Advice needed to get baby to take a full feed not "sup"

[Wills]

I've been fighting what seemed a loosing battle with thrush and had started to move ds to a bottle. My reluctance to do this has meant I've done it really slowly and thus am still giving him three feeds a day. To my complete joy the thrush finally looks like its easing (not gone yet but definitely reduced). So I'm keen to keep up the b/f aspect but not increase or decrease until I'm sure its all gone. However.... he's been a difficult feeder from the start (he's 30 days old so still very young etc). Whilst he has always guzzled a bottle he only wants to take small amounts from me. Even now he never empties me even if I sit for 2 or 3 hour sessions. He sucks hard for 2 or 3 minutes then does nothing. I take him off and he will happily coo and play for 5 to 10 minutes then want back on! If he were my only one this would be fine but he's not - I have 2 daughters (6 and 2) and I need to be able to look after them as well. If I give a bottle he will take 4 to 5 ozs in the space of 20 to 30 minutes then play then drift off to sleep. The problem only arises with my breast milk. I've tried obvious things like tickling his feet, changing his nappy, winding him etc etc but nothing so far has worked. Any other suggestions? Oh - last thing, the milk is definitely there. Last night after on/off feeding from 8.30 till 10.30 I finally gave up and expressed what I could still feel in breast off myself. Expressed off 2 ozs. 10 minutes later he wanted more so gave him a bottle. Guess how much he took.... yep 2 ozs! V. frustrated at that but he took it 10 minutes and went to sleep happily contented.

Wills. I can understand how frustrating and demanding this is for you.

But this is normal behaviour.

Babies of 30 days may well feed in exactly this way - small amounts with 'rests' of several minutes before returning for more.

It may be why breastfeeding is associated with less risk of obesity - this 'self-regulation' is good for the baby working with his own appetite and capacity to digest.

A breastfeed is not somehow 'wrong' if it is not like this. No one needs to aim at 'emptying' the breast - this isn't going to happen, anyway.

Are there ways you can accomodate this normal, physiological behaviour more easily, by perhaps getting help with your other children, or learning to multi-task??

Think the problem is not so much me learning to multi task, more that ds accepts it/tolerates, although i admit that feeding whilst your food source is moving around preparing food for your older sisters can be viewed as off putting. at the same time he also struggles with me reading to them etc. dh was off the first two weeks and mil has also helped but 4 weeks on my two dds also need some time with their mummy. wish i could find a way of having him in a sling so he could feed when he wants without it absolutely wrecking my nipples!

Wills - you are not alone. dd does this too and I have all on trying to persuade dh bf is still better than switching to bottles. (He thinks she doesn't get enough - I know my boobs produce what she wants and she'll take it when she's ready!)
One tip that did work for me is stroking her cheek when she slows down - this usually makes her suck stronger.
Good luck and don't give up - you are doing really well

when my lad slows down I pull away from him just a little bit- generally makes him suck with more vigor if hes still wanting more, then I move into him again.
I was wondering- had you considered expressing regulary and giving him ebm in a bottle for a feed when you need to not be feeding for ages because of the girls. Or to top up after a short breast feed.
I have no experience of this personally so someone else may shout me down if they have tried it and found it hopeless.

PS- forgot to say- WELL DONE for getting this far wthrough the thrush and every thing- your doing a great job.