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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

How often should a newborn baby feed?

53 replies

asampras · 21/03/2007 14:57

Struggling breast feeding my 5 day old ( i know i know its still early days) but i am going frantic because she had her last good feed at 04:30 and then 20 mins at 11:20am. She's a bit jaundiced which is supposed to make her sleepy so i sat her by a sunny window, i have taken her right down to the nappy to get her to wake up, i try waking her up to feed, i try to feed her after a nappy change and later after a bath. She just won't stay awake. I'm worried this is because she hasn't eaten. She'll latch on half heartedly a break away and cry until she goes hysterical. She did the same Monday, yesterday she fed every 2 hours for 10 mins. I'm close to giving up and frantic she's not eating!!! HELP!!

OP posts:

tiktok · 21/03/2007 15:23

Correction: co-bathing is good!! You need another person around, obv.

gegs73 · 21/03/2007 15:23

Hi asampras, my ds was like this when he was born for a good few days. He just seemed to sleep all the time and didn't wake for feeds, even with skin to skin contact, putting him naked on a cold changing mat, splashing water on him etc. Don't think midwives quite believed me or thought my latch was wrong etc, but when they came to see us their comment was 'Oh he is sleepy isn't he! Doh!!!'

From memory he went a good 3/4 days without a substantial feed. Please try to contact your midwife again from the hospital. I called mine and we had one visit us every day for 2 weeks to monitor the situation. He did feed eventually and suffered no ill effects though he was on the verge of having to go back to hospital for jaundice treatment(lights sorry can't remember what it is called) but had a feed before they put him in which made his blood levels OK. They did tell me to put him in daylight as much as possible which helped with jaundice.

We tried him with a bottle of formula milk to see if my breast milk was the problem, but he wasn't interested in that either. If you are worried I would be inclined to offer your dd a bottle to see if this does make any difference, but could just be they are sleepy from the birth.

Hope this long rambling post is of interest.

cadburycremesquonk · 21/03/2007 15:24

That's a very good sign, yes, it means that she is healthy. I bet her eyes are nice and bright as well, aren't they?

Try not to worry too much. Ring someone for some practical advice.

Do you have someone who can come round and hold your hand for an hour or so?

kks · 21/03/2007 15:24

whats not appropriate?

MaeWest · 21/03/2007 15:25

I wish my midwife had been a bit more supportive about ways to encourage DS to feed more (was also sleepy and jaundiced). We had a really stressful time, but it is possible to pull through, just concentrate on holding your baby and feeding her any time she roots at all. DS didn't really cry for feeds for example.

Hope you get the support you need You can do this, great advice on this thread, but think you need RL support as well.

tiktok · 21/03/2007 15:25

Doh at dble post.....

asampras, yay for the soft yellow poos!!!

The colour shows milk is no longer colostrum - shows your milk has come in and she is receiving it! The amount is good, too, and shows she is getting good quantities.

maisiemog · 21/03/2007 15:28

Hi aspampras, congratulations on your new baby!!
I know how you feel, my ds was very jaundiced as well and he slept and slept.
Can you leave a message with your midwives just so you know they will call you back. My midwives and HV's both seem to have an answer machine on all the time, but they do always call back.
It could be that your DD is a really good feeder and is getting all she needs from the feeds she is having.
You didn't say how big she was at birth and whether she was full-term. I have known some bigger babies that have always slept longer and be fine, lots of chub I suppose and a bigger tummy?? Not sure.
On the plus side, at least she is latching on, my ds wouldn't and I had to express every three hours day and night for the first month just about.
When he did start latching on, I found that doing a little bit of breast massage and expressing by hand just a tiny bit helped him a bit. Not sure if my let-down was particularly fast, plus I was probably pretty tense.
I don't think expressing is normally recommended until after the first few weeks, unless you have to (like me) to keep the milk supply up.
I don't know what TikTok thinks, but I wonder if it would be worth using a hand pump whilst she is sleeping, just to keep things going - not that I'm suggesting you aren't fine. It's handy to have a bit of ebm handy sometimes anyway.
I used to strip off my ds, like you, to keep him awake, and tickle his feet and blow gently on his face, just to keep him going.
Oh and I did the babymoon thing, in bed skin to skin and took baths with my little boy, to help him to feed.
He's 29 months now and still bfing, so he did get the hang of it.
For some reason I have a picture of Pete Sampras in my head whilst I'm replying, must be your name.

tiktok · 21/03/2007 15:28

kks, if someone posts and asks for help with a breastfeeding difficulty and how to resolve it, and is going 'frantic' (her words) - do you really think she wants to read an implication she can 'resolve' it by stopping breastfeeding?

Sharing that experience is fine, but not on a 'help me with breastfeeding' thread....

Original poster

asampras · 21/03/2007 15:30

my husband's been amazing support, so much so i'm dreading him going back to work on Monday. He trys to help me latch her on, he gives words of encouragement and lots of hugs and kisses. But really helps to read the advice and support of other mothers on here - makes me feel less alone!

