Breastfeeding help

[alicelake]

My DD 2 is one week old tomorrow. Have exclusively breastfed til now but I'm finding it so hard, she's literally never off the breast and if I put her down after she's fallen asleep on it she will scream for more. Nights are worse, there's never more than an hour where she's off the breast. And now I have mastitis in my left breast. I also feel so guilty as DD1 (3) never has a minute of my time, she asked me to do a puzzle with her today and I couldn't finish it. She cried for a cuddle at bed time and I couldn't give her one on one. Please tell me it gets easier I am so so close to giving up.

If she is never off the breast, the first thing to check is if milk transfer is happening on - how are the nappies? Try weighing a dry nappy and a wet one and counting/estimating wet ones if you are unsure. Any signs of dehydration? Weight gain ok?
If all that is ok then she might just be a demanding baby and want to be next to you - is she happy when snuggled up to your chest under your chin not feeding? If so a nice tight high sling might help - swaddles and comforts and keeps close so you have hands free.

If milk transfer is not ok - are you getting sore? What shape are your nipples after feeding? Is baby getting a good mouthful of breast?

She's getting plenty of milk, she has loads of wet nappies and was weighed yesterday and mw said she's doing fine. She was a bit jaundice but it's going now. That's all she does, soon as she's at the breast she falls asleep and quite happy would sleep on me for hours. Originally I did have a poor latch, causing a scabby left nipple. Which I then avoided using and now have mastitis. She is getting a good mouthful, I just feel like she's either always hungry or just clingy.

Some babies are very vocal about getting their fourth trimester

Try to feed from the mastitis side as much as possible - it will really help - just be very careful to get a good latch.

It's normal for them to feed constantly at first - it will settle down. If she's falling asleep before finishing a feed - then waking for more - you could try keeping her awake by tickling her feet or undressing her a bit so she feeds longer?

kellymom.com/hot-topics/newborn-nursing/. This website is the best I find - hope it helps :)

kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/mastitis/

I've tried tickling her and keeping her awake, it doesn't seem to work. I just feel at a wits end. It's definitely mastitis, mw checked last night and I have to go to gp Monday! I don't know what to do

Is there anyone else around who can take her for an hour while you do other things? She won't expire, and she might be happy to snuggle with another person?

It IS pretty much a full time job at this point, but it will improve (aside from the early growth spurts).

I'm right with you btw, my second son is a few days old, and my first is three too. He's happy to have me able to pick him up again, but less pleased that I'm spending quite so much time under the new baby.

I don't have any advice, I just wanted to say my little one is 13 days old and I could have written this post myself. Also finding things sooo hard and have mastitis in left breast. Hoping it passes soon as it's really caused my milk supply to drop. I was breastfeeding today for 5 hours and only got a break after dp pushed her in pram until she fell asleep for an hour.
They say it gets easier I hope so bad it does, I can't do this much longer.

New Mum to 4 week old DD here. I've been through the mill breast feeding with a tongue tie baby. Since 7 days her feeds have been anywhere between 2-6 hours. Just had the snip 2 days ago and not only have we hit another growth spurt, she's also having to relearn how to use her tongue, so we haven't slept more than an hour in 2 days.
I don't have another DC to worry about so I won't pretend to understand the extra pressure you're under.
However the more you feed/pump from mastitis side, the quicker it will go especially combined with antibiotics.
The first 6 weeks are apparently a best constant cycle of cluster feeding and growth spurts...I've found accepting that as the norm makes it easier. And bizarrely any quick feeds make me worry!!

Second the Kelly mom website, it really helped explain what the heck was going on! You've said she's doing plenty of wet nappies, good weight gain etc so I'd say she's using you as a dummy (I've been a dummy before it's quite exhausting!). You really are doing great, these are the "darkest" hours and they do pass. With your dd1, I know how that feels, heartbreaking at times, but I found giving my dd1 little helpful jobs like bringing a nappy made her feel more involved especially with my a little bit over the top praise and managing to turn it into little games and how baby sister kept saying "thank you". Just get through a minute at a time, as dd2 becomes even more efficient at extracting milk you'll find it gets easier. Don't put pressure on yourself, easier said than done I know!

Can you go to a walk in clinic tomorrow for antibiotics?

Sorry I forgot the mastitis! It's true you are encouraged to try and carry on feeding from that side although it's probably the last thing you feel like doing but I've heard from mums that have had it and waiting to get to the doctors that cold red cabbage leaves give some relief until then, I don't know how this works but I've put it out there!

Get a good nursing pillow or sling/carrier and get used to reading books/doing puzzles with one hand. Six weeks and it may settle down though she may then be well into a growth spurt.
Mastitis, feed feed feed and hot bath with hot flannel and lean forward to hand express.

It doesn't last forever! And night feeding is establishing milk x

I've had mastitis several times (2 tongue tied babies). I've only needed ABs once when I started producing pus and blood not milk. The best thing is to feed feed feed from that side, massaging from the lump towards the nipple and dangle feed. And rest!
It is hard but I always think these early weeks are worth it for the montgs ahead where you don't need to be getting up to do bottles, no sterilising etc etc.

Hot/warm shower for a good 10 minutes or more massaging out any lumps. It does take a while to just keep going over the lump, but then you get the blockage causing the problem and the relief!

In the beginning it is so hard! There are so many growth spurts close together:

7-10 days is the first growth spurt, followed by 2-3 weeks, and then 4-6 weeks - so it feels like it is constant, because it is.

Congratulations on your little one

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