BF 5 wk DD...help! At my wits end!

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Any advice at all would be appreciated!
So the story is...traumatic delivery but full term and 9lb. Milk came late at day five. DD lost a bit too much weight, but I have perseverved and we have just got back to birth weight at 4 weeks. BUT....I am demand feeding and seems to be 'demanding' every hour during the day and almost continously in the evenings but only every 3 hours overnight. It's really draining and making any sort of venturing out the house next to impossible as she 'demands' at the most inconvenient times i.e. at the checkout or 5mins after I have started driving!
How can I get her to go for longer between feeds? She does seem to take very short feeds...about 10mins per breast, she either falls asleep after 10mins or spits the nipple out and is extremely stubborn about going back on.
Anyone had similiar experiences? What did you do? Really don't want to become a hermit! Thanks

Mine is very irregular as well so you have my sympathy. Is your bf well established? If your DD latches well, have you considered a dummy? I found it calms my DD so I can look for a coffee shop to bf.

They will go longer between feeds on their own. Only thing to make sure is you aren't mistaking overtired signs as hunger calls.

If she's only recently back to her birth weight, I don't think a dummy would be a great idea.

How are your nipples?

What happens if you offer the other breast?

Some babies will take more milk if they've been burped?

If she's falling asleep, breast compression might perk her up, and squeeze a bit more milk in. (There are some good videos online, by Jack Newman)

It sounds like it's better than it could be, at least she's taking her three hour breaks at night, so you can sleep.

If she demands food when you're out and about, it won't do her any harm to wait five minutes for you to get into a good place for feeding. Alternatively, is a sling an option? Means you can feed on the go (but not while driving!)

Sounds quit normal for a 5wk old to be honist. The cluster feeding in the afternoon/evening is why she's going longer over night which is great as she's at lest got day and night the right way round.

I also wounldn't try to space feed's or use a dummy at this stage given that she's only just back to birth weight.

Give her a couple more week's and feed's will probably start to space out a bit more on there own. If you need to get out for a bit do, it woun't hurt if she has to wait a few minutes untill you can feed her.

Be thankfull you have a short feeder, DD fed every 2hours for an hour at a time can you image what that was like. Anyway by 8week's things had got much better and we where getting out a bit more by then to. Your doing great these early day's don't last long.

There is growh spurt around this age, during which most babies just want to feed and feed - its an important time for you both, as the frequent feeding helps you build your supply. Cluster feeding in this way is pretty common at this age, and she will naturally space her own feeds as she develops.

The advice that I was given when DS was that age was to keep feeding on demand, and to try and avoid using a dummy. A dummy means that you can miss your baby's hungry cues, and so you won't know how often to feed her.
Cluster feeding can feel restricting at times, but it doesn't last long. Are you confident enough to feed in public? That should allow you a bit more freedom. Also, a lot of supermarkets (the big stores) and shopping malls have feeding rooms now, so you always have some where private to duck and feed if you need to.

Good on you for keeping going - my experience has been that formula feeding looks (and probably is!) a lot easier than bf in the early days when you are getting your supply established, but once thats done, bf seems much easier - no bottle sterilsing, you don't run out at 3 in the morning, its always the right temp, it's free etc etc.

You could always use this time to snuggle up on the sofa with DD and catch up on those box sets you always wanted to watch

Sounds quite similar to my DD, now 17 wks. I had a CSection, and because of where we live I was a bit of a hermit for the first 6/7 weeks. I still have some problems going out as often as some other mums, but I just have got used to feeding DD when out and about. Although not quite "on demand" feeding, I will offer her a boob pre supermarket shopping etc, if I know she hasn't had a feed for a longish time. She won't take if she doesn't want.

10mins might be enough for her. She'll still have a small tummy. You might have a very good let down. Baby's tummy's empty in about 30mins! My DD still doesn't feed for much more than 10mins.It does get better, but she is still a frequent feeder.

If you can, I'd get your positioning checked. Couple of mum's I know improved length of feed and therefore length of time between feeds. One needed to improve tummy to tummy postion, other just needed a slight adjustment in hand postion. Our community midwife said we could pop in anytime even after discharge and we also have a local BF goup/support adviser - either by phone/text contact or they have meetings twice a month.

