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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Tiktok and any other breastfeeding gurus - I could do with a little advice

30 replies

Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:07

Hello, am b/fing my fourth (now 8 weeks) and therefore should know it all

But am getting a little concerned about ds2. I was saying on a thread the other day that his feeds are very short - 10-15 mins max every three hours (less at night). But in the last couple of days he seems to be feeding even less - often just for five minutes - and seems to be posseting an awful lot of milk. Obviously very difficult to quantify but I would hazard a guess at about 3 tablespoonsful (ie 45ml) after each feed.

He's not sleeping as well as he was either - rather than going for a solid couple of hours he is napping for shorter periods - but still isn't interested in feeding when he wakes! Cries a lot more than he did and is only settled by holding him in the "flying" position IYWKIM! I've got some infacol to see if that helps (my other three had colic) but I'm still a little concerned about the length of his feeds and the amount he is bringing back up.

On the plus side, he is still smiley and producing wet and dirty nappies.

OP posts:
Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:09

Doh - helps if you finish off the post by saying what advice you are after

Basically - could he still be getting enough milk? The only way I could get him to take more would be to wake him during the night to feed (he only wakes once, between four and five), which I am reluctant to do!

(and I've not had him weighed for a while, should I do so?)

OP posts:
Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:18

Anyone?

OP posts:
Psychobabble · 21/09/2007 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

berolina · 21/09/2007 20:21

I'm not a bf guru by any means but I would probably say he's OK (the smiliness and the nappies are strong evidence) - will he efuse point blank to carry on feeding after the five minutes, or take the other breast? Will he be comforted from crying by a bf? Floundering a bit here as had the opposite problem with ds - who was also a dreadful posseter, though - after almost every feed, for a good 6 months. He gained weight slowly but by no means abnormally, and was always healthy and happy.

Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:31

Thank you both - sorry "guru" was a bit of a ironic tongue-in-cheek comment really as people (in RL) keep referring to me as a b/f guru because I'm on my fourth - and I'm just demonstrating that I know nowt!! But that obviously doesn't come across now I read it back !

Yes, he is refusing to go back on the breast after feeding - another part of the problem is that as my milk comes in he chokes on it and cries, then won't go back on (but if I unlatch him when I feel it coming in then he cries and won't latch back on!!). He used to just feed through a "milk spurt" but won't any more.

OP posts:
3Ddonut · 21/09/2007 20:35

Do you think he may have some reflux? just what you were saying about him being happy in the 'flying' position??? Maybe would be an idea to get him weighed...he sounds OK but if you're worried best to put your mind at rest. HTH.....

berolina · 21/09/2007 20:36

Oversupply/'too' fast letdown? (Again, mine would have been the opposite problem, so I don't think I can be much use beyond throwing those thoughts at you).

popsycal · 21/09/2007 20:39

no guru here but have BF ds2 for 2.5 year

If he is having wet and dirty nappies, I woul dtry not to worry. Both of my boys were really irritable babies and fed for short times but often iyswim. Neither of them slept. DS2 still doesnt.

Do you have a baby sling? I found it invaluablre with ds2. Could feed on and off and doze on and off when he wanted.

btw - when did you manage to have a baby with out me noticing

Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:39

Thanks bero and 3D, honestly you are really helping! It's useful to explore different things really. Yes I do think that letdown (that's the word I was struggling for!) is too fast, but not sure what I can do about it, if anything! I'm just sure he is taking less milk though as I seem to be engorged quite a bit today and I would guess my supply should have settled down by now.

OP posts:
popsycal · 21/09/2007 20:40

ds2 had reflux.......he slept well in his car seat due to this - could that give you some respite?

Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:40

I sneak 'em out, popsy

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popsycal · 21/09/2007 20:41

you certainly do!
Was asking for you shopping budgeting thread the other day

berolina · 21/09/2007 20:42

Isn't there some tip about expressing off a bit immediately before feeding to help with fast letdown? Maybe have a look on kellymom.

Spidermama · 21/09/2007 20:43

What colour are his poos?

popsycal · 21/09/2007 20:43

express while feeding with the hair bobble whatsit?

you need kelly mom

Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:45

Sleeping isn't really a problem - he was sleeping for a long period during the day - eg from 12 until 7pm, but I would wake him for for feeds so he never went more than 3 hours without a feed. He would half-wake up, feed sleepily then go back off to sleep easily. At night he sleeps from about 11pm until 8am with one feed between four and five. He's still doing the night thing but is much less settled during the day and evening - instead of sleeping for a long period he is only sleeping for an hour or less, then waking up and crying. But if I hold him in the Superman position he nods off and I can put him down again, so he's not exactly causing me hard work - it's just the change in behaviour that's made me question what's happening and how best to respond to it. I don't think it's reflux because he doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain - just not happy!

OP posts:
Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:47

kellymom - what a good idea (I would like to blame tiredness for not thinking of that first but I don't think I can!! )

Poos - um - generally mustard but there were a couple of green ones, including his last one.

OP posts:
popsycal · 21/09/2007 20:48

poo sounds fine to me

spiritofstlouis · 21/09/2007 20:49

HI- I had issues with a fast letdown for a while (baby pulling off, crying etc) and was advised by another mumsnetter to try feeding with the baby slightly raised above the breast- I prooped him on an extra pillow. This worked wonders- DS was much more chilled out when feeding and the letdown stopped being so ferocious after a while.

popsycal · 21/09/2007 20:50

Feed him sitting him up
stick his matress raised....

Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:51

Oooh that's a good idea spirit - in fact (lightbulb moment) - he never has a problem with letdown when I am feeding lying down. Now why didn't I think of that before?!?!?!?

Are green poos ok really?

OP posts:
Spidermama · 21/09/2007 20:51

As long as they're generally mustard a few green ones are fine. It sounds to me like it's all fine. The problem with BFing is you can't see how much they're getting down so when they bring lots back up it seems like there can't be enough going dcown. But clearly if he's pooing he's getting plenty.

Some BF babies only poo once a week and even that's OK as long as you're getting plenty of wet nappies.

I've found with each baby my production has got more and more efficient and they seem to get what they need in a very short space of time.

Well done you by the way.

Original poster
Miaou · 21/09/2007 20:59

thanks spidey!

Just read this page about forceful let-down - and ds does every one of those bullet points!! I have read all the advice and will try the positioning thing and see if that helps. I think you are spot on about the feeding becoming more "efficient" spidermama - I really struggled to feed dd2 (my second) so don't think of myself as someone with abundant supplies of milk - but I think I might be wrong!

OP posts:
Spidermama · 21/09/2007 21:01

I remember with my fourth thinking, 'Oh great! He wants a feed so it's a chance for me to sit down finally' then being disappointed when it was over in minutes.

There was no question of him not getting enough. He's always been comically massive. In fact the nurse referred him for a check up to check for gigantism.

popsycal · 21/09/2007 21:03

i started athread way back in march or april 2005 about forceful let diwn
does he make little screechng noise while feeding?
ds2 was way better lying down and could just chill out and drift off when he felt like it

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