2wo not satisfied by bf

[Madratlady]

My ds is nearly 2 weeks old and I'm really struggling with bf. My supply seems to have reduced although I can express enough for a decent feed and he doesn't seem to be getting much from the breast. He feeds for hours at night but if I give him a bottle of expressed milk he is so much more settled.

I'm not sure what to do. It's so tempting to just ff him but I really want to bf and I'd feel such a failure if I stopped.

2 weeks is typical growth spurt time and lots of babies do cluster feed (feeding on and off for hours) especially in the evening. Babies also like to be at the breast for comfort as well as food.

How big a bottle do you give him? They tend to take a lot more a lot quicker from a bottle so that might be what's knocking him out

Do you switch feed - changing sides every time he comes off/falls asleep?

Isn't the cluster feeding part of your LO demanding more from your breasts? Totally normal and part of the feeding cycle.

Have you read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding? Or, the kellymom website?

I have found kellymom helpful. I'm just worried he's not getting enough - he was early and tiny at 4lb 3oz. He'll only bf if I use a nipple shield, it was suggested by the scbu nurses as he wouldn't just feed directly from the nipple.

He's taking about 2oz from bottle feeds. I have been trying switch feeding. He manages bf much better during the day but there's no satisfying him at night and I'm exhausted!

Hi, since my dd was 2 weeks old I have given her a bottle of expressed milk at night ( to give nipple a break and so husband can feed her sometimes) we continue to breast feed through the day and any night feeds. Still going 19 weeks later! I express when she has gone to sleep to keep supply up, I know this might seem strange to people but it worked for us. Do what you have to do xxxx

It's probably not being satisfied at night so much as wanting to be next to you/at the breast - it's a survival instinct.

My ds is 16 days old and we have only had a couple of nights when he has gone for a couple of hours between feeds. Yesterday he fed from 11am until 3am. I know he is getting enough milk because of the amount of nappies.

As others have said its normal behaviour and will get easier as time goes by. But that seems so far away in the middle of the night I know.

Have faith in your body. But ff isn't the end of the world if that's the way you want to go. It's just a different way to feed your baby.

DS1 was prem and 4lb 5, and he would bf pretty well during the day then cluster feed from 8pm til 2am. It was exhausting but all normal and it did settle down again (until about 4 months!)
DS2 is now 16 days old and also cluster feeding on an evening. I would say that so long as there are plenty wet and dirty nappies and weight is ok then feeding is going well. What you express is not an indication of what baby is getting off - babies are generally much better at getting milk and usually take more than you can express.

He seems to be really struggling to get enough milk, had a 3 hour feeding session this morning then less than 2 hours later he was awake and clearly hungry again. After 2 hours he was still hungry so I handed him to DH with a bottle of ebm so that I could get something to eat (I fell asleep when ds was napping) and he had drunk it and settled within 20 mins.

Seeing HV tomorrow and she mentioned a bf supporter calling round as well.

madratlady what you describe sounds well within what is normal. Assuming that your baby is having plenty of wet and dirty nappies and has started to gain weight again, being at or almost at birthweight again by now, (although not all babies are back at birthweight by this age and it doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong) then it's extremely likely that things are just fine.

The initial 'full' breasts you can get when your milk first comes in very quickly disappear in most cases and this is normal. It's also normal for a baby to quite quickly take a lot of milk quite quickly from a bottle and seem much more 'satisfied' afterwards as a bottle is much easier for a baby to drink from so they can tend to take too much and feel very full and tired, a bit like after we've eaten a huge Christmas dinner. Also, a bottle doesn't offer the same comfort as a breast and a baby can't suckle on it for comfort only, so they can tend to continue taking milk even when they're full.

Being at the breast is about so much more to a baby than just food, it is about love, nurturing, comfort and safety. The time spent at the breast can be very intense in the early days/weeks, but as your baby gets older feeds space out a bit (or a lot) and your baby will be happier to spend more time away from you.

Hi op that sound very normal to me too.
My last ds was also tiny and early and was an pretty inefficient feeder initially. He improved a lot at about six weeks ( when he should have been born)
Do you have an electric pump? That might help to stimulate your supply and also have some milk available for your dp to feed him when you need a break.
It WILL get better, good luck x