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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Newborn sucking ALL NIGHT - help please!

67 replies

WhoahThereCrazyHorse · 20/10/2012 04:53

Ds has literally sucked on me all night. It's our first night home after one night on a ward where he fed ok but slept a lot (I didn't sleep at all). I am beside myself with tiredness, my nipples are agony (his latch is ok but not perfect), he refuses to settle unless actively sucking and I am not feeling positive at all!

Any words of wisdom, please? :(

OP posts:
Haribojoe · 20/10/2012 04:58

Congratulation on your new arrival Grin

The first night home has always been the night when my babies are the most unsettled.

Have you got a DP, or someone else at home with you? If so try getting them to settle LO, often they will settle more easily for someone who doesn't smell of milk.

Have you got any Lansinoh? If not get someone to buy you some today, if is great for sore nipples. You do need to work on the latch though so that you don't get even more sore.

HTH and remember it's early days Smile

BlackSwan · 20/10/2012 05:59

You must be so tired. Definitely get some help to settle the baby & try to get some rest in a quiet room by yourself, it's a long haul in the first weeks and you need your rest & energy. Best of luck.

Original poster
WhoahThereCrazyHorse · 20/10/2012 06:05

I remember with Dd the midwife actually suggested a dummy in the end as she was such a 'sucky' baby - any thoughts on that at this stage? Too early?

God that was a long night and I can hear dd just starting to wake up for the day!

OP posts:
whenwill · 20/10/2012 07:18

Continue to work on the latch but if he doesn't settle down he may not be getting enough milk to satisfy himself. In view of so many peoples experience I've read on MN I would have him checked (repeatedly) for tongue tie?

lightrain · 20/10/2012 07:22

This is controversial but I'd use a dummy. DS was exactly the same. As I see it, he couldn't possibly be hungry as I'd fed him for 3 hours continuously.

Hope you get some rest.

Original poster
WhoahThereCrazyHorse · 20/10/2012 07:27

Thanks LightRain. I'm wondering this too, particularly when he goes on but then stops feeding, is it just a comfort thing? Did you bf successfully from when you introduced the dummy?

OP posts:
Tigresswoods · 20/10/2012 07:29

No one tells you that there will be a day in the first week when your newborn will feed around the clock.

It will pass, go with it, it's part of establishing milk etc. you must be knackered though.

Good luck.

MrsHoarder · 20/10/2012 07:32

Has your milk come in yet? At 2 days it shouldn't have done yet so he will be trying to stimulate milk production.

Tiktok is the expert, but I would struggle through (and nap as much as you can for the next 2-3 days weeks) and use gallons of lanoish.

Can your DP not look after DD?

AThingInYourLife · 20/10/2012 07:33

I used soothers with all 3 of mine when they were newborns.

It had no impact on anything other than the state of my nipples (reasonable) and the amount of sleep I could get (acceptable).

A baby who has been fed and wants to comfort suck can make themselves full to the point of vomiting if they keep getting milk.

If your milk has come in and you are not worried about supply, I'd use one.

Before a baby has access to breasts, they often suck their thumb. Then outside the womb they don't have the control to do that.

Once my girls found their own hands they stopped using the soother, eg DD3 is nearly 4 months old and dropped it several weeks ago.

I only ever offered it when they were well fed and in a sucking frenzy that being at the breast didn't seem to satisfy.

neontetra · 20/10/2012 07:33

I introduced a dummy at a few days old in similar circumstances, and am still bf at 6 months. The dummy, on the other hand, dd started rejecting at about 2 months, but by then it had served its purpose and she was sleeping better. I'd have gone spare without the dummy in the early days.

MrsNPattz · 20/10/2012 08:07

My first 2 nights at home were like this - bloody awful! But it is not always as bad as that, get some rest today if you can and I would see how the next few nights are before introducing a dummy.

