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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

does this sound normal for a brand new baby?

40 replies

StepfauxWife · 24/03/2016 03:36

I had an amazing DD this morning! She is beautiful.

She has been dozing all day - we tried a breastfeed and she latched successfully on both sides but fell asleep after 6 or so sucks. This continued all day and now she is waking every half an hour and screaming blue murder! I'm guessing she is hungry - every time I get her to latch (not easy as I have to calm her down first), she sucks for a bit and then falls asleep. I've tried tickling her cheek to keep her going but it doesn't work.

Is this normal? I had a total disaster breastfeeding my eldest DD so have no clue.

She has been asleep on me all night and I'm so tired. I've tried to put her in a cot and she's having none of it. I haven't slept since Tuesday morning and these after pains are awful!

Help!

OP posts:
CheerfulYank · 24/03/2016 03:47

Oh congratulations! What's her name?! So lovely!

Yes I think it's normal :) Your milk won't really be in yet, she's exhausted and has a very teeny tummy. I wouldn't worry unless her weight drops and the Dr worries.

CheerfulYank · 24/03/2016 03:48

Will they take her to the nursery for a bit so you can sleep? Or do they not do that there?

Sometimesithinkimbonkers · 24/03/2016 03:57

Try tickling feet too and not having so wrapped up and snugly when feeding. Tummy is tiny and she's only having colostrum so don't stress. Wet nappies are your indication everything is going well!!! Congratulations!!

Original poster
StepfauxWife · 24/03/2016 04:18

Thanks so much for the responses! I forget how lonely these twilight hours are.

We're actually back home now so no option of her going to the nursery.. I'll try the tickling feet thing.

Otherwise I'll resign myself to yet another night of no sleep! I'm so keen to get feeding established. Perhaps it's worth letting her get some good sleep, even if that's on me, so that when she wakes,she can have a proper feed.

OP posts:
Laquila · 24/03/2016 04:20

Lovely, congrats 😃

If you want to try and establish bf then don't let them take her to the nursery, If they even have one. Tbh it sounds normal - she's so little that she probably can't fit much in her tummy anyway at the moment. So you syrup her down to her nappy before a feed? Sometimes that can help to keep them awake. Was she born at full term and dos you have a vagibal birth? If not then that can sometimes mean your milk takes a bit longer to come in.

My son was given two won't formula top-ups in hospital as he was just too sleepy to latch on again after his first feed from me. I made sure that we did as much skin to skin as we could and I offered him the breast as much as possible. He hasn't had any formula since and is a champion breastfeeder! Good luck and well done so far.

Laquila · 24/03/2016 04:21

Syrup = strip!!

Tootsiepops · 24/03/2016 04:43

My daughter (now 17 weeks) did the same. Midwife said to strip her down to her nappy and tickle her feet to keep her awake. It worked!

FitLikeQuine79 · 24/03/2016 05:03

Agree with PP, she's probably too warm and is falling asleep thanks to the sweet milk and cuddles with you. Her stomach is only the size of a cherry so doesn't take much to fill. My DD2 who is now 5 weeks old refused to be put down too and I ended up, against all advice, letting her sleep on my chest with no loose clothing or duvet etc around as I couldn't stay awake. I found putting a t-shirt that smelled of me in her cot helped and once my milk came in it was easier to get her tanked up and milk drunk and in her cot. Good luck and congratulations.

outputgap · 24/03/2016 05:37

My two did exactly this. I did stripping down to nappy, tickling, picking up like a doll, blowing on their faces, squeezing their feet (?!). I found it so stressful. Both times I didn't feel it was better until my milk came in. With dc1 I gave several formula top ups because my milk took so long and she was obviously hungry (and her weight was falling too much it turned out). We used cups so she wouldn't get nipple confusion.

I wouldn't let a new baby sleep through the night again like I did as a first time mum. I think that made it worse. My two both had jaundice which contributed to the sleepiness I guess.

I'm just about to have dc3 and I'm already dreading the first few days of feeding. Once that's over though, it's so so much easier.

Did they give you any painkillers for the after pains?

Original poster
StepfauxWife · 24/03/2016 06:52

Thanks so much all. I'm really struggling to stay awake now! The latch is getting quite a bit worse too.

I'm wondering whether to express enough colostrum/milk to getDD2 to sleep or a bit?

OP posts:
WellErrr · 24/03/2016 06:58

Yep, totally normal.
Strip down to nappy and put her on the boob every time she stirs. Your milk will be in soon and then it will all get better! But the more she feeds, the quicker it will be stimulated to come in.

