Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Infant feeding

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

3.5 day old bf baby how regularly should I be feeding him?

55 replies

Holden10 · 31/05/2015 10:07

I fed a lot over the past few days as our latch was a bit rubbish but he's got it now so my question is with what frequency does he need feeding? I've fed him every 4 hours over night for about 15 mins either side

OP posts:
gincamelbak · 01/06/2015 21:59

The midwife will expect the baby to have lost weight at first weigh in - it's normal that they do after the last month or so spent chubbing up in the womb.

The first few days are cluster feeding to stimulate supply of milk. It's important to feed the baby whenever they root or give the cues as this helps you build your supply. Milk will come in and meet the baby's demand.

If you want to increase supply as well, try porridge for breakfast and eating flapjacks - oats really help to boost supply.

I spent the first couple of weeks with both babies basically just sitting with them latched on.

Babies have tiny tummies too - the size of their fists. And breast milk is easily digested so doesn't sit in their tummies which means they may feed more often than you might expect.

Nappies - in think 8-12 wet or dirty nappies a day is usual? Not necessarily full to bursting nappies! My DD would do 12, she went through nappies like nobody's business whereas DS maybe 8 a day.

Cluster feeding in evening is also usual. DD did it 7-10pm. when DS was newborn he did it 1-5am! Eventually he changed to 5-7pm and 8-9pm and has stuck there at 4 months.

I wouldn't try to express just now - it puts more pressure on you. Plus it's not always a good sign of how much milk you are producing. I could never get much out expressing when feeding DD but she gained weight and followed her growth line.

breastfeeding is a hard thing to get your head around. You've no idea really how much you are feeding the baby as you can't see it. But if baby is growing and having wet and dirty nappies, it's all fine.

Talk things over with your midwife, the visits are so she can help and she will be happy to.

cunchofbunts · 01/06/2015 22:40

OP, I don't know if you've seen this visual before: babiesfirstlactation.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/newborn-stomach-small.jpg

Babies stomachs are so tiny at this point.

Holden10 · 02/06/2015 10:08

That's really interesting cunch, makes me feel a lot better tbh. Baby is being weighed today I think so that should help put me at ease. I am soooo anxious

OP posts:
cunchofbunts · 03/06/2015 12:59

How did it go Holden?

Holden10 · 03/06/2015 20:53

He's now 7 days old. I was told he'd lost too much weight however there's been some discrepancy over birth weight! I was told he was 7lb 9oz which is 3.45kg but it says in my notes he was 3.54kg - so potentially a transcription error. H

OP posts:
Holden10 · 03/06/2015 20:58

Oops posted too soon! He now weighs 6lb 14 so he's lost at best 8%, at worst 12%. I was told to top up with expressed milk which I found hard as can't express much. He was taken into hospital overnight for phototherapy during which he would NOT latch to the breast at all so I fed him the bits of expressed milk I could as well as formula top ups. Had myself resigned to this style of feeding. However since coming out of the hospital today he's remembered how to latch and is accepting the breast again, along with bits of expressed top up milk. I'm having a hard time with guilt and feeling a bit like I'd be letting him down if I switched to formula but I also can't bear watching him screaming hungry unable to latch, but looks as though this might not happen now :). I also have let him keep his dummy as he likes it and it hasn't confused his latch. I want to just trust my instincts as a lot of the professional advice I've been given in the last week has been totally contradictory. He is being re weighed tomorrow so keeping everything crossed that he's gained a little. Thanks for all the advice, it's invaluble.

OP posts:
tiktok · 03/06/2015 23:09

Holden, some of this sounds like less-than-great care :(

Is there one person you have come across who sounds like they know what's what, and you can trust to support you?

Maybe contact that person again and ask what to do now?

Is your baby producing 2-3 yellow poos a day now?

Holden10 · 04/06/2015 09:46

Baby's poos are brown at the minute I assume from either excreting bilirubin pigment or formula milk. The antenatal care and care during our stays at hospitals was great but I'm so confused about the feeding stuff!

I'm just going to do what I feel is right. Bf when I can and he wants it and ff to top up due to being a bit crap at expressing milk.

OP posts:
Micah · 04/06/2015 11:03

Weighing in the first week is always going to be stressful rather than reassuring.

If your weighing tomorrow, again it's unlikely to help. If he does a big wee or poo beforehand, or it's a different set of scales, or the scales aren't calibrated properly, you won't see a gain.

The amount of gain they are measuring is so tiny it's very, very hard to see a weight gain in anything less than a two week period.

If you hadn't have weighed him, how do you feel it's going?

Rather than faff with top ups etc get some proper, knowledgeable advice. Find a bf clinic, or ask to be referred back to paeds.

Unfortunately, many (if not most) hv, mw and health professionals are woefully uninformed about breastfeeding. They see the scales as an exact measure, when they should be looking at the whole baby. Weight is only one peice of the puzzle.

