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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

3 days old non stop breast

28 replies

Lwarnock · 29/09/2017 00:43

Hi, my little boy has been feeding all day in a pattern on twenty minute feeds every two hours. Then all of a sudden from 10pm, he cannot settle at all in his moses basket and wants the breast (rooting, sucking hands, then crying). When I attach him, he takes several big gulps and I can hear him swallow before he falls asleep quite content.
I put him in the moses basket as he's asleep but the cycle stsrrs all over again. Help, please!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Lwarnock · 29/09/2017 00:44

He is 3 days old

OP posts:
PotteringAlong · 29/09/2017 00:49

Congratulations Flowers

It all sounds completely normal - his stomach is tiny and 3 days ago he was part of you; warm and cosy and not wanting to be separated from you to be put down isn't unusual. Remember he doesn't know the difference between night and day yet either.

It's really hard, and I didn't want you to go unanswered. I promise that it does get easier. Have you got someone with you who can, if needed, hold your DS so you can sleep?

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 29/09/2017 00:52

Ime that's totally normal. You may find once your milk comes in it settles down a bit. Or he may just want to be close to you - might be worth Googling "fourth trimester"??

You may want to try feeding lying down so you can doze? Not on a sofa and if you're on your bed you should follow safe co-sleeping guidelines even if you're not planning to sleep together.

Congratulations on your new baby Flowers

silkybear · 29/09/2017 00:56

Sounds like normal 'cluster' feeding. It wont be like this forever, but they do this in the first few days to stimulate your supply. it is exhausting but it will pass. if you have a partner or friends/family around delegate everything else to them for a few days. Once your supply is established they calm down and feed less but its totally normal. I remember crying at 3am to my dh that dd would not stop feeding and I didnt have a clue it was supposed to be like that at first. Good luck and check out the kellymom.com website for excellent breastfeeding advice if you are struggling, as well as here Wink

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 29/09/2017 01:02

It was so bad and such a shock for my sil, when the same thing happened to her, that she rang me sobbing. It did get better. It does get better.

She never rings me.

Xanadu44 · 29/09/2017 01:23

This is totally normal. My DD is three months old and this was basically her first few weeks. She just wanted to feed all the time! The good news is she slept through from 7 weeks and still feeds loads but much less than at the start and you get used to it. Once your milk comes through it will get easier too. Congratulations and good luck! Xx

PotteringAlong · 29/09/2017 07:38

How are you this morning?

silkybear · 29/09/2017 11:55

it really pisses me off that nobody tells you about cluster feeding or the norms of bfing until you are sobbing with bleeding nips at 3am. i really dispair at the lack of education we are given. i was so clueless about it when i started even though i was determined to feed and thought i had done a decent amount of research Sad

LapinR0se · 29/09/2017 11:56

I kept waking the baby until I thought she'd had a decent feed, and then she did decent stretches. Otherwise it's a 24hr snack n snooze.

Rocketbuddies · 29/09/2017 11:58

Completely normal. At one point my DD would spend 30 minutes at the breast every hour!

It does seem a bit relentless at first but it is so worthwhile carrying on. I found it became easier at about 6 weeks and by 6 months it was a quick 5-10 minute feed every 4 hours whilst my bottle feeding friends were having to sterilise bottles, boil kettle make them up etc.

Rocketbuddies · 29/09/2017 12:00

I agree silky I gave up BF DC1 at 6 weeks as it was so relentless and I genuinely thought my breast milk wasn't enough for him as he was feeding so much!

DC2 I knew what to expect and still going 14 months later but no one ever really tells you that they are almost permanently latched on for a good while after the birth and a reason why so little babies are breastfed by 6 months!

Original poster
Lwarnock · 29/09/2017 12:18

Thank you so much for all this advice! I feel so much better. My milk had come in this morning and now he is feeding for a few minutes on each side, sleeping for an hour and repeating.
Hopefully that is now okay?
I think I need to express some as they are huge!

