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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

5 week old feeding 20 times a day

24 replies

Beckysk · 24/10/2014 20:09

My 5 week old breastfed baby is nursing 20+ times in a 24 hour period. Has anyone else had this? Literally feel I can't get anything done, it's driving me slightly insane. I have no family near and I have a 3 year old so can't nap in the day. hELP

OP posts:
MyNameIsSuz · 24/10/2014 20:24

I had this! combination of reflux and a bad latch, once we got those sorted it calmed down a bit, though he still fed quite a lot. Can you get to a local breastfeeding group or see the health visitor? Poor you, I remember how hard this is!

rmyerspharmacy · 24/10/2014 20:34

With babies there does not appear to be a 'normal' unfortunately. My little girl did this at 6 weeks, then at 2 months then 3 months (seemed to be at growth spurts) she'd feed and come off, then 5 minutes later want to feed again, then feed for an hour then come off and want to feed again after 15 minutes. We had a really bad latch so it was mega painful too until about 4 months old!

My hv was pretty rubbish at bf advice, but was helpful as a shoulder to cry on when I was just fed up. I found most useful was to call a bf helpline- you don't have to leave the house (don't think I got dressed for about 3 days during growth spurts) and can call at 2am- you'll talk to an actual mum!

Now my girl is nearly one and I still bf but only 3-4 times a day and at night if she wakes. So glad I persevered- she has only has 2 sniffles over the last year and no other illnesses and I feel the bf has really helped.

Original poster
Beckysk · 24/10/2014 22:30

Doctor gave me gaviscon to trail her on to see if it was reflux, so that actually may be one of the issues the same as you. Latchwise my nipples have never been sore or painful, so does that mean my latch is okay ? Also my little one already has a cold lol my first formula fed baby didn't have a cold for a year?!?! Xxx

OP posts:
squizita · 25/10/2014 11:32

Mine has days like this then other days fine. Hate to say it but it might just be a phase? Mine is like this when she has a runny nose- must need milk to heal!

Original poster
Beckysk · 25/10/2014 12:54

She's been like it for 5 weeks. Its a long long phase haha xx

OP posts:
weebairn · 26/10/2014 09:40

I think mine has fed 30-40 times in the last 24 hours. She is nearly 4 weeks. Other times it's more like 15 times a day which is more manageable.

Right now it feels endless and getting out the house with my 2 year old is so hard. Can't stop crying this morning I am so tired. Don't think co sleeping is helping as she can smell the milk and is rooting around for it all the time. But I am on my knees even with DP helping and just can't do anything but stay lying down at night I am so tired.

Someone say something encouraging.... Sad

GoldfishSpy · 26/10/2014 09:41

Will she take a dummy?

weebairn · 26/10/2014 10:19

I haven't tried yet...
Initially she was super-settled between the feeds even though they were frequent but she's got so so fretty ...Sad

Bah today is not a good day to analyse anything

GoldfishSpy · 26/10/2014 10:28

I would def try it.
For me, DS 2 and 3 had sore tummies - wanted to suck but didn't want milk - dummies settled them instantly.

We used dummies from week 2 with all 3 of ours and they were all ebf.

kalidasa · 26/10/2014 10:36

DS was like this, it made me pretty desperate so I feel for you. It's partly to do with telling your body to make more milk I think so you may find it eases off a bit as you get in tune with one another. But DS is nearly two now and he still just really really likes his food! In fact quite often when. He says his name he points at his mouth rather than his chest as you usually do if you're talking about himself, I think food is just a huge huge pleasure for him!! A dummy made a big difference for us and helped keep me sane. We did a bit of mix feeding too - DH would give him a bottle once every few days just to give me a bit of a break and to knock DS out for a few minutes! I am expecting DS2 after Christmas and I would do the same if he was as demanding as DS1, in fact if anything I think I'd be more relaxed about mix feeding.

weebairn · 26/10/2014 10:49

I ebf DC1 and we gave her a dummy from 5 weeks, I think. (still trying to get rid of the sodding thing now at 2 years old)

They are quite different though, dc1 I couldn't put down ever... Dc2 other than a few 48 hour periods has been very settled- feeding frequently yes but sleeping in a Moses basket in between. I dknt know what these 48 hour things are... Can they really be growth spurts if I've had 3 or 4 of them in just 3.5 weeks!?!

