breastfeeding help - getting desperate

[NewMummy5July2011]

Hi
I'm getting really desperate - my DD is a little more than 2 weeks old and it seems she wants to feed literally ALL the time. As soon as I'm done one feed, she is ready for the next feed. I'm feeding sometimes hourly or even sooner than that. My nipples are sore and cracked, and I'm seriously getting ready to pack it all in. I've resorted to shields now as well.

yesterday after feeding her nonstop all day I gave up and gave her some formula which seemed to settle her for a few hours. I know I have plenty of milk, I'm leaking all the time and can easily express loads.

Any advice? Not sure if I can continue Bfeeding if it carries on like this... I'm exhausted and ready to lose my mind. I also feel like I just can't satisfy her no matter how much she feeds.

Please help, I'm getting really emotional and upset - had a really difficult birth that ended in an emergency c-section and just feels like nothing is going right.

Oh you poor thing. The first few weeks are so hard, esp if you're sore and miserable. Have you tried her with a dummy? DS really just needed to suck - some babies are just like that I think. If he was hungry the dummy wouldn't settle him, but if he just needed the comfort of sucking it would. Hope you find your way through it - you're doing a great job!

:( :( sorry to hear how down you are, newmummy

Have you had a chance to talk about this in real life? The mumsnet breastfeeding section has a page with all the numbers of helplines on it, and the counsellors who take the calls will understand if you are weepy on the phone and will listen and support you.

The feeding pattern you describe can be normal at this stage, and some mothers find it helps if you 'wear' the baby in a sling or hold her as much as you can instead of hoping/trying to get her to settle and stay asleep in a cot or crib. Going with the flow is easier than struggling against it. New babies need to be close to their mothers a lot of the time and feeding is a way of getting comfort and reassurance as well as food. When you feel you can't 'satisfy' her, you may be judging satisfaction solely on how long she sleeps and this is not a good guide :(

The sore, cracked nipples are not good - this may be a sign you and/or your baby need help to get a good, comfortable position, or even a sign your baby may have a tongue tie. Has this been checked?

Is your baby thriving, and happy as long as she is feeding/close to the breast?

Post again with more details - people here love to help :)

Thanks for the replies. She has been checked for tongue tie and she is absolutely fine. I do doubt her attachment and wonder if this is the main issue. I've been trying to call the bfeeding lines all weekend but haven't managed to get through to anyone - will keep trying though.

She is very happy when feeding, and she sleeps well at night although she sleeps with me at the moment, she won't go into a cot/crib. But she will go 3 - 4 hours at night which I take as a positive sign. She has at least 5 if not more pooey nappies and wees all the time too. Her weight is being checked on Tuesday, so I'll know then if she is gaining weight ok.

She is becoming more alert with us in between feeds and loves to look at lights on her play mat and she stares at me with what I'd love to think of as recognition. I'm just finding the feeding so draining and exhausting - I keep thinking there is something wrong with my milk / the amount of milk for her to be so hungry all the time.

Hi NewMummy. This sounds really normal to me - I remember sitting on the sofa with the Lost box set for the first few weeks with at least one boob out for DD all the time. All she wanted to do was feed feed feed. There was nothing wrong with the latch or her tongue, she just liked to feed a lot and sleep on my lap. She did grow out of it, and it was not long before she would go longer and longer between feeds, and was more interested in things other than my boobs!

If you can, hang in there, your body is building up a great supply of milk for the little one which will mean you can cope with her needs without her feeding all the time going forward.

Obviously, do check her weight and that everything is ok with her development, but as long as it is, do not ever think your milk is not good enough, or that it is running out, it's not. Think of it as so yummy, comforting and lovely, that your DD never wants to stop! It's like liquid love to the little one, she gets to feed warm, loved and held, while drinking her favourite thing in the world.

Sorry you're feeling so down newmummy.

It certainly sounds as if she is getting enough milk from her nappies and seems to be developing normally too, which is excellent

Tiktok definitely the one to listen to regarding this, and it does seem that you and DD might need a little help getting into a better position, if your nipples are raw and sore. If the positioning and latch is good, your nipples shouldn't be getting damaged. As she has already said, it can be absolutely normal for newborns to want to feed all the time, remember while she was in the womb she was getting a constant supply of nutrients from the umbilical cord, and still has to get used to the outside world.

A sling can be an absolute life-saver as can meeting some other mums and peer supporters and breastfeeding counsellors at a support group. Here is a list of local support groups, although it isn't exhaustive, so it might be worth asking Google, if there isn't one on the list near you. They should be able have a look at your positioning and DD's latch and give you some tips for improving it as well as chat to you about the highs and lows of having a newborn.

Your DD's sleep sounds absolutely normal, many babies prefer to be with mum and all over the world it is more common for babies to sleep with their mums than on their own. UNICEF has an excellent leaflet with guidelines fir safe co-sleeping.

Good luck