10 day old.... in need of help/reassurance

[davidtennantsmistress]

basically ds2 is 10 days old, and BF, we've been coping ok and i've been having more milk than cow & gate, my boobs were v engorged, to the point of thinking I had mastitus.

today is day 10 my boobs are basically rmpty I think. ;( DS is feeding every 45 mins or so by day to an hour on both sides I take him off though as he's falling asleep. of a night he'll give us 3.5-4 hours at a time, which im greatful for. previously he's gone 3 hours by day if not a bit longer.

I know I should be greatful and think myself lucky, but am worried as he won't settle with my milk for very long any more.

DP had to use a carton of formula while I had to go out for an hour to get him settled. he's wee'ing pooping, farting for england, and has gained 2oz since he was born.

The formula has settled him to a point, but he's still whimping.

do I ahve enough milk? could it be watered down cos i've been busy running about everywhere and not sitting down on my butt?

DS1 was fed for 6 months plus sucessfully so I want to do the same again if possible.

also tried to express and only managed 1oz at 11, when ds was on the other side. am so worried my milk is rubbish now. :(

Congratulations on your new baby!

Running about everywhere definitely won't affect your supply.

I've not any help to offer, as this sounds normal to me. Good, even - mine wouldn't sleep for more than two hours until he was four months old.

What do you mean when you say he won't settle with your milk?

he'll groan/grunt/sounds windy/constipated, but poops for england atm, my boobs tingle I guess I was expecting them to be as engorged as with ds1, or is it a case of second time and body knows what to do?

Sounds perfectly normal to me!

Congrats on your DS! The early days can be tough.

First of all, do not worry about not being able to express, it is not a good indication of supply. Many mothers can't pump a damn drop but can BF their babies just fine.

Your breasts are never 'empty', although they can be full- confusing I know! Think of it like a bath with the taps running- you can pull the plug but there's still water flowing through.

If he has gained 2oz since birth and seems happy and healthy then I doubt you have supply issues. Here are some of the signs to look for if you want to reassure yourself.

Feeding on demand is important in establishing BF. I know it feels like they do nothing but feed for the first couple of weeks but it will get easier! You don't need to sit and rest, your body will prioritise making milk.

I have only one child, and he's only 6 months, so I'm not massively experienced.

All I can tell you is that it took 8 weeks for my boobs to settle down. Until that point, they were changed quite dramatically every day. When they did settle, it came as such a shock that I thought something was wrong.

The amount you can express is no guide whatsoever to how much milk you have. 1oz sounds totally normal. See this: www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html

and read around the site, if you've not done so already - it's a wealth of helpful information.

I don't have any advice re the sounding windy - hopefully someone else will be along soon.

Ah - I took so long too type that the others are now here to help :)

Of course you have enough milk. Be confident in yourself. Have a look at this page on kellymom on what to expect nursing a newborn. Breastfeeding is supply and demand, and the more he suckles the more milk you have. Unless you have a latch problem, there is always enough milk to feed your DS. Has he been weighed? Is the MW worried about his weight gain? They are very very fast to recommend formula top up.

As for your DP giving a carton of formula. Well, it won't be the end of your breastfeeding. But you should refrain from doing it unless mix feeding is what you are aiming for. There shouldn't be a reason a newborn is hungry again within an hour. Milk/ is one way to settle a crying baby. But so is rocking, cuddling, singing, etc. My DH has his daddy walk which is very effective in putting my DD to sleep.

A baby cries for many reasons. This is your second so many this one is more of a crying type than your first? Also, going 3-4 hours at night is wonderful for a 10 day old! Some wakes like every 2 hours.

Hang in there, and trust yourself.

the midwife has signed us off as she's happy with him and has no worries at all. last night was a terrible night & I ended up with DS in bed with me from the off. :( he woke at 4 and wouldn't settle back to sleep until I took him into the front room laid on the sofa & had him on my chest. :( (not a good idea) body's exhausted atm from the constant feeding.

DP's not keen on a dummy, so I'm trying to support that, and likewise he's quite sure I should keep feeding.

on one hand I know DS must be getting the food & enough to be settling at all but likewise worry it's not.

I forgot the fact that the baby comes out & a constantly guilty chip gets shoved in - it's either guilty about neglecting DS1 or not concentrating/focusing on feeding ds2 as am sat reading etc with ds1.

thanks for your advice thou. think we're going to try & get the latch looked at just to make sure at our local clinic.

Dummies can interfere with getting BF established so try to avoid it at least for a couple of weeks if you can. It sounds like your DP is very supportive- right now your job is to feed your DS and your DP's job is everything else!

It won't be long before you've both cracked it and then you can sit and read to your DS1 and BF your DS2 at the same time. The first couple of weeks with a toddler and baby are tough but it's so worth it when they start smiling and giggling at each other. You are not the first mother to feel guilty about the juggling act, you will figure out a way that works for your family. Go easy on yourself, no one figures it all out in 10 days.