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Infant feeding

help before I give up feeding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

31 replies

allyco · 07/05/2006 19:07

am typing one-handed so excuse typos etc.

DS now 19 days old and I swear has spent last 18 or so clamped to my norks. The only thing he wants is them and feeds go on and on and on...

He's happy enough (at least when he's sucking)loadsa wet and dirty nappies, gainng weight, etc. etc.

I BF'd his four sisters with no probs until they were all toddlers so I SHOULD know what I'm doing but am ashamed to say I'm floundering here. I just can't BF 24/7 because I have other things that I must do, let alone selfish me-time like getting a wash! Tried a dummy, again to my eternal shame, never used them before, but that just caused further protest. What should I do? Bring out the Cow and Gate?? I really don't want to..... Please tell me someone else has gone through this?

TIA

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Astrophe · 09/05/2006 13:46

Ha, just re-read your original post properly - we are also using dummies and said we never would, and I also found it SO hard to get time to shower in the first few weeks...still do actually, but it is getting a bit easi8er (8 weeks)

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Astrophe · 09/05/2006 13:43

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allyco · 09/05/2006 13:38

Thank you all SO MUCH for taking the time to post all these messages. They have really helped to keep me going and have managed not to make that trip for formula and bottles yet!

Still sat and fed DS from 5.00pm until nearly 9.00pm yesterday. Okay he wasn't feeding ALL the time but was on and off and I think he does it for comfort too as well as food, but as soon as I stopped he screamed until I got hinm into bed and started all over again...

And yet I know of course that he won't be this little long and it won't be long before he is destroying all around him just as the DDs did. It just feels like eternity at the moment.

Thanks again (I love Mumsnet!!)

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bluejelly · 09/05/2006 12:50

Get your dh to go out and buy you a load of magazines or some gripping books... read every time you feed and you will start to look forward to it..

I know it's hard but relatively speaking it's such a short time that they are like this ( feeding constantly).

The feeds will space out and soon breastfeeding will become loads less hassle than bottle-feeding

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MrsDoolittle · 09/05/2006 12:41

Oh my, I could have posted this. I've started a very similar thread. You are not alone

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Notquitesotiredmum · 09/05/2006 12:33

My dss were the same. It's boys. Best of luck. It will improve.

If you do sleep in the car, stick a note in the window, saying you're asleep, not dead! I was woken on two occasions from blissful sleep by concerned passers by!

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bubblepop · 08/05/2006 14:44

allyco,do what you've got to do.you've got 4 other kids to see to! formula is not made by the devil.Grin how about mix feeding ? at least he will still be getting some of the good stuff.

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mcnoodle · 08/05/2006 12:37

Get your HV to check tongue isn't slightly tied. Can be a common cause of long (interminable) feedings, even if latch is good.

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zan · 08/05/2006 12:02

allyco, My ds is 19 days today and I know exactly how you feel. The wee man was on constantly and was not happy in between it drove me and dh mad. dh gave in 4 days ago and went to 24 hr Asda @ 3am and bought all the stuff for bottle feeding. I did do both for a few days but my milk supply has dried up now. I can only assume he wasn't sucking hard enough for me to then supply more. I prob would stick at it longer but he was only 5lb 11 and I was worried. If you take him off dont beat yourself up about it. you really need your "me" time and he has had the really important bit.

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NotAnOtter · 07/05/2006 23:27

if its any consolation allyco my ds4 is now 11 weeks and dd spends a few nights a week bathing ds3 - thats how it has to be with 5!
Hope feeding gets better - i feel like you but luckily new otter sucks his thumb (joy!)

Are you stopping at 5? Wink

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beartime · 07/05/2006 23:22

My HV gae me some lifesaving advice - take him off after 40 mins as he will have got what he needs in that time and the rest he's just sucking.

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suzi2 · 07/05/2006 20:38

If he sleeps in the car take him for a drive and take a pillow with you for yourself. Then once he's asleep pull back into the driveway and have a nap yourself. Your neighbours will think you're weird but I wouldn't worry... Grin

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Enid · 07/05/2006 20:08

allyco if ist any consoluation my 10 day old is the same

CHECK YOUR LATCH as mine is a bit crap. for the last couple of days I have been really working hard on the latch and also doing breast compression at the end of a feed, taking her off then putting her back on the same breast. This all seems to hvae made her go 3 hours between feeds Smile

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allyco · 07/05/2006 20:05

he'll sleep in car, and doze in pram. I will sleep anywhere given the chance!!

he's still at it, BTW.

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suzi2 · 07/05/2006 19:52

and don't give up... it might be that tomorrow it will be different. My DS switched from being a 40 min feeder (and happy to suckle/sleep on boob) to a 15 min feeder that wanted away from me. It literally happened overnight. He was about 8 wks I think.

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suzi2 · 07/05/2006 19:49

Does he sleep in the pram? if so, get someone to take him for loads of walks! It's the only way I got my DS off me to start with. I also used a dummy though - he protested at first but if I held it in he got the idea.

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alex8 · 07/05/2006 19:34

they are men!

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mrsteacher · 07/05/2006 19:34

its popsycal btw

good luck

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allyco · 07/05/2006 19:33

thanks for posts ladies, is keeping me going!!

yes, Mrsteacher, as it happens I just ordered a sling last night!! On basis it said you could use it to breastfeed discreetly. I think part of my problem is I am arse-bound a lot of the time. If I could feed while getting on with jobs etc. would probably help.

AND I notice that DSs seem to be harder to feed than DDs. I wonder why?

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mrsteacher · 07/05/2006 19:24

have you got a sling?
i have a few here - what size are you? (rude question but I have a couple of pouch ones which go by size...)

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mrsteacher · 07/05/2006 19:23

ds2 was like this...

allyco - I know youare near me - how about ringing local colleges and asking if they have any schemes where their nursery nurse students can come and give you a hand?

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alex8 · 07/05/2006 19:16

can you get a sling you could feed in? That was what I am planning to do if I ever get a miracle and have a second baby as I have a very active 3 year old who I would have to chase after a lot.

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Jasnem · 07/05/2006 19:15

Yes, I've been there too. Keep on taking each day at a time, and you will get through it. I've found bf my ds much harder than my dds, so am also aware that it's different each time. The only breaks I got in the early days were when he slept inthe buggy after school runs.
I've made it to 10 weeks (today) qand feel very proud...I'm sure you will find a way too.

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allyco · 07/05/2006 19:14

and dotty you are so right about feeling split up. That's exactly how I feel Sad

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alex8 · 07/05/2006 19:14

My son did this and I thought I must be doing it wrong as no book mentions it (nor the hv or nct counsellor I spoke to) but luckily my friends had been through it so could help. Although when one said "he's just building up your supply" I wanted to scream but it was true. And I was glad in the long wrong as so many mothers I met who restricted feeding with timings etc went onto top up bottles or started a nightmare regime of feeding then expressing.

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