ElphabaTheGreen · 20/10/2012 09:35

DS was like this for me, but I didn't use a dummy because sucking +++ stimulates milk supply. Getting someone to take him several rooms away from you, as others have suggested, may well help as it did for me. He settled down after a couple of days, but be aware that he will want to cluster feed (feed almost continuously) in the evenings for a while yet - he'll get fussy around five-ish then want to feed and feed and feed. You definitely don't want to discourage that with a dummy as this is part of the way they load up for a longer night sleep.

If the nipples get bad, definitely ask your midwife for a referral to a BFing specialist. My midwife also loaned me a pump when it got too unbearable for a few days so I could express and cup-feed. The cup feeding also seemed to settle him a bit, I guess because he could get a really big lot of milk without too much effort.

We've been EBFing well now for 5 months. It DOES get easier, and the initial big investment of time, sleeplessness and maybe pain/discomfort is well worth not having to faff with bottles later!

Ali4001 · 20/10/2012 09:42

Use a dummy!!!! My little one was exactly the same for the first few nights after we bought her home and it was hideous. We gave her a dummy on might 6 and she slept from 12pm - 5am (although that didn't last!). Some people are still so negative about dummy use but some babies find them incredibly soothing and my little one has been a fantastic feeder regardless. Best of luck and congratulations :)

Katienana · 20/10/2012 09:52

He's trying to get your supply up, it's totally normal. Try to sleep during the day if you can. it will get better very quickly.

shineygoldpenny · 20/10/2012 09:57

You're doing really well. It won't be like this for long. Don't give him a dummy yet; he is trying to establish milk supply and the dummy will interfere with that. As soon as your milk comes in, he will settle down a bit.

Original poster
WhoahThereCrazyHorse · 20/10/2012 10:03

Thanks all - god it seems hard in the middle of the night!!! Sun's out and I got half an hour of golden sleep at about half past 7 so all is well... For now!!!

Next question - he's been asleep since then, I need to wake him and feed him now don't I?!

Agree on dummies, worth considering but definitely not for a few nights until my milk's come in.

OP posts:
Original poster
WhoahThereCrazyHorse · 20/10/2012 10:03

Ps DH has taken DD out :)

OP posts:
piprabbit · 20/10/2012 10:06

You are planning to wake a sleeping newborn?
Please don't.
Relax, feed yourself, grab a quick shower.
He will wake up soon enough when he is hungry.

Original poster
WhoahThereCrazyHorse · 20/10/2012 10:11

Yes but if they need 10-12 feeds per 24 hours I won't get them in will I, he's been asleep for nearly 3 hours.... Or does continuously nearly all through the night trump that rule?

OP posts:
piprabbit · 20/10/2012 10:18

I fed my two on demand - so basically as and when the baby needed feeding.
I did keep and eye on the clock, but that was more because I was looking to see if there were patterns in their feeding/sleeping cycles.
I used the "feeding every couple of hours" as a guideline instead of a rule (especially if they were happily sleeping).
Perhaps all the feeding last night filled him up and wore him out?

Good luck, and huge congratulations to you both.

Original poster
WhoahThereCrazyHorse · 20/10/2012 10:40

Thanks pip - problem solved, he's just woken up!

OP posts:
piprabbit · 20/10/2012 10:41

Oooh, now you can have a lovely cuddle.
Have a lovely day.

Original poster
WhoahThereCrazyHorse · 20/10/2012 10:50

Final question - how long does a reasonable feed last during the day do you reckon?

OP posts:
piprabbit · 20/10/2012 10:58

When mine were tiny, the only way I could answer that question was 'how long is a piece of string?'. Sometimes it would be 20mins and sometimes it would be nearer an hour...and sometimes they would nod off in the middle leaving me to wonder where that left me in terms of the next feed.

I found the NCT really supportive. This is a link to some info about how much and how often to feed , but I also found it useful to talk to one of their RL BFing advisors on 0300 330 0700 between 8am and 10pm.

It sounds like you are doing just brilliantly so far.

AThingInYourLife · 20/10/2012 11:07

Until your milk comes in "feeds" could last for hours.

After that they will probably be a bit more defined, but still long.

Basically, clear your diary for a few weeks :o