Questions about bf a newborn, anyone around?

[Slippersocklover]

Hello, my baby was born on Saturday weighing 5lb 12oz and has been breast fed with the odd top up of formula or expressed milk under Direction from the hospital if his feeds were on the short side due to his weight. They also recommended leaving no more than 3 hours between feeds, and so far he has been waking to feed on demand roughly 2 hourly.

However, my milk came in yesterday and length of feed time has decreased from half and hour or longer, to 10-15minutes. I offer both breasts, but he seems to fall asleep after the first one, then after a little stimulatin will take a couple of minutes on the other. Is this normal? Is the decrease in length of feed due to milk being in, or is it something else? Will he still be gaining enough milk?

Also, the last two nights he's woken around midnight and wanted to be on the breast constantly until around 4am. Although he has had some good length feeds (20-30mins) in that time, he also has several where he will wake up and latch on, only to feed for a couple of minutes and then drift off to sleep. As soon as I put him back down, he'll wake up and the same will happen. I just worry that I'll fall asleep while feeding him, so have ended up giving a formula top up at around 4am to try and get him to settle, which I'd rather not do. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance, and I'm sorry if his post makes no sense, I'm extremely tired!

Well, it's been a while since mine were newborn but that all sounds very familiar :)
DD was induced early for growth retardation and used to be like that, basically used the breast like a dummy. On and off all day, couldn't be put down etc. I used to take her to bed with me so i could fall asleep and she could help herself!
Sounds like you are doing fine. Enjoy the cuddles and get rest when you can. Your midwife should reassure you too. You'd be amazed what they can consume in a few minutes feed.

Perfectly normal for them to feed less time when your milk comes in, your milk is thicker and they're getting more efficient at getting it out so they fill up quicker. Also normal to suckle for long periods in the evening or through the night, I co-slept with mine so could sleep whilst feeding.

Hello. Congratulations on the arrival of your little boy.
At this early stage feeding on damand is the best way to go in order for you to get a good milk flow going. It sounds like you are doing just that.
Babies will also feed for comfort as well as hunger. It will be tiring doind such long feeds especially at night but it will get easier as he gets older.
I havnt ever used formula but if you are needing sleep then is a good option. Eventually yoi could express once your son is approx.6 weeks old and then maybe your partner could feed him.
Congratulations again. Make sure you keep your fluid intake up and eat whenever you can.

Yep, sounds familiar (though, also out of practice here)

I used to tap their cheeks, or blow on their face when they started to drift off before the end of the feed. maybe the odd shoogle and shout of "don't go to sleep, feed!"

Congratulations.

Totally normal. Apparently the nighttime feeding is to do with when certain of your hormones are highest.
Babies also feed lots in the early days to stimulate your supply, don't think it's because you're not providing enough, just think of it as baby putting in his order for future milk.
Be careful about giving formula, as this can interfere with the supply-demand balance.
If you're worried about him getting enough just make a note of wet nappies-so long as you're getting plenty of those then he's getting enough I would say.
Do you have bf supporters in your area? They can be invaluable.
Well done so far and good luck!!

Huge congratulations in your new arrival. My DS is 11 weeks today and has just found his own pattern
I am BF him, had twins DDs 2.5 now who were bottle fed so this ones been a whole new experience.
Yes, sounds totally normal and there were times over the weeks when I couldn't put him down esp early eve and then in the wee hours. I was SO tempted to give up and put him on formula so that I could get routine going and am now hugely relieved and proud of self for keeping going.
Little feeds are a bit tedious but sometimes it's comfort they want, not a feed. Have to say I would bung him next to me and we'd both drift off whilst he fed. It does ease though.
Good luck.

Congratulations!

It sounds pretty normal to me, feeding little and often - at some points I remember baby feeding almost continuously especially during growth spurts.

I fed baby on demand, and the first few weeks are hellishly exhausting as I recall - I had sore and blistered nipples by week 2 and could have easily given up were it not for being told by my GP that it does 'hurt like hell' but if you keep going it gets better. By the 3rd-4th wk the nipples healed and from then on it was pretty straightforward. I found that even though I was feeding on demand - we fell into a rhythm. Drinking enough is a priority, also getting decent support as stress and tiredness affects flow as well.

