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Infant feeding

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

I'm ready to quit

38 replies

YogaMummy2B · 11/04/2011 09:39

OMG I am about to be committed! DD was born by emergency section last Sunday, she was full term with no issues. I had pretty bad preeclampsia! I have barely had a wink of sleep since. Only got out on Wed and back to A&E with DD on Thursday as she had not slept from 10am Thursday morning and this was 3am Fri morning only place she calmed down was on my breast. All ok with her and we had a relatively good day Friday with a couple of hours rest between feeds. I think she fed around 15 times or more! Sat night similar, Sunday from 5pm onwards she has not been off my breast! I got about 1 hour sleep by co-sleeping with her on my boob. It is now 9.30 am and I am at my wits end. I can't even set her down to go to the loo! Husband back to work today too so I'm home alone with my feeding machine!
Please tell me this is not normal, I'm in tears with exhaustion!
To top it off she has mega bad wind all the time, so when she does come off she is in pain if I lay her on her back and screams almost instantly. Also she had diarrhoea last night and I'm not convinced her poo looks ok. Although checked it out against a poo guide and seems fine.
Please help before I am forced to formula feed for sanity sake!

OP posts:
KnockedUpMell · 13/04/2011 16:59

Glad to hear things are looking better! I naively thought this baby stuff isn't that difficult after all, and then my ds's windy days started and those days were pure hell. Im lucky enough to have my mum with me during the day so she takes him off my hands except for feeds. My ds will wake after 10mins sleep unless there's someone there to pat him back to sleep and is hard work! We co-sleep and i think my hand goes into auto-pilot and pats him even when im asleep! Things are definitely better at 4.5w than they were initially though and I'm sure as you learn to read your lo's signals it will be easier.

MoonFaceMamaaaaargh · 13/04/2011 20:32

glad things are looking up yogamummy. Smile

PatronSaintOfDucks · 13/04/2011 22:15

YogaMummy, it looks like you are figuring out the situation, but I will through in my 2p if it helps:

My DS pretty much lived on my breast for the first three weeks. During the day, I was sitting on the couch ALL DAY LONG for hours and hours. He was not too bad in the night, I could actually put him down in my bed, but we co-slept and I do remember feeding a lot in the night lying down (so this is slightly better than your situation). I also had an emergency c-section and because of it or all the drugs or whatever, my milk supply took forever to get to a decent level. DS lost a load of weight in the first week. In retrospect, my DS was feeding so much to build the supply up (the more demand, the more supply). Perhaps this is what your DD is doing. If it is the case, do no limit feeds (as your breastfeeding coordinator said). Just make yourself as comfy as possible on the couch, eat nice (microwavable ready-made) things, watch loads of films (subscribe to LoveFilm, it saved me!) and do not think about anything else. In the night, take DD into your bed, swaddle her (this may make it easier to put her down) and sleep with her latched onto your boob. And please believe me - it will not last. My DS got a lot better at 3 weeks. He is 11 weeks now, he still takes longer than average feeds, but we have a good life! He is snoring upstairs now in his own cot all by himself.

And I totally understand your emotions. I cursed my NCT classes a million times. I just wish they provided a more realistic picture of breastfeeding. I shed many tears and spent a lot of time feeling like an inadequate wreck and being afraid of being glued to the blasted couch FOREVER in those first three weeks. But it's ok. It's normal. And it will pass.

Perhaps try a wrap sling in the day. They are the coziest ones for a little baby.

I so feel fore you. It is sooooooo hard. But it will get better. Hang on there. You are doing fab.

PatronSaintOfDucks · 13/04/2011 22:18

Oops, did not read your last post. It looks like you sussed it out. Glad you DD is gaining weight so well. Congratulations!

WhipMeIndiana · 13/04/2011 22:18

she loves the boob! its delicious and smells like mummy.
she only needs 1st 10-15 minutes of milk on 1st boob, then offer second . then burp her.
sit her on your lap facing sidewayd hold her chin/head/neck gently in left hand, rub/pat back with right hand. get rid of wind!!! daddy can hold her up on his shoulder rubbing her back til she burps. then both sleep!!!
bless you both I remember this its hell, every week gets easier xxx

Islandgirllk · 13/04/2011 23:03

My DD loved sucking right from Day 1. For 6 weeks I let her suck my finger after a feed rather than carry on sucking my nipple. I knew she was asleep/getting sleepy as the suck changed. At 6 weeks after trying a few different styles she took a dummy. We're still feeding at 7 months with no intention of stopping, little madam doesn't like cups or bottles anyway.

Yoga, so glad things sound better for you. The first 6 weeks are quite hard, if you can get through this things only get better and you will start to read your baby much more easily, this is the point where bf became pain free and much more enjoyable for me with both my DCs. Good luck.

zayla · 14/04/2011 06:34

Screaming when lying down is a possible indicator of silent reflux and lactose intolerance is a common cause of silent reflux. It really annoys me that people dismiss possible symptoms as 'normal'!

However even in normal circumstances you do want to comfort feed a fair amount at the start to build up milk supply and breastfeeding is exhausting those first few weeks.

YogaMummy2B · 14/04/2011 23:49

Holy cow, I'm sooo stupid! Another reason I am feeling so wrecked with it all is that I am anemic, currently trying to get some iron back into my system, however tablets making my stomach very bad!
I was borderline transfusion level before I left hospital!

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 14/04/2011 23:53

Try the spatone stuff, seems easier on the tummy. You can get it from any chemist.

bubbleymummy · 14/04/2011 23:55

Try Floradix and Spatone - very gentle iron supplements. The tablet ones the doctor prescribed during pregnancy gave me horrible cramps. It was my lovely midwife who suggested Floradix and Spatone and I used them throughout my pregnancy with DS2 with no problems.

bubbleymummy · 14/04/2011 23:56

x post bertie :)

BertieBotts · 15/04/2011 09:23

I couldn't remember the name of the other one :)

JitterBug2 · 15/04/2011 22:28

Word of warning re iron tablets, they make horribly constipated and when you manage to poo it's very black. All quite unpleasant - I'm currently taking them and it's given me quite a bit of discomfort and worry with my stitches. I recommend figs and lots of water to keep things moving!

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