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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

**unless anyone can reassure me in the next 5 mins im stopping this bf'ing crap and cracking the formula out.**

113 replies

1Baby1Bump · 23/09/2006 20:07

ds is 12 days old, yes only 12 and im thinking of giving up already.
he latches beautifully etc etc, its not painful, but i appear to have no milk left for him, hence he is just screaming and i feel cruel and totally useless i cant feed my son.
this is the 3rd day that it has 'run out' and i dont know what to do?
i keep putting him on to try and stimulate supply but it just makes him angry.
as its the natural way to feed i thought it might be reasonably straightforward but its not.
[bawling my eyes out emoticon]

OP posts:
foundintranslation · 23/09/2006 20:21

mustard colour a good sign. less poo not necess a problem - are the nappies wet enough to feel heavy in your hand?

SoupDragon · 23/09/2006 20:22

Don't worry abut the quantity of poo - DD used to go a couple of days without one or poo every 2 hours with no link to what she was eating. I think provided they;re mustardy and the nappies are frequently wet then it's all probably fine.

milward · 23/09/2006 20:22

does he have any white spots in his mouth - couuld be thrush? This can cause babys to stop & start bf with discomfort.

could be wind - have you tried bf standing up moving to music - can help

could be inbalance of foremilk & hindmilk - too much watery foremilk can cause too much lactose in the system & discomfort - one breast per feed can sort this

does any of this seem to fit what's happenning?

Gingerbear · 23/09/2006 20:25

Have you expressed any milk? If you can do this, then your supply isn't drying up. Agree with soupy - bed, lying down and relaxing helped me for evening feeds.

SoupDragon · 23/09/2006 20:25

Foremilk and hindmilk are actually the same stuff. The hindmilk is just the fattier stuff and harder to get out as it sticks to the sides or something.

milward · 23/09/2006 20:26

gbear just to add - some mums can't express milk but manage to bf just fine

Original poster
1Baby1Bump · 23/09/2006 20:26

no spots i dont think. he is on the other boob and i can hear him swallowing now.
yes the nappies have some weight.
ds1 had colic but was bot fed, i dont think this one has colic yet. he cries very rarely and is generally mellow

OP posts:
milward · 23/09/2006 20:27

the foremilk comes first & the hindmilk is the richer milk produced when the baby is bf - sort of a starter followed by the main course

Overrun · 23/09/2006 20:27

gingerbear is right that expressing can offer reasurrance, but, I was hopeless about expressing and was and am a really good breastfeeder with a very good supply. I say this in case you try and express and not much happens, this doesn't necesscarily mean there isn't any milk there iyswim

Original poster
1Baby1Bump · 23/09/2006 20:28

havent tried to express yet as too lazy to assemble bloody thing but am going to try it.

OP posts:
Overrun · 23/09/2006 20:30

do that if you want, but i personally feel that as others have suggested you might be better going and lying down and have some skin to skin contact with your little one, and try and relax. I know its easier said than done.
If you dh or dp is around or any one for that matter why don't you ask to be tucked up. Nice cup of coco maybe?

milward · 23/09/2006 20:30

the baby gets the milk better than the expressing machine - some mums can't express at all or very much & this in no way is an indication of their ability to bf

lockets · 23/09/2006 20:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

milward · 23/09/2006 20:31

babymoon idea is great

Original poster
1Baby1Bump · 23/09/2006 20:31

one minute he pops offas its coming to fast and we both get soaked by it spraying out, then next feed it doesnt seem to have replenished.
my boob is really soft, with no lumpiness whatsoever.

OP posts:
Gingerbear · 23/09/2006 20:32

Oh, of course milward. My memory is vague. In fact I think I recall this happening to me - I could express 'litres' in the morning but hardly any at night, and DD managed to feed OK.

Still, it is reassuring if you can express.

SoupDragon · 23/09/2006 20:33

1B1B, This thread is similar to your problem

sorrell · 23/09/2006 20:34

Why do you think your milk has 'run out'? I see no evidence of it from your posts at all. You are doing brilliantly! Crying doesn't necessarily mean hunger. My son cried a lot in the evenings at that age, was the size of house and mixed fed. My much slimmer, exclusively breastfed daughter never did. Sometimes babies just cry in the evenings. Your milk is great, does all sorts of cool and fantastic things for a baby healthwise and is free! Don't panic!

sorrell · 23/09/2006 20:34

Why do you think your milk has 'run out'? I see no evidence of it from your posts at all. You are doing brilliantly! Crying doesn't necessarily mean hunger. My son cried a lot in the evenings at that age, was the size of house and mixed fed. My much slimmer, exclusively breastfed daughter never did. Sometimes babies just cry in the evenings. Your milk is great, does all sorts of cool and fantastic things for a baby healthwise and is free! Don't panic!

milward · 23/09/2006 20:34

how your breast feels is fine - demand & supply of your bmilk is being worked out by your baby & your body. Go with it - bf on demand & your supply will be sorted. It can take up to 6 weeks for things to settle down but be demand feeding your body will know how much to produce - check for a growth spurt around 3 weeks

milward · 23/09/2006 20:35

GBear

sorrell · 23/09/2006 20:36

Soft breasts are not a sign of anything, except good supply and demand. If your milk is 'spraying out', believe me there is plenty there. Possibly too much for him to cope with. You might try expressing just a little bit before a feed to make the let down easier for him to cope with, but whatever you do, all these problems will iron themselves out in the next few days and weeks and you will be so pleased and happy that you stuck with it and have this fantastic, free, super-convenient supply of baby food with you at all times!

Gingerbear · 23/09/2006 20:36

Soft boobs not a problem. Mine only felt 'full' in the mornings, and then only for a few weeks - your supply will match his needs after a while, so that they won't feel full all the time.

How are you 'burping' him? I used to put a muslin over my shoulder and put DD upright and rub her back.

Original poster
1Baby1Bump · 23/09/2006 20:38

im going to look at the other thread soupy has suggested, while im away, i know it wont be easy, but can someone describe exactly the positions needed to bf lying down as im not very good at it.

OP posts:
foundintranslation · 23/09/2006 20:38

Whether breast feels hard or soft isn't really much of a guide. I too think it sounds like you're doing really well and that this 'crying' phase will pass. Feed and rest as much as possible.

To refer back to your OP, bf is quite often not exactly straightforward at the beginning - and sometimes downright hard -, but once you've got it sorted 8which I think you will) it is soooo easy - no fiddling about with bottles in the middle of the night, perfect mobility and always a quick and easy way to comfort your baby. It's worth sticking with it