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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Fast flow and short feeds. Do I need to worry about "hind" milk?

29 replies

badguider · 01/10/2013 10:16

Ds is just over 4wks and has always only bf for ten mins each side, sometimes 15 at the absolute most, as little as 8mins at least.
I have a fast flow I know and am feeding in a laid back position and being rigorous about burping.

My worry is that he's getting too much watery milk and not enough fat. How would I know? I understand the mechanism (from reading kellymom) and it seems the fat mostly comes out after a period of feeding when the breast is emptier. What if my ds isn't reaching that point?

What would the indicators/symptoms be if this were the case?

His nappies are good and I am going to have him weighed again on Thursday. Unfortunately though he is windy in the night. And he only goes 2hrs between feeds day or night.

Does anybody know what I should be looking out for? I'm in danger of losing my bf confidence with the wind and feeding so often but LLL meetings here are only once a month (next one not till 11th).

Thanks.

OP posts:

MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 01/10/2013 10:21

2 hourly at 4 weeks but short efficient feeds sounds super Knackering, of course but sounds like things are fab.

You don't need to worry about 'hind milk'. The main thing is just to let him finish on the first side himself before offering the next side.

If he seemed to be having loads of foamy green poos then a BFC will be able to give you suggestions of managing the breastfeeding a bit. But if it ain't broke, and all that

CMOTDibbler · 01/10/2013 10:25

Don't worry about the hind milk. It really just sorts itself out. My ds was a very fast feeder too and did enormous burps as he glugged it down so fast. He also fed frequently, but it did settle down in his own time

Original poster

badguider · 01/10/2013 11:19

No foamy green poo so far I'm pleased to say.

Thanks.

I think I'll feel a lot better after Thursday when I know if he's still gaining weight steadily.

OP posts:

hettienne · 01/10/2013 11:23

If you're feeding frequently from both sides and following the baby's cues for when to feed and switch, then it will sort itself out.

Original poster

badguider · 01/10/2013 11:53

I am trying my best to follow his cues - but last night he seemed to root three times in an hour and a half so I fed him each time, thinking this was our first "cluster feed" that id heard so much about - but he threw the third feed up - copiously... probably the whole feed.
So I guess I got it wrong :(

OP posts:

whatagreatname · 01/10/2013 12:00

My DS was the same, I actually used to sit and count the minutes hoping he would feed for longer. His average feed was about 6 minutes but he must have been a very efficient feeder as he always piled on the weight.

He was also a hugely sicky baby and used to bring up what looked like whole feeds at a time, I fed him surrounded by towels as the feed would reappear in projectile streams.

Good luck, sounds as though you are doing really well, it's not easy to get in a rhythm in those early weeks.

philosophicmum · 01/10/2013 12:05

If your baby is gaining weight and seems happy and healthy then don't waste another second worrying about it. Honestly. Feeding little and often is a normal way to do it. My DS2 went through a phase of feeding about 5 min on each side every hour, and that was just the way that worked for us. And I think babies that feed little and often with a fast flow do sometimes spit up a lot of milk, and it's not a sign you've done something wrong or even a problem at all unless your baby seems to be in pain or unwell. Don't lose confidence - you're doing everything great!

tiktok · 01/10/2013 12:13

Throwing up, even copiously, is a perfectly normal baby behaviour and only a problem (apart from the laundry issue :)) if there are other symtoms of being unwell. At four weeks, and older, many babies will suck for the joy and delight and comfort of it, and yet be still a little young to adjust their sucking to take in precisely the amount of milk they need to fill their tums. Happily, nature has got this sorted, as the valve at the top of the stomach is easily triggered when it is needed, and bluuuurrrrrpppppp..... up comes the excess. Babies are not usually bothered in the least by this (it's not like vomitting) and it's honestly not something to be concerned about.

You got nothing wrong - you fed your baby when he 'cued' to be fed. He needed it.

badguider, you sound really low and lacking in confidence. Yet everything you say sounds really normal. It may be easier to adjust your expectations of your baby and yourself, rather than changing what you do. Are there any support groups near you where you could meet other mothers and babies?

CMOTDibbler · 01/10/2013 12:34

My ds was a happy chucker - he would literally feeeed then blurp the excess up. Almost like his body would just suck it all in, calculate how much was required, then eject the rest. Never bothered him in the least.

Original poster

badguider · 01/10/2013 15:57

Thanks everyone.

ticktok I'm fine (I think) just very tired and in need of some reassurance. Most babies around me right now are mix or ff or if bf feed for an hour. They're also all much bigger than my ds too. My antenatal friends babies were all born heavier than ds is now at four weeks!