OP posts:

tiktok · 21/03/2007 15:31

I've been thinking 'tennis' , too, maisie

I think the idea of expressing when baby sleeps can be useful, but it's a hassle and I don't think the situation needs that sort of intervention at the moment....it's more (as you imply) for when things are very slow and unproductive over time.

cadburycremesquonk · 21/03/2007 15:31

You are not alone. And we'll all be here on Monday

kks · 21/03/2007 15:34

I know what your saying but alot of people i know and know of had to stop breastfeeding and go to formular because their baby didn't get enough off the breast or weren't gaining weight. I know giving it up seems like they have 'failed' to some respect. I wasn't suggesting she give up breastfeeding.

maisiemog · 21/03/2007 15:34

That's great new asampras (who would have thought you would be pleased with poo )I had posted whilst you were posting.
Keep it up, you're doing a great job there.

maisiemog · 21/03/2007 15:39

Yes we will be here. I was really lucky with my DP, he was sooo supportive, and it really helps. Although I think you are doing a lot better than I was. Which is good!
But there will be lots of support here when you need it.
And make the most of getting lots of sleep - it may not continue.....

margo1974 · 21/03/2007 15:40

OOh yes Maisemog reminded me...

When I had DD1 one of the staff showed me how to massage the breast so that there is milk present. You sweep from the outside of your breast in towards your nipple. This may help her show some interest

(Hope this description is clear enough for you to understand)

Please tell me if I'm throwing too much information at you - one piece of advice though, listen especially to Tiktok, she has great advice for b/f mums (sorry Tiktok, I don't mean to embarrass you, but it's true)

Original poster

asampras · 21/03/2007 15:41

Maisiemog - i had a school girl crush on Pete Sampras :0

OP posts:

Pruni · 21/03/2007 15:43

Message withdrawn

cadburycremesquonk · 21/03/2007 15:44

asampras - you are doing absolutely fine. Do not let it overshadow the first few days of having your little one. As long as the poos and wees keep coming, just enjoy your beautiful girl.

Original poster

asampras · 21/03/2007 15:46

i do leak a lot when i've been trying to feed her, could that be why she unlatches - my let down is too fast? (or not fast enough?!)

OP posts:

margo1974 · 21/03/2007 15:56

Kks - sometimes the worry of not gaining enough weight has to do with the weight charts being biased towards formula fed babaies. It causes mums a lot of unneccessary worry and I believe that the WHO charts which show typical weight gain in ex. b/f babies should be put in the red books also. This will save a lot of Mums giving up because they don't think they are supplying enough milk for thier babies.

Anyway I am sure that is another debate which should be saved for another thread

BTW I am not anti f/f but believe that a lot of mums would like to b/f but give up because of a lack of support

tiktok · 21/03/2007 16:05

asampras, leaking does happen in the early days, and some babies take time to cope with a generous supply...she's just learning and she will get there soon

Original poster

asampras · 21/03/2007 20:22

Just an update, encouraged by what everyone saying, i took down the numbers that were given to me, and decided to try my health visitor first. She said that it was really a mid wife matter but would come round anyway. She visited and saw what was happening when i was trying to breast feed and said i was doing everything right. She called the community midwives for me and spoke to them for me because i couldn't describe the problems coherently without crying. The midwife she spoke to offered to come round on her way home. She arrived about 30 mins later and stayed with me for nearly 2 hours giving me some really good tips and building my confidence. She was really brilliant and baby got lots and lots of milk. The midwife said she was a bit jittery - an indication she has low blood sugar from lack of food. I feel much better now. She is going to get someone to come out and see me tomorrow to check how i'm doing and how things were overnight. The health visitor is going to call me to check everything is okay and has advised me of a breast feeding clinic on Friday morning. Thanks to you all there is a contented well fed baby and a relieved and happy mother! :O

OP posts:

CadburyCremeSquonk · 21/03/2007 20:23

fantastic news. Well done.

MaeWest · 21/03/2007 20:27

Great news Glad you're feeling more confident.

jules44 · 21/03/2007 20:50

Firstly asampras well done for trying breastfeeding!!

The first few weeks are hell and very worrying, but in a few more weeks you will look back smile and be glad you carried on.

I breastfed my son now 12 years and am now breastfeeding my daughter of 13 weeks, both times i was close to giving up, the latchin on, constant feeding and worrying how much their taking really takes it toll.

But im happy to say i can do it now with my eyes closed!!

it just takes a liitle practice and patients, but im sure it will get easier.

If your demand feeding your baby will be getting enough, in the first few weeks i was forever shoving my breast in my baby's mouth!!!

She was 7lb 14oz at birth and now at 13weeks weighs 15lb 12oz, so im sure she's getting enuf!!!!!

things have settled nicely now, i feed her every 2-3 hours during the day, she would go longer but it helps the nightime feeds stretch out to 4-hours if im lucky!!!

Don't know if that helps, but good luck anyway and even if you do go on to formula you have still given your baby the best start
xxx

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