Right, now I'm confused...BFing 3 week old question

[TettyLouBar]

Hi all,
Bfing going well to say least...(DD1 BF for 6months, 8lb4oz born and gained well straight away) now DD2 born 8lb 15oz 3 weeks ago and weighed in at 10lb7oz today!!
However, HV asked a string of questions today which made me think she was indicating I was feeding her too often.
She currently feeds about every 1.5 hours during day, sometimes 2 hourly if out and about and she's asleep.
At night, she settles for the night at about 10pm after cluster feeding most of evening. Then wakes about 1am and 5am for feeds. I thought this was marvellous as she's done it since birth (DD1 was all over shop for first 6-10 weeks feeding erratically and constantly through night)

Ive been giving her both boobs at most feeds and HV suggested I might want to give her just one per feed and try and stretch her out during night as she's obviously getting plenty?!?

I'm not sure how to take this?

My only other concern is that DD2 seems very windy and needs lots and lots of winding. Constantly gets hiccups, has a white tongue, sticks her tongue out alot and is sick a little after about half her feeds. (All of these things I recently read can be because of mild reflux and that these types of babies feed more often as they like the boob for comfort)

I'm wondering whether I should take HV advice? or should I give DD2 a dummy soon to keep her happy between feeds if she's windy and just wants to suck?

She's really thrown me off with her comments!

Frankly I would ignore your HV and go with the flow - your DD is gaining weight and thriving. I used to latch DD on for a variety of reasons - tiredness, hunger, comfort. It was a lot more than simple nutrition.

One thing you mentioned - is the white tongue possibly thrush? DD had it when she was tiny and it made her slightly irritable - she'd need a lot of holding, jiggling etc. A white tongue and inner cheeks is often a sign of it and it's easily treated.

I'd continue as you are tbh. DD fed hourly for the first 7 weeks and then 2 hourly at least until 7 months. She gained 1lb a week too from birth and went from 50th centile to off the charts in a few short weeks. I trusted her to know what she needed and sure enough at 3.9yrs she's still at the top of the charts for weight and height and is just tall and slim.

I don't think there's a problem with introducing a dummy once feeding's established and presume she'd let you know if it wasn't what she really wanted.

Sucking for comfort is not a bad thing incidentally unless you find that she's really struggling with reflux and being sick.

DD possetted after most feeds but was never sick.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby. I always bf mine on demand, my third was the most demanding and fed every two hours for months, had a good weight gain etc and I was never told any different. Sounds as though you are doing a brilliant job (oh and I also gave both boobs at each feed).

Congratulations on the birth of your baby - what you are doing sounds fine - I have always feed mine when they have needed it = ds2 gained 12lbs in the first 10 weeks, at 10 he is tall and slim. I also give both boobs at each feed.

Wow, I'd ignore the HV. You're doing great.

White tongue does make me think you should both be checked for thrush (which can make babies windy).

agree with everyone else; sounds like you are both doing just fine with the Bfing, although I think the HV has a point about only giving one boob if she suspects the windiness is due to oversupply, but she should have explained this better if that was the case. One sided feeding can help regulate this. On the other hand, if she has limited understanding of the mechanics of BFing, she may just be spouting nonsense. And from my own experiences, only two night feeds at 3 weeks old is pretty good going really!

I would get the white tongue checked out though. My DS had thrush when he was little, and although he was my third and 2nd fully BF child and I had trained as a BFing peer supporter, it never occured to me that it was thrush at all; I thought it was just a milky tongue . After a couple of doses of treatment, the white started peeling off in big flakes...eeeeeeeeew. It explained why I was in excrucitaing pain as well that I was putting down to latching issues.

Thanks all for you quick replies. I had considered the thrush theory. But DD1 had it really bad for weeks and weeks when she was newborn and I tried all manner of remedies and became quite a dab-hand at spotting the symptoms etc.

I don't think it's thrush but I shouldn't rule it out I guess. I was SOOO badly effected by it last time and it was SOOOO painful that I suppose I just expected it to be that way again if it was thrush.

The whiteness on her tongue has fluctuated from hardly there at all some days to fairly white other days. it's not a crust like thrush was when DD1 had it either.

I'll bear it in mind though.

pearl 12lbs?!?! wow amazing, good for you!