LLL meetings are only monthly which feels like an age when your baby is only four weeks old!
But I'm going to weigh in clinic on Thursday which will be reassuring if he's gaining, then LLL is a week on Friday.

OP posts:

LouiseD29 · 01/10/2013 19:47

Badguider - my six-week old is also a really fast feeder (often under five minutes and will always refuse the second breast, so I've stopped trying) and she is also a vomiter! Not every feed, just once every day or two, but it's a lot when it happens. She is putting on weight really well now and has a delicious little baby belly on her. Sounds like you are doing really well, if you are following baby's cues. Good luck at the weigh in!

cogitosum · 01/10/2013 19:54

My baby and supply sounds identical! Really short feeds and constantly rooting so I'm never sure when he's actually hungry. Also as he's fussy because of my fast flow that doesn't even tell me when he's hungry. I've had the throwing up of entire feeds too. But as weight gain and poo fine I guess it's nothing to worry about.

Original poster

badguider · 01/10/2013 21:24

Thanks guys - it really is invaluable to hear from others with similar babies and flow.

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whatagreatname · 01/10/2013 21:42

This thread has also reminded me that once I got used to the feeding pattern, it really was so much easier to have a quick feeder than some of my friends who were literally rooted to the spot feeding their babies for an hour or so - even better once you are feeding out and about a lot

timeforgin · 01/10/2013 21:58

I have one of these. In fact I have had two - and I have an aggressive let-down. My first son was very quick and from eight weeks would be done in ten minutes, sometimes less. My #2 is 18 days old and seems similar - he is a lot bigger than my first son at 10lb11 but can do as little at 5 minutes or sometimes 15 mins each side. He has put on nearly 10 oz in the last 5 days though (!!) so he is obviously getting something. He coughs and splutters with my let down and sometimes voms quite a lot up. Just hoping he continues to gain well.

It is actually great having a quick feeder, esp with a toddler to hare around after.

Reading this thread makes me emotional as with my first baby I was incredibly anxious about the fussiness and quick feeds (my other BF friends would be doing 40-60 min feeds!) and the gagging was distressing, and the wonderful tiktok literally saved me from being eaten up with panic over it. I am much more relaxed thus far with number 2, though I will not be able to resist weighing him each week I'm sure....

Best of luck!

Original poster

badguider · 03/10/2013 15:38

Hello.
Not sure if anybody will check back on this thread but we had the weigh-in clinic today and unfortunately it wasn't as reassuring as I'd hoped :(
He's gained 150g in 9 days so a little bit below ideal. Almost down a centile line in the red book (from above 25th to just above 9th).
HV advised us to feed, burp, nappy change then try to get him onto the other side (i had given up offering) and we will go back next week.
LLL is then next Friday so hopefully they'll have some good advice if things haven't picked up.

OP posts:

hettienne · 03/10/2013 15:40

Offering both sides at every feed is always a good idea. You can always go back to the first side again once he finishes the second and keep going back and forward til he refuses.

Original poster

badguider · 03/10/2013 15:42

In four weeks of offering he never once accepted a second side so last week I didn't offer - the idea of him coming back for a third or more seems laughable right now.

OP posts:

Original poster

badguider · 03/10/2013 15:43

In week two we were advised to strip him to his nappy, tickle his feet etc etc but it still never resulted in him taking a second side.

OP posts:

CMOTDibbler · 03/10/2013 15:56

You could try switch nursing, where you would take him off the first after 2 min, give the second, then swap back to 1 after 2 min etc.

It increases the flow rate, so if he just doesn't want to suck for long, he'll get more in

Original poster

badguider · 03/10/2013 16:05

Thanks CMOT but as I have a very fast flow I think that's probably not suitable for us.

OP posts:

CMOTDibbler · 03/10/2013 16:08

Can I ask what makes you feel your flow is fast overall?

Original poster

badguider · 03/10/2013 16:13

I can hand express a river of milk.
Ds gulps and chokes at times and if he pulls off it sprays out.
We feed with him upright on me and when at home I lie back on advice of the bf clinic.

OP posts:

Original poster

badguider · 03/10/2013 16:50

Do you think I might be wrong?

OP posts:

CMOTDibbler · 03/10/2013 16:59

Its that there can be a difference between a fast initial let down, and what happens after that ime, and also this all changes in time, so someone whose baby struggled with fast flow of engorged breasts in the early days could carry that thought on, when it had all settled and those things no longer needed to be done.

Spraying is totally normal btw.

But I think you need to see someone knowledgable in person - if you say which area you are in, there will probably be someone who can find you a bf clinic sooner than the LLL

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