newbie breast feeding help please

[lemonsherbet]

Hi, I had a baby via a c section on wed. He always likes to be on my breast for hours at a time. The midwives in the hospital discharged me home yesterday but told me I should break his latch. They felt he was using me has a dummy. He falls asleep but still suckles from time to time in his sleep. He never willing detaches (other than if I leave him 2-5 hrs on the breast and whenever I go to use my finger to break the seal he restarts sucking. When I asked in the hospital if they coukd check my hld they said it was fine.

I tried yesterday breaking the seal but he just never seems satisfied when I have broken the seal and restarts lip smacking. I am not sure if he is getting enough fluids. My breasts are really sore but I do not think my milk has come in. How can I tell when he is really eaten or when I am a comforter? How can I be sure he is getting enough? My breasts feel like 2 big bags on concrete today is that normal? Sorry for so many questions, just do not know who to ask.

Hi op congratulations!

Firstly boobs been hard is pretty normal until your supply sorts itself. I remember wailing to dp that dd couldn't latch on because my boob was so round if was like her trying to get her mouth around a space hopper!

In the first few weeks they do feed often and for long periods, they establish your supply by suckling even if they aren't getting anything

If you really want to work out comfort you could introduce a dummy if you wanted. I did this in desperation at about 3 weeks old dd took it for about two months and then refused it but by then was only using me for feeds. I'm not sure i would bother again tbh

I would get comfy with some films, drinks and snacks and go with it for now.

Have you got some lamisol (sp ?). It's miracle cream. Get some if not, it's a tenner a tube but lasts forever. Apply it after each feed and it will help. Your nipples also tend to toughen up after a week or so.

Hi,

He has done his job! Your milk has come in from the spunds of the concrete breasts! Hopefully he'll now start feeling satisfied. My DD is 4 weeks and when my milk came in she needed some help. Use warm flannels to ease the heavy, hardness of your breasts and you could try giving them a massage to soften before feeding.

Keep going, I found this bit the hardest!

Also if baby is having wet and dirty nappies he is getting fluid.

Have you got a bf support local to you? I know round my way sure start centres have them.

Have a good scoot about this board. It will tell you all kinds about bf and what to expect.

What you are experiencing is perfectly normal though, I found the first two weeks I was literally feeding for most of the day but then it calmed down at 2 weeks and by 6 weeks she was spacing out quite well.

I too had a c section and a very sucky baby. Looking back it was natures way of the baby getting my milk to come in. The first 5 days were literally feeding 24/7 with maybe a 2 hr break in the afternoon. After that he steadily took less and less time. Having been through it once I personally would ride it out if you can - I wonder if you use a dummy etc it might affect your establishing supply.

Things that helped me though:

Watching a lot of trashy tv at 5am
Make sure you eat and drink loads.
Lansinoh
Could dp/your mum bring baby to you every time it needs feeding and they do all the winding/nappies etc for a day. It will make you feel like a milking machine but might mean you get half an hour sleep.

It sounds like your milk is coming in and that's when it all gets a lot easier.

Good luck.

My DS is eight weeks on Monday so I'm far from an expert on this! However he was exactly the same at first - would happily suck for hours with little cat naps in between. I'd say for the first week or so you have to just go with it as it will establish supply (bags of concrete sound like milk coming in btw). It's not the end of the world if he is using you as a comforter and it will help you to bond. However I know I couldn't put up with it forever! After about two weeks I started limiting it to twenty minutes each side (on advice of midwife) and feeding every two hours (counting from start of last feed). He will sometimes go longer but is generally satusfied with that. What I realised was that DS displays the same behaviour (frantic sucking etc) when he is tired, and often instead of a feed needed help to get to sleep (he won't take a dummy). I know a schedule isn't for everyone but I try to see it more as a flexible framework and don't base it on the clock but from whatever time he gets up in the morning (à la Baby Whisperer). As I said though, it's better to go with it for a while and then see if he starts to feed more efficiently etc. when they are so little I think the comfort sucking is really important anyway.

As I said, I'm no expert but just sharing my experience.

Congratulations by the way!

I agree with warm flannels and Lansinoh but would also recommend ice packs. Also you could try reverse pressure softening to help with engorgememt.

I also agree with warm flannels and massage.

Also, now your milk is in, hand express a few drops to rub into your sore nipples. It works wonders to help them heal!

Thanks everyone. I am not using a dummy. The midwife told me he was using me has a dummy. I feel better today, I have just left him to feed for has long has he wanted to. Rather than taking him off the breast as the midwife advised and feel happier doing it that way since he has had a wet nappy since I did that. Yesterday when I was forcing him to stop they were not quite so wet. I think I also feel better knowing that it is OK to have a sucky baby. Felt most of the support was geared up to help those whose baby does not want to latch/suck.

I will try and go to the surestart centre on Tuesday they have a breast feeding support worker there then. Thanks so much everyone.

Congrats OP, you sound like you're doing a grand job

Keep doing what you're doing.

You're body is amazing and knows how much to produce by your baby suckling. It's a supply and demand system. The more he sucks, the more you make.

These first few weeks are tough, so take it easy on yourself - lots of skin to skin with baby, drink and eat what you want and rest when he's resting.

Agree with pp who mentioned warm flannels, also taking a bath with him might help too.

I always say that boobies were around way before dummies - he's using you nipples for exactly what they were intended for. The down fall of that is it can be painful if latch is slightly off for one feed and if they are a sucky baby you can also end up with too much milk (over supply). I had this problem and ended up using a dummy at times when I knew dd was not hungry but just sucky.

Dummies are useful if used at the correct times, so don't feel you can't use one.

Definitely find a bf cafe or support group in your area; they will be a really useful support group to you and your baby.