Congratulations! As posters above have said before, this sounds completely normal, and just imagine how utterly divine for your boy to be able to snuggle at your bosom and drift off to sleep with a mouthful of warm, delicious milk. Tell him to to go for his life, to knock himself out! Well done, you (smile)! You say you're very tired. Can I use this opportunity to blow the safe co-sleeping trumpet? DD2 is 5 months now and sleeps in a bedside cot next to my bed, but, crucially, level with my mattress. I just lean in to the cot and feed her lying down when she wakes for a feed, it really couldn't be easier and I'm just not tired this time around. I don't go to sleep while feeding her, but just remaining horizontal seems to make a big difference. I also co-slept with DD1, but hadn't perfected the art of feeding lying down, and just having to sit up to feed in the night was so much more tiring. How people who have to actually get up and out of bed to feed manage is beyond me. Contact La Leche League in your area or see if your HV can signpost you to a breastfeeding group or cafe in your area. Good luck!

Have you tried doing a nappy change before giving the second boob? That used to wake DD enough when she was tiny.

Apologies for my message being riddled with typos and a smiley face that didn't work and only looks like a crazy encouragement thing, it's late.

Lots of good advice above. I just wanted to point out that falling asleep during feeds can sometimes point towards a baby having a tongue tie.

It is difficult to tell remotely (and in person, it seems; my ds wasn't diagnosed until 5 weeks old after seeing about ten midwives. A bf peer supporter suggested it and it was confirmed by a lactation consultant.), as many reasons above for what you describe in your op being "normal".

Congratulations slipper!

As others have said, completely normal feeding behaviour. Time us not a good indicator of a good feed. You may have a very efficient feeder on your hands!

To address your question about how you know if baby is getting enough milk ... Well, what goes in must come out! Are you getting lots of wet and dirty nappies? At this age you should still see a dirty nappy every day. Have you seen this? www.nct.org.uk/parenting/whats-your-babys-nappy I think it's useful.

You may not need to continue the formula top ups - I'm not suggesting you go against medical advice, but your body is beautifully designed to produce all the milk your baby needs. The cluster feeding at night could "just" be comfort sucking, but could also be stimulating your supply. Equally, plenty of people successfully mix feed - but don't be forced into the extra sterilising because you've been frightened that your supply us insufficient.

Get some sleep during the day and if you choose to co sleep, do it in a planned way. The stats show it's safe if done properly.

Congrats re your little arrival xxxxx PS get some good nipple cream, take painkillers to reduce pain of milk coming in, and join the BF club where feeding really is a lifestyle!!!! Everything...and I mean everything.... else has to wait! And invest in lots and lots of mumsnetty scarves and stretchy vests...wear 2 at a time so u can lift the top one to feed but not expose your tummy.. you will become a boobfeeding in public expert!!! Also agree re supplementing with FF... my ds2 had little feeds and often didn't want boob no 2... try not to worry... and drink lots and lots and lots and lots to keep your fluid levels up...just make sure it isn't vodka!!!!! : )

Oh, Thankyou so much you lovely lovely people! Coming back to these messages and after a wee chunk of sleep has made me feel so much better!
Midwife is coming today to weigh him again, so I'll double check about the top ups and see if we can get rid of them (he's only had 2 per day) he's also had tons of wet and dirty nappies, so you're right, something must be going in!
I was adamant while pregnant that co sleeping wasn't for me, though now he's here I can totally see the appeal and how natural it is to want to snuggle up to my teeny baby. However, the bf support I saw earlier in the week has said that though she does accept safe co sleeping to help with night feeds when bf, because he's a bit smaller she wouldn't advise it yet (I'm totally paranoid about rolling and squishing him anyway!) at present he's in a Moses basket which just fits in the gap beside the bed, the scooping required to get him out is definitely not ideal though.

I do think some of the nighttime feeding may be for comfort, he's a very sucky baby and will shove his hands into his mouth at any given opportunity! Also, when he comes off he'll happily settle snuggled up on me, but as soon as he's lowered into the Moses basket the lipsmacking and boob hunting starts again, only to continue in the same cycle.

I am lucky enough to live in an area with excellent bf support in place, so I'll get on the phone later and see if I can get a visit.

Thanks all again

Fingers crossed he's gained weight from all this mega breastfeeding!