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ScarletBegonia1234 · 29/09/2017 12:24

Great news! Try and avoid expressing if you can as it tricks your body into producing even more milk and makes it worse tomorrow!, if you are really uncomfortable then just express a little by hand until you feel a bit better

Original poster
Lwarnock · 29/09/2017 14:41

I'll avoid it then as he is still latching on okay- lots of little feeds is keeping them soft, despite their size!

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PotteringAlong · 29/09/2017 14:42

The huge boob thing will settle down soon Flowers

TiramisuQueenoftheFaeries · 29/09/2017 14:45

Sounds like you're doing great - it is super normal for baby to cluster feed on day 3 to help the mature milk come in, and periodically thereafter. If baby is getting very sleepy during a feed it's worth trying to keep them awake til they've taken a decent amount - strip them down, tickle feet, blow on their faces etc. Otherwise just roll with it. Settle in with a box set or feed on your side in bed and just doze.

Original poster
Lwarnock · 29/09/2017 17:15

Thanks :) I am happy with a box set (finished a mini series already) but I will try the techniques if it does get too much again!

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dippypanda · 29/09/2017 18:31

Hi @Lwarnock congratulations and here for a handhold Flowers

My Dc2 is 7 days old so just a few days ahead of you. I couldn't bf my first due to various medical issues but I've given it a go again with my second and it's been a lot easier this time round, though the cluster feeding was a bit of a shock! Doesn't help that he is also had a bit of a cold.

My bf counsellor said it was completely normal and that over the next few weeks we'll have a few days where this will happen.

The next one is between 7-10 days apparently, so I feel a bit more prepared knowing when they might occur.

Original poster
Lwarnock · 29/09/2017 19:06

Hi @dippypanda. I have just had to express 15ml from each breast to allow him to latch on- they were so hard and full! I am now worried tomorrow will be even worse.
Would like to express and feed with a bottle half and half as my partner would love to feed him and would be able to do 1 night feed.

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LapinR0se · 29/09/2017 19:09

You can hand express a bit off before feeds, it will take the hardness out of your boobs but won't stimulate production too much.

TiramisuQueenoftheFaeries · 29/09/2017 20:50

I'll be honest, expressing is a bit of a faff to go through - you'll still have to pump when you would normally be feeding (esp in the early days when your supply is establishing itself and night feeds are crucial) and a lot of effort to go to to involve your partner. There is also the risk - doesn't happen with all babies by any means but it does happen - that introducing a bottle in the early days leads to a bottle preference. It's generally easier just to do boob in the early days and partner can support through doing everything else: nappies, winding, settling, bathing. Your call, but it might be worth leaving it 3-4 weeks before you introduce bottles and expressing.

BertieBotts · 29/09/2017 20:54

It's okay to express a little bit to soften them, just don't empty the breast unless you're trying to increase milk production.

Don't worry, the enormous boobs do go down. A newborn nappy, wet (with water!) and frozen is nice and cooling, and savoy cabbage leaves are supposed to help too but you do end up smelling like a school dinner.

It's fine to mixed feed but it would be best to hold on a few weeks if you can because it can mess with establishing supply. A good way to get your partner to help at night in the early days without compromising BF would be to take shifts and during his shift, he brings the baby to you in bed, you feed dozingly lying down and then he immediately takes him to settle him for you.

User0ne · 30/09/2017 08:01

If your boobs get really sore again have a warm-hot bath/shower or fill a sink and dunk them in. OK it doesn't look pretty and you'll feel a bit silly but it does work; 10-15 mins should do it.

I second not expressing if at all possible - the engorgement is due to extra blood circulation (to support milk production) rather than excess milk so you shouldn't need to express more than a few ml to relieve it.

Original poster
Lwarnock · 30/09/2017 10:11

Thanks everyone. I ended up pumping until the milk came out in a little dribble and he latched straight away every time. I do feel like moving onto formula milk to be honest because the nights are so hard to do on my own.

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Rocketbuddies · 30/09/2017 10:14

It is completely your choice but in my opinion a lot of the time once you introduce a bottle this early it can make things difficult and baby can cause issues, my 1st child I gave in and he started preferring the bottle and stopped BF at 8 weeks, ideally wait until around 6 weeks to introduce a bottle when they are well established.

Formula milk cannot give your baby the health benefits of breast milk.