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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Newborn not fed for 6 hours?

17 replies

PastaandCheese · 07/03/2014 21:00

I had my DS yesterday afternoon. He had a small feed straight away. I got him to latch again 6 hours after delivery and he fed well.

He wouldn't wake overnight and just licked at drops of collostrum I hand expressed when I tried.

He latched well late morning and in the afternoon once I'd stripped him and tickled feet etc.

He hasn't fed for past 6 hours despite my best efforts. He is just so sleepy.

My DD was like this but I had pethadine so put it down to that.

Just not sure how worried I should be at this point and whether I should syringe feed?

He has had 6 dirty nappies since birth and has done a wee over DH ha ha ha so he must have taken some food on.

Any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:
Pregnantagain7 · 07/03/2014 21:09

I would perhaps give the maternity ward a ring and check just to be on the safe side sorry cant give you more advice but if it was one of mine I would call just to put my mind at rest :)

nenehooo · 07/03/2014 21:13

My DD was like this - maternity ward advised me to strip her down to her nappy to encourage her to stay awake to feed properly. We ended up doing this for weeks on end, as she would always just fall asleep feeding... Congratulations too!

MyNameIsSuz · 07/03/2014 21:18

I had this, I second stripping her down to her nappy. You can also blow in her face or tickle her feet to keep her awake if she falls asleep on the boob. I had to wake him up every two hours to feed, and ended up pumping and syringing after each feed too to build him up.

I would call the midwives just to make sure. My boy was just like this and he was on the small side when born, 6 lb 7, which meant that by the time I went to see the midwives a day after being discharged (I rang them because I was worried, they told me to come straight in) he'd gone down to 5 lb 12 and lost more than the recommended amount of his birth weight. Oh, and no pethidine, so it wasn't that for us, just one of those things I think.

And yes, congratulations!

MyNameIsSuz · 07/03/2014 21:19

Oops, just re-read and saw you had a boy, sorry about the use of her in my post, think I was confused by the person before me!

Parliamo · 07/03/2014 21:20

Mine did this, it was fine. I seem to remember being advised if they start getting jittery (and you'll know if you see it) it can be a sign that the blood sugar is getting a bit low. But if the latch is ok so far, I'm sure you'll be fine. When is the midwife coming? And phone the ward if you're still worried, they'll be nice. I remember phoning in a total panic saying dd was grey and not moving (she was just sleeping!). That was dd2, not even my first baby!

Congratulations by the way! I'm sort of nostalgic for the newborn days, but I remember the blind panic too!

Verybadmummy · 07/03/2014 21:22

DD did this but she was slightly jaundice. I loved the sleep but the midwife said I should wake her to feed her. Congrats on your little one- in the end my DDDDH sent me to bed with DD for 48 hours to bond and to establish feeding. It worked a treat and I still remember that special time. DD is 5 now and v heathy!Grin

Parliamo · 07/03/2014 21:24

I've just remembered I found this helpful - a newborns stomach is the size of marble, so it doesn't take much for them to get enough colostrum to fill then up

Original poster
PastaandCheese · 07/03/2014 22:53

I'm going to hold off phoning the ward because all they ever advised with my DD is to give her formula which wasn't helpful.

I've fed him with a syringe so he has had something this evening and I'll set an alarm for a few hours time.

He is an improvement on DD at least who hadn't latched at all by this point!

OP posts:
WaxyDaisy · 07/03/2014 22:57

Congratulations! Keep a close eye and keep offering drips and licks. Keep snuggled up skin to skin and watch the nappies. What colour are the poos?

If in doubt, check with your midwife Smile

Original poster
PastaandCheese · 07/03/2014 23:09

Thanks waxydaisy. Poos are changing from black to greeny brown and he's had another big wee.

You would swear he was feeding well from the nappies if it wasn't for the fact he isn't feeding frequently!

Hopefully he will wake before his alarm.

OP posts:
Sneezy86 · 08/03/2014 01:47

My daughter who is now 7 weeks was like this. The the midwives were hand expressing into a syringe for me and giving her. I thought 7 dirty nappies in the first 24 hours meant she was doing good but it ended up meaning she lost 12 per cent of her birth weight and sent the midwives into panic mode. They wanted me to give formula top ups bit I refused. They got the paediatrician up to take blood and everything but all tests came back ok. Next day she had put on 90g and was feeding fine. Has been putting on weight perfectly ever since. I am now so thankful I refused the formula top ups although at the time the midwives had me thinking I wouldn't be able to breastfeed and was harming my baby trying.

fhdl34 · 08/03/2014 07:01

DS was like this, i had to wake him every 3-4 hours as he ended up with jaundice, thankfully it went by day 14 with regular feeding (no sunlight really as December baby). DD also slept for 6 hours at a time but fed for 3 hours on waking so it was fine for her but DS would only feed for 15 minutes before falling asleep again. Every child is different

Original poster
PastaandCheese · 08/03/2014 10:13

sneezy that was at the back of my mind too.... It's only what was in him originally when he was weighed. I think the wee is encouraging though?

Thank you the jaundice pointers. He doesn't look like this is the issue but I'll make sure I park him by the window and get him out later to help with this.

In the end he latched well and fed hard at midnight but nothing after that until now when he is finally feeding properly again! He had the syringe and drips from hand expressing in between so hopefully he is getting the minimum if not adequate milk.

Midwife will come today so I hope she is reassuring.

OP posts:
Pinkbell123 · 08/03/2014 10:18

I had this on the second day too. I thought I'd drugged him with all the oramorph I was taking Shock

BertieBotts · 08/03/2014 10:21

You could phone one of the breastfeeding helplines instead if you don't think the ward will give good advice.

0300 100 0212 for the National Breastfeeding Helpline

Original poster
PastaandCheese · 08/03/2014 15:12

I thought that the first time pinkbell but no drugs at all with this one so it is clearly just the way our babies are programmed!

Thank you Bertiebotts. That is helpful.

The community midwife was helpful. She thought I was over worrying in the first place as he isn't even 48 hours old yet so doesn't need to feed much more frequently than he has been doing.

She made some good suggestions about how to increase skin to skin time but balance this with having a two year old too.

She thought there was a lot of colostrum for where we are post birth and gave me a book about different techniques, where we need to be by what day etc.

OP posts:
AppleAndBlackberry · 08/03/2014 15:24

I think that's pretty normal, neither of mine fed very much in the first 24 hours after the first feed. If I remember correctly they both got going on day 2.

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