Use Lansinoh on your nipples to help stay more comfortable.

Re the latch - is your midwife coming today? Until then, videos on YouTube can be really useful!

You're doing great! Keep on boobing! Flowers

captainproton · 24/03/2016 07:01

I know you're exhausted but in those early days you should really not let a sleepy BF baby go more than 3 hours between feeds. It's very hard work but it doesn't last forever. Strip baby to nappy, use a cold flannel on skin. Sometimes babies born s bit early or had trauma can get jaundiced and they need to poo that bilirubin out. You need to be checking for plenty of wet nappies and dirty nappies. This is how you know your baby is feeding well. If nappies are dry and baby is still sleepy and finding it too hard to suck then you need to inform your midwife for help. Letting them sleep is not the answer, unfortunately it makes it worse.

Yukky · 24/03/2016 07:07

Loads of skin to skin (is you atrip down to pants, her down to nappy) and if you can, stay in bed with her doing nothing but being ready to feed and getting up to go to the loo (easier said than done with another DC about too). If you can make sure she's feeding every 2 hours, that should keep your milk stimulated and her topped up. Exhausting but only for a day or so.

After-pains 2nd time are far worse.

Congrats by the way too, you've got this, you can totally do it Flowers

Yukky · 24/03/2016 07:09

I used to squeeze a bit out to lure Hmm DC on. Seemed to work. Latch was excruciating for the first two weeks but then my nips toughened up and they got better at it.

dannydyerismydad · 24/03/2016 07:35

You're still under midwife care until your baby is 10 days old. Please give your community midwife a call and ask her to come out to help you.

Newborns are sleepy, feeds can be frequent, but you say you're getting sore, which can be an indication that the latch isn't quite right. This will be uncomfortable for you and cold be making feeding hard work for your baby.

Try to ensure her head is tipped far back as she latches to encourage the wide open mouth. The wider the mouth, the deeper the nipple goes into the mouth and away from the gums/hard palette. Your baby will also get a more satisfying feed.

If she gets dozy you could try stroking with a firm, flat hand from your shoulder and down your breast. This will send another wave of milk which may start her sucking swallowing pattern again.

Hang in there. Night times are the hardest.

mrsjskelton · 24/03/2016 07:42

They are very sleep in the first day - think about what they've been through! Tickling feet can help too or blowing on their head as they feed.

Congratulation Thanks

QueenC · 24/03/2016 08:01

Congratulations. Totally normal. With dd1 I had to feed her naked, tickle her and splash with cold water to wake her up!!

Original poster
StepfauxWife · 24/03/2016 09:17

Thanks all for your continued responses.

A midwife should be coming today so I'll raise it. I tried the no clothes thing and she fed for about four minutes which was the longest all night. She then had a wee and poo and was alert for a bit (while DD1 fawned all over her).

We had the same again a couple of hours later - sucking nine or ten times and then falling asleep.

The midwife is coming later so I'll chat it through.

I can't have another night like last night!

OP posts:
WellErrr · 24/03/2016 10:18

They won't all be like that.

The nights between birth and milk coming in are the worst, and this is when most people give up. But it WILL NOT BE FOREVER.

Did you have a section or lots of drugs? I had sections and mine were always sleepy for a few days after.

Original poster
StepfauxWife · 24/03/2016 10:52

Birth was a normal delivery, no drugs. Labour was about 3.5 hours long so pretty fast which might explain the sleepiness?

OP posts:
Original poster
StepfauxWife · 24/03/2016 15:16

By way of update, I've had some help with the feeding this afternoon and DD fed for about 10 minutes on one boob and 15 on the other. And is now sound asleep in her crib. Result! I think the issue was latch related.

Let's hope I can replicate it on my own for the next feed.

OP posts:
WellErrr · 24/03/2016 15:24

Fantastic!! Well done Flowers

Yukky · 24/03/2016 18:54

Well done you. Hope you've managed to get some rest. Good luck tonight!

Original poster
StepfauxWife · 24/03/2016 20:25

Thank you all so very much! She was still sleepy after that feed but managed ten minutes on each side and is now sparko again.

As long as she is capable of actually feeding beyond the initial six/seven sucks, I'm relatively relaxed. She is weeing and pooing and no signs of dehydration.

Fingers crossed for tonight...

OP posts:
WellErrr · 24/03/2016 21:01

You're doing brilliantly Flowers Cake

These first few days are the toughest, but you're totally doing it. You're giving your baby a brilliant start, you should be really proud of yourself xx

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