feed on demand or space the feeds out for newborn, please advise

[eenywifemum]

Hi! I have a 3 week old baby who I have been feeding on demand. The problem is this - he has colic. And he wants to feed CONSTANTLY. He has been feeding every hour for the most part and has even fed for two hours at a time - and he would have continued but I finally had enough and took him off the breast.

My health visitor who IS lovely has told me all this feeding is making his colic worse as he is just too full all the time and really he just wants to suck. She suggested I try to feed him no more frequently than every 2 hours. I have been trying that since Tuesday and it is ok sometimes but sometimes he gets so upset and cries a lot and I hate it. I want to give him what he wants but I am worried that it isnt actually the best thing for him.

Any advise on how to handle this would be so appreciated as I am really trying to do the best thing for him but I am not sure what that is.

By the way I would love it if he fed every 3 hours, I would feel like I was on holiday! I just dont want to deny him a feed if he wants one. I dont know really. If its relevant he was 4 weeks early. Thanks!

www.kellymom.com/newman/02colicin_bfbaby.html
didn't work in my last post...trying again

eeny

My dd was really windy / colicky, and was a sleepy feeder too, wanting to feed frequently but all asleep after only a short time

Midwives advised me to try to feed less frequently so that she was filling her tummy properly rather than snacking. So I used to try to hold her off for 2 to 2.5 hours between feeds.

Now I wish I hadnt followed this advice. Because she used to scream with hunger and it made no difference to her wind problem.

I now know with the benefit of hindsight and reading on here, that I had a fast let down and baby was probably getting too much too soon and alot of air because she was gulping.

I wish I had access to the kellymom site then or spoken to a properly trained bf counsellor from one of the vol helplines because there are actual techniques you can use.

I also wish I had just fed when hungry and cuddled her alot and stopped trying to shovel infacol and the suchlike into her and spend ages trying to burp her. Apparently most other cultures and even on the continent they dont burp babies.

Anyway I was very like you, I would have done anything to get her to go longer between feeds because they hurt my nipples and were exhausting, but I think if I had had dd latched better, and just known that it was normal for babies to feed constantly and that things would get so much better so quickly I would have got through it and dd would have cried less.

Sorry long but your post was like me 9 months ago and so big hugs as well

i have a 7 weeker who loves to suck all the time. The routine that appears to be working at the present is to let him feed from both sides - about 20 mins each side Depending on when his urgency lessens and he starts lookin around and just sucking for comfort. I then give the dummy and he sucks ths for a while an then spts it out and relaxes.

I find tha about an hour after feed he then has colicy "contractions". He goes stiff and screams and pulss up his legs whilst going red in face and body, then raise him to shoulder and as the scream changes I tenlower him and place the dummy in his mouth which seems to comfor his pain, we then mve the dummy out whilst e is calm.

Now I now this pattern with him I feel I can see the light at the end of the tunnel as I now work around this routine and I don't get so anxious and frustrated

You are indeed doing well as I gave up with my first child and went to mixed feeding, beleive feeling comfortable yourself helps littluns to relax

there's loads of good advice on this thread, but thought i'd add my bit.

my dd was a sleepy feeder and wanted to feed constantly. i don't know if that's a bit of what's going on with your ds - starts feeding, falls asleep but continues sucking in his sleep but not actually taking much in. then wakes up and realises is hungry, cries, and the cycle continues. if that's not the case, then don't read on!

• i used to use the dummy to help stave her off between feeds.
• also used to keep her awake to feed by removing some clothing so that she wasn't toasty warm, but not cold either.
• lights shouldn't be too bright (they shut their eyes), nor too dim.
• i used to rub her back gently when she stopped sucking properly and doing those fake chin waggles.
• used to monitor her swallowing so i'd know when she'd fallen asleep and wasn't feeding
• used to (and still do!) make sucking noises myself - sounds bizarre but seems to remind her of what she's supposed to be doing.
• if still asleep and none of the above work, used to take her off and burp her / sit her upright until she woke up and then resume feeding.
• did not tickle her feet!

sorry if that's not helpful, or your scenario, just helped me in the early days.

oh yes, and sneezing and coughing helped too, to wake her up and remind her to suck.

Just wanted to confirm that it will get better, the first few weeks are the hardest. Thought my dd would never get to 3 hourly feeds but it does happen. I did try to space the feeds as close to 2 1/2 to 3 hourly when possible but if she was really hungry did feed her and gradually she got better and started to fed every 3 hours within a few weeks. Found swaddling really helped too.

USAUKMum - would you like to swap details with us (Eeny & I) due to the transatlantic nature?