BFing - I don't know if I'm doing it right

[FrillyMilly]

DS is nearly 5 weeks old and breastfed. He is putting on weight well but I'm not sure if we are doing it right. From the info I have the latch seems ok and it's not painful. However he fusses a lot during feeds especially when the milk lets down. Constantly having to get him to latch on. He sometimes feeds for about 20 minutes then falls asleep, so I wake him to go longer then after another 10-20 minutes he's done. However sometimes he will feed on and off for over an hour and still not seem satisfied. I know some babies cluster feed but this isn't just in the evening it can sometimes be every feed - day and night. He needs winding several times during a feed and gets colicky in the evenings.

I tend to just offer one breast during a feed then the other one the next time.

Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? I am finding it so exhausting at the moment. I'm having to really fight with myself not to get out the bottles and formula.

Frilly congratulations on your new DS.

You mention the letdown, have you got a forceful letdown? When he comes off and has to go back on does it sound anything like this?

When he feeds for 20 mins and then falls asleep, personally I would leave him asleep and wait from him to wake up again. If you do prefer to wake him and stick him back on, I'd stick him on the other side.

When he is feeding for over an hour this is fairly normal at this stage and there is no guarantee that switching to formula will help with any of the things you've described. In fact you could be just adding to your workload by having to buy formula and make up bottles.

This on Kellymom helps to explain what the first 6 weeks are like with a newborn and what should be happening. Personally, I wouldn't say that feeding for an hour at 5 weeks was cluster feeding, just normal newborn behaviour but this will tell you more and let you decide for yourself.

Again gas in babies is normal but it could be caused by a forceful letdown. Have a read of this too.

Hope this goes some way to relieving your worries Frilly , one thing you don't mention is how often he is feeding.

Just out of interest too, do you go to any Bfing Support Groups? They can be great for just having a cuppa and talking to other Bfing Mums and sometimes realising that actually everything you are experiencing is just newborn behaviour .

Why wake him if he is sleeping? He will wake up when he is ready for more - I promise! Some small babies like to nap in between courses and that's fine, just a variant of normal.

When he feeds for an hour or more do you swap sides or just stick to the one? If he doesn't seem satisfied after feeding from one side and comes off by himself, offering the other side will help him to get more milk, you can got back to the first side for a 2nd helping and so on until he doesn't want to nurse any more.

HTH

Thanks for the replies and all the info, not managed to look at it all yet but the fast letdown sounds right. He often gags and chokes. The other day I panicked as he seemed to hold his breath for a few seconds.

I wake him after 20 minutes because when I told the midwife that's how long he was feeding for she told me to get him to go longer. I offer him the same side until he's really fussing and not bringing up any wind then I try him on the other side. He usually goes around 3 hours from start of one feed to the start of the next so he is feeding plenty.

I'm glad it's a normal. I may looking in to a local bfing group. Ive had so much conflicting advice from midwives. I don't have many friends who have breastfed for very long and my mum was one of those very few who couldnt actually breastfeed. She's very supportive but can't really help.

The MW is talking nonsense I'm afraid. You cant time feeds like this because some babies are faster than others. My DD goes only 10min max as a newborn. (She can't be woken up again even with a nappy change)! Also I would swap sides every time your LO comes off, unless ofc he's unlatching because you have a jet like letdown.

I think I know the page on kellymom you were linked. It's very good. It's much better to judge a ebf baby from the number of wet nappies and weight gain etc.

If your baby is content, filling up nappies, and sleeping, then you are doing it right. From my limited experience they are all different, and you and your baby are doing well. Stick in with it, and as he gets older he will stay awake better naturally. Breastfeeding one of the nicest things you can do with a baby, so try and enjoy it. (I hated it with DD1, and loved it with DD2, but neither could master a bottle)

I'd offer the second side once he comes off the first side, then leave him once he falls asleep. Some babies feed fast, some slow - theres no reason at all to make them all feed for the same time

Midwife is talking tosh. My daughter never fed for more than 15 mins and was usually done in well under 10. I had a midwife tell me I had to try to force her to feed for longer....the only result was that she threw up a lot more milk.

If he's putting on weight and filling nappies, it is working. Both my two have had such different feeding patterns it is really hard to say what is 'normal'.

It's such a shame that the mw said this. As long as your Lo is gaining weight and you are getting enough wet and dirty nappies. There is no need to wake your Lo.

Thanks for the responses. I decided to just let him feed for 20 minutes and then sleep. He's been weighed today and put on 12oz in two weeks so he's obviously getting enough.

I think the fussiness is just him being tired so I've been making sure when he is asleep its not disturbed (as much as I can with a 3 year old) and this seems to be making him less fussy.

My let down does seem to be quite fast so if he unlatches then I let it subside a bit before putting him back to the breast. It really stings too when it lets down!!

Glad you are finding it easier Frilly and 13oz in two weeks is just lovely.