Was hoping to avoid a dummy this time as wrestling it off dc1 is so hard and I hate seeing older kids with them. Sad

weebairn · 26/10/2014 10:49

Hadn't even considered mix feeding, never did it last time and don't have any kit in etc!!

Chaby · 26/10/2014 10:57

mine was the same, but settled at about 7 weeks thankfully. he was born on 50th percentile but gradually settled on 91st so i think he just needed to get to his natural weight. it was tough, hope it settles down for you soon.

squizita · 26/10/2014 13:12

Wee I found getting DH to wind dd helped. MW suggested it- men are sometimes more effective. Also an angled place to nap - we have a memory foam wedge - seems to help
GP reckons extremely mild reflux. Just enough to sometimes annoy her so she wants to suck, but with no serious symptoms.

squizita · 26/10/2014 13:16

... and because I've been under the mw weekly I can vouch for spurts. I'd have a bad day and she'd suddenly grow! More than usual in a week!

mrsmugoo · 26/10/2014 13:50

My DS fed on and off all day 10-15 maybe more times a day until he was about 6 months and I started trying to feed to a loose schedule around means in preparation for returning to work.

mawbroon · 26/10/2014 14:25

DS1 was like this. His undiagnosed tongue tie meant he was not feeding efficiently.

kalidasa · 26/10/2014 18:52

weebairn DS still has a dummy too, but only at night. It doesn't come out of his cot and hasn't done since he was 9 months or so, and personally I don't think a dummy at night is really a problem for a two year old, perhaps I'm being naive though!? I agree that's it's not great seeing toddlers with them in all day, out in their buggies etc.

Re: the kit, we just used those 'ready made' little bottles, I think in the smallest sizes they even came with a teat, and then after that the little 'bricks' of ready made up milk (where you don't have to make up the formula but you do need a sterilised bottle). Obviously too expensive if you are really formula feeding but they were super convenient for just the occasional top up bottle when desperate. We never had a steriliser either, we just used Milton tablets in a big plastic box of water. I actually ended up back in hospital for a night without DS when he was six weeks old (viral meningitis) so thank goodness he knew roughly what to do with a bottle, it was stressful enough for DH as it was as we didn't have enough formula in the house for the night and he had to go out with DS at 10pm to the all night chemist when A&E finally decided they were keeping me in!!

weebairn · 27/10/2014 08:17

I still think it is a growth spurt and am trying to ride it out

If it goes on for more than a week I'll try a dummy

It has been every 30-60 minutes since Friday

But before that she was super settled sleeping hours at a time ,and she is putting on LOADS of weight so not worried about latch or supply etc

4 weeks old tomorrow

I am so tired

BertieBotts · 27/10/2014 08:36

This is boot camp! It should settle down after 6-8 weeks. That said, do see if you can find anyone knowledgeable about tongue tie. It's very common but not very well understood.

weebairn · 27/10/2014 08:54

Would the latch not be painful with tongue tie? I've had no pain whatsoever even in the first few days... And she put on a lb in less than 2 weeks after birth-again would this happen with tongue tie?

weebairn · 27/10/2014 08:55

(Sorry if you're talking to the OP not me!)

milkjetmum · 27/10/2014 08:59

Yes possible for tongue tie to be that way. Dd1 was tongue tied but I didn't really realize until she was around 9 months and struggling to move solid food around her mouth. With hindsight she was colicy, trashed at boob but followed her birth centile perfectly (I think my forceful letdown and oversupply of milk covered up her difficulty). Definitely get checked for tongue tie and have the snip even if 'mild'.

milkjetmum · 27/10/2014 09:00

*thrashed

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