This sounds almost identical feeding pattern to my DD, I posted on here also around the 5 week stage, particularly about the evening cluster feed session. I was finding it really frustrating not being able to do ANYTHING other than feed ! But I BF both previous DC's and so know how rewarding it is once things settle down.
I was reassured on MN about it being normal so I just relaxed about it and planned my days around feeding the baby every hour or so, regular coffee shop visits when out, online shopping for groceries, being organised about other dc's meals when DD takes a brief nap (they've never eaten so much convenience food!),accepting that , for the moment, my life was predominantly all about BFing DD.

They are little for such a short amount of time, it really is a matter of weeks, before you know it they'll be onto the next "stage".

My DD is 13 weeks, and still feeds every couple of hours but she's so content and settled between feeds and seems to be finding her own routine..she does catch me out still, but with constantly available. ready to go B milk it's not too much of a hassle!

Keep up the good work, enjoy it whilst she's so little, it really won't last for long..

Exactly what mamacorner said.
I remember thinking 'God, this is sooo hard, how will I ever get to 6 months!' and then by the time I got to six months breastfeeding was really easy (and a lots less frequent) and I was happy to continue for a lot longer.
If you keep going one day at a time it will definitely get easier!

it will improve, she has a lot of time to make up, keep up the good work

Thanks ladies, it's good to know that things will get better. I am okay about breast feeding in public, but got myself in a bit of a sobbing mess yesterday when I posted as I have a meeting with the bank today and had visions of her screaming and crying mid-discussion with bank managers!
Apart from that, her screaming whilst I am in line paying for the groceries is rather heart rending and makes me feel a bit like everyone is staring at me like I am an awful mummy. I have got my latch checked and MW seems to be happy with it...hopefully I will be getting a thicker skin with time. I have to say at least I am lucky that my nipples are no more sore then expected!
Maybe I will try a dummy when her weight is a bit more stable!

NotQuiteCockney, I have tried breast compression but it just makes her spit the nipple out. Which sling would you reccomend? There are so many out there!

We use a kari me sling here. I'm really happy with it.

I'd seconed the sling, small babies offten just want to be close and if you carry her round in a sling while shopping she's less likly to be crying while your trying to pay. I also felt that if DS was crying at lest he was doing it cuddled up in the sling on not left on his own. No need to grow a thicker skin.

Dummies are great IMO for giving you that needed extra few minutes to get back to the car / to a table / upstairs. You should never use a dummy to prevent a feed, but sometimes you cannot feed the baby as soon as they ask and need a few minutes to get to somewhere you can. Nothing wrong with using a dummy then - just make sure you don't push it and think "maybe I can get home" instead of "maybe I can reach the car before feeding".

Slings are great and working out how to feed in them is so useful. I fed my (nearly 6mo but teething) DD on a 2 hour walk the other week in her sling! Ring slings are the most flexible if you want to bf in a sling IMO.

Breast comnpressions and shifting position can sometimes make a feed longer. Some babies like to snack though.

Really, I didn't know that? Thanks for the tip, don't want another DC just yet! Do you know why?

Sounds very normal for a 5week baby imo.You'll be amazed once you get over the 6weeks how much easier it suddenly is.I found that one day it was chaotic and the next it had all settled into regular spaced out feeds.
Do keep going,I know it's hard,but so very worth it.
I always used a soother with my girls,from day one,and had no problems.Think bf'ing is less reliable as contraception as baby is not comfort sucking on you anymore.Less hormones released or something!Though it's not fail safe anyway,so unless you want "irish twins",get something from your gp when you have your six week check up.
Congratulations btw x

yay! thanks everyone! Finally back to birth weight today! tried a dummy that I had around, a Philips Avent original one that I had lying around free from a baby fair...no joy...will go buy a couple of different ones tomorrow! Researching various slings as well, some of the fabrics are so lovely, just have to remind myself that I need to be able to use it when I am out on my own too!

Don't go and invest loads in dummies! EBF babies don't quite get plastic teats I think. My DD only understands it's something to suck on half the time. That said she prefers the tommee tippee bottles over avent. I learned from MN tt is more breast like so maybe their dummies are better too.

PS my DD screams at the avent bottles and my dummy is avent too. So maybe that's why she doesn't always get it.