You sound like a very sensible new mum so I hope you don't think this is patronising, but he's so young, don't worry that he won't go down in his basket. He doesn't even know he's born, and if he wants to cuddle where it's warm and he can hear a heartbeat, why shouldn't he?! If you need some rest and are in danger of falling asleep with him, could your DP sit up with him I between feeds?

This bit is really hard on terms of tiredness. If you concentrate on breastfeeding, eating, drinking, and getting as much rest as you can, you'll get through it I promise. I'm just up feeding 7 weeks old DD so know what you're going through

Just wanted to say it helped me to remember that their stomach size at that age is only size of a walnut (re the thing about filling up/how much they need)

Of you google stomach sizes newborn growth

Hi there, I'm having elective c section today for baba no 2. DS was an EMC and I really wanted a side along cot then but couldn't afford one as we'd already bought Moses basket and cotbed. Breast feeding at night was pretty painful as I was too scared to co-sleep and had to struggle up to sitting position every time.
But luckily discovered that nct now hire them pretty reasonably for six months for around £100 and it came within two days. Planning on leaning into cot to feed hopefully and hoping this will mean I'm slightly less done in! Good luck with bf, you sound like ur doing a great job, I found it hard going for first three months but then started to enjoy it. The only other thing I would say is trust your instincts- i remember a mw trying to show me how to feed 'properly' and I couldn't actually see what she was doing as I have quite a ample pair and she was coming at them from underneath! she didn't seem to think this was an issue though... I figured it out myself, never got really sore nipples and my 5'6 baby became a whopper in no time - he now towers above others in his nursery class! :)

Just wanted to add, mine never fed off 2 boobs in one feed, at least not till quite a bit older. I would instead feed off alternate breast each feed, I wore a little elastic bracelet on my wrist of the boob due up next so I kept track. I was advised to do that by the local infant feeding specialist as it is best to empty one boob before starting on another due to the type of milk delivered during the feed.

Hello, little update from me! Saw the midwife this morning, baby was weighed, he'd lost 4% of his birthweight on Tuesday, and as of today has actually regained and surpassed his birthweight! The formula top ups can be discontinued, and the breastfeeding advisor is sure that the shorter feed times are because my milk has come in and he's become a more efficient feeder. Thankyou all for the reassurance and support, I'm sure I'll be back with more questions before long!

Fab news!! Go mummy!!

fab!!! Well done supermum!

My son was the same weight when he was born and fed a lot durin the night. That is an important time as ( although very tiring for us) our prolactin levels are highest during darkness hours, and night feeds will be most effective at ramping up your supply.

Hi op my dd was 5lb 1, she regained her birth weight plus 7oz by that point, she also fed very frequently round the clock for several weeks. I just fed on demand and by 6 week check she was up to 9th centile where she's hovered ever since.

On co sleeping, sorry if someone already said this, but the advice is that it's higher sids risk for low birth weight babies. I actually do co sleep, dd is 10 months, but just letting you know because I only recently found that out when researching co sleeping

catellington I understand the risks about co-sleeping and low birthweight babies, something we all have to judge.
For me I thought it was the best thing to do, my midwife was extremely supportive even of low birth weight infants.
We lived in a big cold draughty house when my son was born in mid winter, he was a tiny scrap of a thing, and even though I piled on clothes, blankets and a hat he really struggled to keep warm, he felt very cold to the touch and was unsettled.
That lasted all of one night. The second night I took him into bed with me, he seemed much happier, fed like pig for 5 minutes every hour, straight back to sleep and was as cozy as toast.
I hadn't even heard of co-sleeping then, when he was weighed on day 12 - first time after his birth he was 13oz heavier than when he was born.

I confessed to my HV about co-sleeping and to my surprise she enthusiastically encouraged me- even gave us a little star on our red book!! It seemed the most natural thing to do.
When I had my second I had no hesitation in co-sleeping ( even though we were tandem feeding then, but that's another story!)

Hi msmiggins, that's great your hv was so supportive! Yes I love cosleeping and did it on occasion from day one but it wasn't thought through, just kind of happened. And only recently looking into when deciding to cosleep full time, it was surprising to me that the research shows higher risk for low birth weight babies, just because I hadn't heard that before.

But yes I love it and will be doing it from day one next time!