A few questions from a breastfeeding mummy ....

[Ghosty]

Hello ...
This is my first thread since giving birth to my gorgeous DD 3 weeks ago and I have a few questions that I thought I would run by you all
DD is exclusively breastfed ... despite nearly everyone I speak to being amazed that I can manage it as she is so big (10lbs 10oz at birth ... now is 11lbs 6oz) ... and I am very proud of it and enjoying it a lot ... she sleeps very well and goes 3 - 4 hours between feeds and can do a 5 or 6 hour stretch at night ...
But I do have some concerns ...

1. She sleeps so well that she would go longer than 4 hours in the day time ... so I wake her to feed her ... but I am not sure if I should??? I get worried if she sleeps too long because I want her to sleep well at night and I worry that if she doesn't feed enough then my milk will dry up ... am I worrying without need? Should I not wake her? Do my breasts REALLY produce what she needs??
2. Recently in the last couple of days she has been really fussy at the breast at certain times (sucking then crying then pulling off and crying then searching, latching on, flailing arms and legs, pulling off and crying etc etc ... ) and although it has been at least 3 hours since her last feed she really does not seem that interested and almost seems pissed off with it ... so I take her off but she is cranky and unhappy and cries ... until I give her a dummy which is the only thing that will calm her down (am a 'dummy snob' at heart so I don't like to give it to her but if it is the only thing that makes her happy .............) Why does she do this fussing? What does it mean? Is she not hungry? I worry about this too because I think that if she doesn't feed enough then I won't produce enough milk blah blah blah ... So ... any advice for me anyone?? Am I doing the right thing? Should I continue to wake her for feeds or should I just let her dictate?

Can't answer 1 as my baby didn't really do sleeping but I bet you're producing enough (and you can go longer than 4 hours without milk disappearing, honestly). Re 2 it could be that she wants to suck; but it could also be something like an overly strong let-down - both mine used to do this because the milk was jetting down the back of their throats. One way to tell is if it goes on spurting over her face - or, if you're really lucky, across the room...

You're doing brilliantly, Ghosty. Fantastic.

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Ghosty just wanted to say well done - it sounds like you are doing great. Not sure I agree with all this big baby being more hungry thing (my DS was big although a pound lighter than your DD!). You managed to sustain her quite well in the womb so why not out?

She's putting on weight, sleeping for long periods etc so must be doing OK. I assume she is weeing/pooing as expected?

Agree with expressing if you are worried about your supply.

Well done Ghosty If I were you I would try a few days of letting her wake herself. You might find that she goes 6 hours one time, then 2 hours the next. She might only sleep 30min longer by letting her wake on her own. She might be fussing because she is not actually ready to feed, or it might be because she had aome wind or needing a poo. You now how difficult babies are to interpret
If you find by leaving her to wake during the day, she feeds 2 hourly at night, you can go back to waking her for feeds.
TBH - I let my babies decide when they wanted fed except if I knew I was going somewhere and needed to be organised. I would wake them them.
Remember as well you will hit a 'growth spurt' soon and want to feed lots. That will be normal. Aren't you just brilliant

Ghosty - well done my love. You sound exactly like me 5 weeks ago. She's regained her birth weight plus some so no worries about not having enough milk. I'm no guru but I'd say let her sleep (keep "that book" on the shelf until you both settle into your wonderful new lives). Express some milk if it makes you feel happier. It made me stop worrying about the long sleeping spells effecting my supply. As for the fussing at feed time, I found that my let down was not fast enough for my wee one and he got really impatient, pulling away, wingeing just like you mentioned - maybe the same is happening with your wee lass. Try hand expressing until you let down then plug her in quickly before you white wash the sofa - good luck hon, you're doing a supa job

I wouldn't wake her personally, my dd was 9lb 10 and sometimes fed every 2 hours and then was 4 sometimes 5 and then other times 3, no pattern whatsoever. Didn't sleep well at night however, you are lucky there . I don't think they can have a routine so early, despite 'that book' (thanks for that description kiwicath)

10lb 10, still can't get over the size of her!

