park or for a visit to a cafe? Although you understandably feel tired its good to have a break, even if you're not 100% up for it, so you don't feel so trapped and isolated with your constantly feeding baby.

Despite how it feels you are doing very well. I never managed anywhere near the impressive weight gains you have acheived with your DD.

It's normal, and you're doing brilliantly - it must be so tough coping with the aftermath of a section as well as early BF. Hang in there: if you've got through the first four weeks the point when it gets easier is in sight. I talked every day for the first six weeks about giving up BF because I was so tired, but now it's so much easier and I'm really glad I persevered. It's so much less hassle at this stage (DS is 11 weeks) than FF would have been - if we want to go out I pick up the changing bag and out we go, and he goes two or three hours between feeds now (longer at night) unless he's having a growth spurt.

Are there people around to help with all the non-feeding stuff - housework, settling the baby after a feed, nappy changing and so on? If so I agree with all the posters who say you should accept all offers: it really makes a difference.

I won't add more cries of it's normal because everyone beat me to it, just wanted to say that you're doing SO well - fantastic weight gain

It will pass, honest. Feet up and let someone look after you until it does :)

There will probably be a sea change at 8 weeks and another at 12 weeks.

I sympathise totally as I remember sitting wondering if I was the only person in the world whose child was feeding like this. We also had slow weight gain so felt like I was totally failing. Now when I look at dd who is 5 months and big and healthy it seems like a lifetime ago.

For me it helped to just think 'this is my job now' and to try to embrace sitting on the sofa watching boxsets. Try la leche league for more support as well - their message boards are full of very experienced and supportive people.

Absolutely normal - and i wish someone had told me that when i had DD1 as i assumed i didn't have enough milk and topped her up, and before i knew it she was rejecting BF

With DD2 i powered through it and just fed, fed, fed - now she is 4 months, still EBF and happy and going 2-3 hours between feeds.

Just look after yourself and keep doing what you are doing, it will pass.