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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Baby bf irregularly - should I express in between feeds?

17 replies

Mumpbump · 07/10/2007 21:08

Any thoughts welcome! Ds2 is about 2.5 weeks old. He hasn't taken to bf fantastically well and fusses for quite a while before latching on properly. He sleeps for pretty much the whole day and night - not jaundiced or anything though - and goes for long spells without feeding and then feeds frequently for two or three hours. I am worried that the irregular pattern of feeding will adversely affect my milk supply and he seems to get quite distressed at times. My breasts never get really engorged, but not sure if that is because he is a second baby. I had problems with ds1 in that my let-down reflex was very fast, but feel as though there just isn't enough milk.

So I have two questions:

Firstly, does anyone know if an irregular feeding makes any difference to your milk supply or if your body will simply know when more is needed?

Secondly, I am thinking of expressing between feeds to try to increase my milk supply. Is this a good idea or will it mean that there is even less milk when he does need it?

Might not be able to log in for a couple of days, but any help appreciated...

OP posts:

Bloodsuckingmissyhols · 07/10/2007 21:15

First congrats! I'm not bf this time but with dd1 when i did express my milk tended to be quite watery. Does he settle well? I would think that He's getting what he needs. Sorry can't help much. I'm sure someone will be bit better!

Original poster

Mumpbump · 07/10/2007 21:39

Thanks. I am going to take him to be weighed on Tuesday, so I guess that will show whether he is gaining weight properly or not...

OP posts:

fingerwoman · 07/10/2007 21:42

how long does he go in between feeds? there is absolutely no problem with demand feeding, and the more he has the more you will produce- so his cluster feeding shouldn't be a problem at all.
if he is content, and pooing and weeing ok then I really wouldn't worry.

Bloodsuckingmissyhols · 07/10/2007 21:43

Yeah thats best way you'll see if He's getting what he needs but to be honest i would think that if He's content then he is. Your demand feeding so he basically will pick and choose when he wants it. I found that difficult to tell whether dd got enough too.

anneme · 07/10/2007 22:03

Congrats! Both my DS have not been particularly regular in their feeding and have been fine - my feeling being that as long as I am prepared to feed as and when necc then they are OK. I agree that as long as weight/weeing/pooing is ok then you do not need to worry.
Are you eating/drinking enough? DS2 (19wks) was a bit fratchetty the other day and so I upped my intake of chocolate (I am so giving!) fruit and water and it did seem to make a difference so that is worth trying.
If you do decide to express then that should not have an effect on your milk supply because your body willjust produce more I think

fingerwoman · 07/10/2007 22:08

just wanted to add- I also had a v. sleepy baby and you can get into a bit of a vicious circle with them getting sleepy because they aren't feeding enough and then not feeding enough because they're asleep.
so I would recommend feeding at least every 4 hours if he is going longer than that between feeds.

anneme · 07/10/2007 22:35

good point - I was told that it was worth waking them if they went too long (ie more than 4 hours in day time)

beautifulboobs · 07/10/2007 22:54

Hi. I'm on 2nd baby too (4 months), and am just weaning mini he onto bottles now. From what i've read and practiced with both kids(contented little baby and Baby whisperer,) a routine is a really good basis to work from. babies need 2 and a half to 3 hours to digest a breast feed and 3 hours for a bottle feed, so maybe that's a factor with him fussing. is there enough time between feeds, and is he maybe still digesting the last one, or have you left too long in between feeds that he's actually ravenous? He's still teeny tiny, though, so check with your health visitor and see that he's gaining enough weight, which is the best indicator. I woke my kids up for a feed every 3 hours to start with, and then as they grew, that naturally stretched to 4 hours. I think it takes about an hour for the breast to refill,but if little one is snacking, he may just be getting the thirst quenching fore milk which looks watery and not the rich creamy weight gaining hind milk.If he's on your boob for 2 or 3 hours, he may be comfort sucking. You know yourself that great sound of a swallowing baby. Check after 20 mins, if you can't still hear that, and maybe pull him off to check. If the milk looks creamy, you know he's reached the hind milk, so leave him on til there's no milk when you squeeze your breast. If you do decide to express, always express an oz or so BEFORE he gets on the breast, rather then when he's finished, because pumping your breast won't increase your supply, it'll actually decrease it if you do it at the end of the feed..his feeding and stimulating the breast will increase the supply. If you express BEFORE he drinks, there is less in your breast, he sucks harder at the end and tells your breast it needs to produce more. I made the mistake of thinking I'd just express in between, and my milk supply went right down. I hope this helps, and if I come across like I'm teaching my granny how to suck eggs I'm really sorry!

moondog · 07/10/2007 22:59

I'm sorry beautiful boobs but you are talking a lot of nonsense,however well meaning you are trying to be.

With tiny babies,they need to feed whenever and wherever they want (as do older babies and people but that is another story) so best thing to do is let him feed when he wants.

More feed=more milk.It is a simple supply and demand situation.breastmilk is very easily digested 9being the perfect food) and this and the fact that tiny babies have a stomach the size of a walnut means they need little and often.

A baby sucking is the most effective way to stimulate the breasts to produce more milk but expressing can sometimes help too as long as yuo are not expressing at the expense of normal breastfeeding.

It's handy for someone else to give the occasional bottle of EBM for you to get a break though.

beautifulboobs · 07/10/2007 23:02

Well moondog, you might not agree, but it's not nonsense. It's worked for me and thousands of other women, and I've got 2 happy, healthy kids to prove it.

moondog · 07/10/2007 23:04

It's great that breastfeeding worked for yuo (always a cause for massive celebration) but a lot of what you say is inaccurate and misleading.

I know you are trying to help though like all of us.

Bloodsuckingmissyhols · 07/10/2007 23:45

I think when it comes to feeding especially bf It'll always have a grey area as all babies are different and in the case of breast feeding so are mums. I followed clb with dd1 to some degree and it helped me alot with getting a routine i'm also following to some degree with dd2 Who's 4 weeks. But i do this more to help me with routine for the day iykwim? When it comes to feeding her i go by her every 3 to 4 hour ish demand and however much she takes. I've been told by diff midwives that she should be fed every 4 to then be told to wake her every 3 so who knows! I'm just letting her take lead and following my own intuition. Her weight gain is excellent and She's content so i we must be doing something right.

Bloodsuckingmissyhols · 07/10/2007 23:47

beautifulboobs · 07/10/2007 23:53

Which bits are misleading and inaccurate?

Original poster

Mumpbump · 08/10/2007 20:15

Ds2 was weighed by the HV today and has gained a pound since birth which she says is very good for a bf baby. He hasn't quite followed the percentile line and is now just on the 25th, but he lost 3 oz in the first few days so I guess that's probably why. Feeling much happier about his feeding. Even if it isn't as often as I would like/am used to after ds1, I guess he must be getting enough. Thanks for all the input - will probably try to ensure he doesn't go longer than 4 hours just to make sure he gets enough!!

OP posts:

Bloodsuckingmissyhols · 08/10/2007 21:11

Thats great mumpbump. When i bf my dd1 she lost couple oz in begining. I was told thats norm for bf baby. She was soon back on her line and weight gain was great from then on.

beautifulboobs · 09/10/2007 00:52

Fabulous news! God, isn't it funny how you gain such relief from a positive word from your hv! Do they realise the power they wield over us! I'm a grown woman, yet I find myself holding my breath as the scales calculate. Good for you and your boobs!

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