My ds loved to suck and wanted to suck A LOT - but didn't want milk shooting down his throat all the time - so we got him a dummy and never looked back!
Blimey, you have done well with her and she sounds like the most thriving baby in the world Congratulations

Thanks for all your messages everyone ... and thank you for setting my mind at rest!
LOL at 'that book' ... I was an avid 'that book' follower for DS but I am determined to see if I can get on without it this time! It is on my shelf and sometimes I find my hand straying towards it and I say "NO GHOSTY! DON'T DO IT GHOSTY" to myself quite loudly!!!!
Funnily enough this morning I didn't need to wake dd ... she woke at 7 on her own and the same at 10am ... so maybe she already read 'that book'?? LOL
Just one more question ... when do you feed with both breasts in one feed? At the moment DD seems to get by on just one at a time ... but the breast never seems 'empty' so I haven't gone to switch sides yet ... when do babies need to do both?
Oh ... and how long should a feed take? I read one book (NOT THAT one) that said a feed for newborns should take 40 minutes ... well, a good long feed for DD seems to be 20 minutes tops ... usually it is more like 10 or 15 ...

Ghosty - if the fussyness is recent- could it be a growth spurt??? Her trying to tell you you need to make more mummy... you feed a bit more and she is happyt again
You seem to be doing REALLY well... ENJOY

And to answer your latest post...
Take your lead from her if she looks hungry after 1 breast switch her to the other... if she looks not hungry than 1 is enough some babies NEVER feed from both sides in 1 feed. My DD didn't for months.
Length of feed.... well....... from 5 to 45 mins.... best is to wait until she latches herself off (if your latch is fine in the first place - usually that means not painful).
Breast are technically never empty... and you make milk is made every 10 minutes.
BTW - I disagree with Twiglett - your milk supply is not yet fully established.... takes 6 weeks at least (new research says 4 months I understand) for that BUT that doesn't mean you will fail.... just that you need to be aware that introducing bottles for example at this stage could create problems.

Ghosty - as pupuce says, feed time varies. Some babies like to take a long time at one feed and a short time at others. It sounds as though you just can't believe your luck
I always offered the second breast after they came off the first one on their own. My babies were mainly 2 side feeders I have to say and rarely refused the second breast. My friend with 12lb2oz baby always only fed from one side at a time. Babies are all individuals. She sounds as if she knows what she wants and how to get it. Just be led by her

All three of mine have been very quick feeders. 5-10 mins on only one side at a feed. I never have given both sides and they have each put on weight very well. So there is no time limit really. some babies like to take it slowly, some fast.
It sounds like you are doing a great job, well done.

Ghosty my dd never fed from both sides at one fed until she was 9 months and we were onto just two bf's a day. And she always seemed to come off after about 10-15 minutes. I did often express from the other breast after she'd fed from one, purely from a comfort for me perspective, and that did mean I managed to have a freezerful of milk for when I went back to work.

At about 6-8 weeks we had a period of lots of fussing - at times dd would be attached all evening, but she just wanted to suck. So I gave in and gave her a dummy (also a dummy snob) and she became happy (and my nipples stopped aching). She spontaneously gave up the dummy after about 6 weeks.

Re waking during the day - only if it starts to affect her nighttime sleep. Remember the pooint of it is simply to get enough milk into her during the daytime so that you are not having to do extra feeds at night, and it sounds like you are definately doing that.

Congratulations Ghosty! Dd was v. similar to yours at that age. It was 3 weeks when she started getting a bit windy and fussy, I remember being quite shocked by it, feeling like she wanted a nipple, then she didn't, then she did, and on it went! I think they go to suck for comfort from the wind but then there's more milk which their tummies don't necessarily need and it's a bit confusing. Never doubt for a moment that your body can produce exactly what your dd needs, IT CAN!! My dd didn't have 2 breasts until about 4 months and then it was really 1 breast plus a bit. And she was a bit of a speed feeder from the outset. She never did anything like 40 mins and as she got older would often do 3-5 mins and be done. I was always convinced it couldn't be enough but her nappies were wet and she grew so it must've been. I had a friend with same age baby who was a v. slow feeder and once we compared their 'sucking technique' as we fed them together and you could see my dd was like a super sucker with incredibly suction (my poor nipples ...) whereas hers was much more gentle and slow. But they were, and remain, exactly the same size as each other!

Me too Ghosty - at 3 weeks I understood why some people gave up feeding as I had exactly that. Also agree on the short feeds - my dd would rarely make 10 mins

Keep up the great work.

and by the way congratulation!

Thanks again everyone ...
I must be doing something right 'cos last night DD slept from 10.30pm to 6.30am!!!! I woke up at 5am in a damp patch because my right boob was leaking all over the shop and lay there for an hour and a half wishing her to wake up!!!!!
I know I shouldn't gloat or boast but this is a whole new ball game for me .... 4 years ago at this stage I was desperate for even 40 minutes break ... now I have this baby that sleeps all day and sleeps all night too ...
DH says that it will all come back and bite us in the bum so we should just enjoy while we can ...
God ... I am sooooo loved up with my baby