8 day old DD - been trying to xclusively BF but have topped up please help

[CareerGirl01]

My DD2 is feeding almost constantly and in my desperation for sleep my DH has FF her so I can get three hours in the afternoon (2pm ish) and again between 8 and 1am. How do I stop FF completely - do I need to nurse her constantly - and how do I do it and get at least a bit of sleep. Had ELCS and still very sore

Hi I chose to bf I gave my baby a bottle on 4th day home as was tired bt then decided I wanted to ebf it won't ov done any harm but in my experience I would feed on demand til ur milk has come through properly.Keep up good work!

P.s I co sleep

I feel for you! The first week or two can be so rough!

What exactly are you worried about - that if you go "cold turkey" on the formula that she wont get enough from the breast? (not true) - but yes, you may need to nurse almost "constantly" - but that could be true even if you weren't topping up with formula - as at only 8 days old, you will still be establishing a supply. Remember the more she demands, the more your body makes, so she has to suck pretty much constantly to tell your body to make lots of milk. It will settle really quickly (day or two) IF she successfully empties the breast at each feed- do you feel its going well apart from the topping up? ie. do your breasts feel like they are emptying (getting softer) during and after a feed? does she seem happy and content after a feed (with relaxed open hands, spaced out sort of sleepy look?) However if you have any issues, ie. she hasnt learned to suck well yet, the latch isnt good, blockages or any of the other miriad of things that can be tricky for both of you then it could take longer than a few days to establish supply. If this is the case, then its much better to seek professional help to fix the issues, because if you keep on with formula as a stop gap, supply may never get established at all.

As for how to do it with getting a bit of sleep - spend sometime learning to nurse lying down. This changed everything for me, as you can literally latch them on and then go to sleep! Mother nature (IMO) intends for it to be that way, as all the hormones make you drowsy as you are feeding, so its easy peasy to get some kip!

Also, have you discovered the kellymom website ? bizarre sounding name but its brilliant for all breastfeeding questions.

Breastfeeding lying down:

[[http://isearch.avg.com/pages/search.aspx?q=youtube+how+to+nurse+newborn+lying+down&sap=dsp&lang=en&mid=e03bd450cbc647d1b683d155651a2846-ddd5bc8f0e242ee5f4a94747b1b5b5fa3d8c83b6&cid=%7b7EA54B53-F908-47BA-956A-716F661B3740%7d&v=15.2.0.5&ds=AVG&d=5%2f17%2f2013+5%3a41%3a54+PM&pr=fr&snd=hdr&pid=avg&sap_acp=0
This video]] shows you were to put pillows but not much else!

Here is a description from KellyMom especially for post c-section (I had a c-section and managed it this way, so I know it works and I did it way before the 6 weeks it says in the video above)

mummyabroad her latch is good and she is emptying breasts - I'm worried that she wants more than I can give. Saying that she had some FF at around 10pm and I'm now ready to burst so hopefully I can give her a good feed now. Have been to clinic and had HV who specialises in lactation - she works in the next road so has been round a couple of times. The constant feeding has only been an issue today! Will have to try lying down and will look at the video link. Kellymom website is great - DH enjoys reading it xx

Growth spurt. She's building your supply. You need to just feed whenever she wants of you want to ebf. It doesn't last forever. The first six weeks (particularly the first two of those six) are the hardest. Feed, eat, snuggle, sleep. Those are your only jobs ATM.

I second feeding lying down, co-sleeping & anything else that works to make your life easier! The first 2 weeks are tough as your milk establishes but it will get easier after that. Good luck

It feels like you don't have enough to give but you do. I remember ds feeding so much I was convinced I has no milk and even tried hand expressing to check! I was wrong obviously.

The risk of giving ff then letting yourself get engorged is that you get mastitis. It may feel like you're more able to give a better feed that way but you're ultimately missing feeds and could wreck your supply.

Keep baby next to you. You need to be resting so lying down with baby will help. It'll get easier soon.

Thanks guys. Managed to feed her twice since posting and am determined not to FF - she didn't seem quite so hungry last night.

Do not stress about the odd ff. Obviously it is better if you don't, but its not the end of the world, just carry on as you did before. I fed for what seemed like hours, it is what they do at this age, in fact I feel as though I was feeding more than I was not feeding.

Whilst bf was being established, and DD could not latch properly, we ff, bottle fed EBM anything to ensure DD was being fed enough. In my case, this was due to cracked nipples, and just wanting to give them a chance to heal. If I did ff I tried expressing at this time to help maintain supply. Do it beat yourself up about this.

Finally if you can get used to feeding lying down, this will surely help you to be more rested.

Good luck and congratulations.

Don't worry about the odd FF. DS took a whole 8oz off midwifes in hospital at 4 days old. Was the only bottle he ever had, complete bottle refuser at 6 months when I needed him to switch.

Cluster feeding is hard. Make a nest for yourself with tv, magazine, food and drink and just go with it.

Just to add, when dd was a couple of days old, I remember feeding her, constantly switching breasts, from 10pm to 5am the next morning, when she got shoved toward her daddy and told that I needed to sleep. This cluster feeding is normal, but so, so hard. Good luck.

They don't empty the breast btw. Just to reassure you. You make milk as they feed. Think of it as a river, not a pond.

You're doing brilliantly.

I mastered feeding lying down asap with my second and it made the world of difference. We coslept and our quality of sleep was 100% better when I wasn't having to sit up to feed.

Are you on top of your painkillers if the cs wound is still sore?

show have taken paracetamol today - managed without declofenac (sp) as today pain eased off. DD2 fed quite a lot during the far - then it got to 4ppm and she would not stop- as I had only 4 hours sleep by the time we got to 10pm I handed her to DH - he ended up giving her 60ml of FF. she's just woken and since 1am is now onto second breast. Will try not to beat self up about FF-.DD1 was FF after a week. I've managed 10 days thus time round.x