Have you come across kellymom yet? Some proper advice there :)

Holden10 · 04/06/2015 18:23

He was weighed today and had gained 4.5oz in two days!! But then did (tmi) the mother of all massive, unrelenting, non stop poos from hell that just did not stop coming afterwards so I suspect that will have made him lose weight somewhat. I've seen several bf experts and every time they tell me something totally contradictory to previously. It's really annoying and knocking my confidence every time. I Can't express more than a max of 2 oz per pump session and even that's a rare high. I'm mix feeding mainly now: he gets offered both breasts and takes as much as he likes, and then gets offered formula and takes approx 1oz mostly, if he takes any at all. I just want him to be well fed regardless of how now!

OP posts:
Holden10 · 04/06/2015 18:24

Sorry yes I will have a look at kellymom :) the top ups are just to make sure he's had enough really, not sure how long that'll go on for really.

OP posts:
Micah · 04/06/2015 18:33

Just so you know, they will nearly always take formula after a breastfeed, even if they don't need it :) Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your milk, or supply. You're just offering them the equivalent of a bit of chocolate after a big, filling dinner. It's easy, and nice :).

Ditto expressing, just because you can't express much doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your supply. Expressing is a knack, some people can, some people can't. I had to "train" it, express at the same time every day, and gradually built up to 6 oz or so. If I missed a day I went back to nothing and had to train it up again.

ElphabaTheGreen · 04/06/2015 20:33

Holden How about switch feeding? Rather than offering both breasts, then formula, just put him back on the first side after he's finished the second. There will be milk there and it will help build your supply. It also gets around the expressing and topping up issue.

If you're happy mix feeding, that's fine. This is just a suggestion in case you're still not entirely comfortable with giving formula.

Holden10 · 05/06/2015 12:49

It's like chocolate? I didn't realise. I thought they'd prefer bm. On pps suggestion I've offered one Boob, then the other, then gone back to the first, through the night. I'm finding bfing hard atm though with more cluster feeding happening etc. Might swap to ff entirely soon but feel guilty and like a failure for stopping so early on, it's only day 9!

OP posts:
Elysianfields · 05/06/2015 13:08

OP have a look at this link. No wonder babies feed constantly, their tummies are tiny!
babiesfirstlactation.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/the-newborns-stomach/

gincamelbak · 05/06/2015 15:43

Cluster feeding is totally normal. It's also slightly like being forcibly chained to a tiny tyrant hell bent on draining you.

But! It does get easier. Cluster feeding is what boosts your supply and can often get them ready for sleeping longer.

I don't remember it with DD bit with DS at 3 weeks I was crying with exhaustion where he fed all day and evening then 1am to 5am for the best part of a week. Then he settled a bit more and by wk 4-5 he wasn't feeding all day and was sleeping more.

It's hard to do, breastfeeding. Definitely at first and then at growth spurt stages. But it does get easier as it goes on and now at 17wks it's no problem, hasn't been since wk 5 really.

That said, if you want to switch to ff, there is no reason to feel guilty. If you would feel less anxious about how much your baby is taking in it may help. Ff is perfectly good for a baby. No need to feel guilty at all.

cunchofbunts · 05/06/2015 17:07

OP, it sounds like you're doing fine but you need to have confidence that everything is ok. Your baby is gaining weight and feeding well. If you want to keep on with breastfeeding then ditch the formula and just keep putting baby to boob.

The first few weeks are very hard work but if you can get past Week 8, it's usually a lot easier after that. Just take it one feed at a time.

makeminea6x · 05/06/2015 17:15

2oz is plenty to be expressing at this stage, honestly. Their stomachs are tiny.

ElphabaTheGreen · 05/06/2015 17:38

Breastfeeding is harder in the short term, easier in the longer term.

FFing is easier in the short term, harder in the long term.

They never tell you this in antenatal classes - you just get told how easy BFing is AND NO ONE MENTIONS CLUSTER FEEDING.

I've EBFed two babies now OP and, because of the outrageous effort of the first few weeks, I remain rid-ic-lously proud of myself for having done it. If you can get through this stage, you may be rewarded with an overwhelming sense of achievement.

Or you can swap to FFing and be rewarded with potentially less stress and a bit more sleep if you share feeds.

Either way, it's no biggie, as long as he's fed Smile

Holden10 · 05/06/2015 19:26

Thanks for all the reassurance people I really appreciate it, it's definitely a confidence issue. Today it's been baby to boob at all opportunities and no formula top ups, just back to first boob if need be and normally he does need it. I've no idea if I'm doing the right thing!!!! Either way he is being fed. I've also had a nap and I'm letting dh do nappies etc cos I am knackered from so much feeding!!

OP posts:
PenguinPoser · 05/06/2015 21:02

Holden10 I could have written every one of your posts a few weeks ago. It does get easier! Sounds like you're doing fantastically well!

Holden10 · 06/06/2015 07:16

Thank you I hope so. I've binned ff top ups as every time he has them he pukes and has fountain-like poos!

OP posts:
meringue33 · 06/06/2015 07:31

Sounds like you're d absolutely fantastic, hang on in there Smile

meringue33 · 06/06/2015 07:31

*doing

Holden10 · 06/06/2015 18:16

Thank you! I feel under much pressure from both sides and I can't deal with it on top of everything else

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread