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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Help for 1st time breastfeeder please!!

35 replies

sushistar · 16/12/2007 22:35

Hiya, I wonder if anyone can help me? My 1st baby is 2 weeks old today. We've taken to breastfeeding like ducks to water, but now he wants to feed ALL THE TIME - sometimes for 4+ hours, with just little 10 min breaks before he's crying for more food. I think he's getting plenty of milk (lots of wet and dirty nappies) and I leave him on the breast until he falls off all drunk-looking and dribbling. But then almost straight away he wakes up and starts rooting, sucking his hands etc and looking for MORE! I've been feeding on demand because everything I read said that would make sure I was making enough milk for him, but I'm wondering now if I'm doing something wrong? Is it normal for a 2 week old to want to feed for 4 hours solid? At nights I just leave him on the breast all night so I can get some sleep - luckily bf hasn't been to difficult for us so I can fall asleep on my side while he sucks, but I'm getting worried I'm doing something wrong. :0(

OP posts:
stockingfiller · 16/12/2007 22:37

no your doing great if he looking drunk and dribbly!

louii · 16/12/2007 22:39

DS was like that, would feel constantly, was just him. Could he be having a growth spurt?

Sorry not much help, a sling was my only saviour in the early days, would stick him in it, he would feed away on the boob and no one could see a thing and I could go out for a walk, make dinner or whatever.

louii · 16/12/2007 22:39

I love the drunk and dribbly look, milk all over the face, so cute, makes me broody as hell

pinkspottywellies · 16/12/2007 22:40

Firstly congratulations on doing so well with bf! I didn't have this problem so I can't speak from experience but my dd sucked her fingers/thumb from the first day. He might just want to suck for comfort in which case had you thought about a dummy? You're absolutely right about feeding on demand. It will ensure your milk supply is sufficient for his needs.

Hopefully you'll get lots of help and suggestions on here. Good luck!

sophierosie · 16/12/2007 22:40

Yes, completely normal!

Well done on getting the hang of it so quickly!

gigglewitchyouamerrychristmas · 16/12/2007 22:40

you sound fab to me!!
my dc all did binge-milking all evening from around 7pm til heading for midnight, and they seemed to stock up and then go for longer at night.
drunk and dribbly is fantastic, like stockingfiller says.
keep it up, you are doing great.
just an idea, have a look for your nearest bf group, we have them (la leche), also nct and various others try to keep bf mums in touch and informed.

NowTheHollyBearsABero · 16/12/2007 22:41

Hang in there. Building up supply plus growth spurt, probably.

This is useful: from kellymom

theUrbanDryAdventCalendar · 16/12/2007 22:42

as stockingfiller says, you're doing a great job!! it might be that he's wanting to just nurse for comfort - is he actually drinking, or is he just suckling very lightly or sucking then letting the milk dribble out of the side of his mouth? (my ds used to do this!!)

if he's attached all day, and you want to be up and about, have you thought about a sling? we had one of these which was fantastic, as i could just pop him in there, leave my nork in his mouth and get on with stuff! i even answered the door to my hv and postman wearing it!

well done on such a brilliant bf-ing relationship, and congratulations on the birth!!

holidaywonk · 16/12/2007 22:44

Oh God, DS1 used to be like this - marathon feeds. It sounds as though you are doing fabulously. You'll probably find that he has put on about a stone when they next weigh him.

gemmiegoatlegs · 16/12/2007 22:46

my ds also did this pattern of feeding and i thought he must have been starving to death! My only advice is to trust your body and your baby...they know what to do!

Original poster
sushistar · 16/12/2007 22:58

We've tried a sling - thanks for the suggestion - but although I can get a really good latch in pretty much any other position I can't seem to get it right in the sling. He seems to suck hard at the begining and then gradually tail off until he's just sucklig very gently every couple of minutes. Then I take him off - cue drunk and dribbly - and then 5 mins later he wants the other breast and sucks hard again - repeat ad nauseum with only 10 min breaks! I wondered if it was comfort sucking, but he won't take a dummy...
I know I should be delighted bfing is working so well for us, but I feel like he sucks and sucks and is never full and it's begining to do my head in

OP posts:
theUrbanDryAdventCalendar · 16/12/2007 23:02

aww Sushi, i know it's hard to start with, but he's only 2 weeks old! he might still be building up supply.

i know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but i found that cluster feeding worked well for us. i would dedicate from 4pm ish to sitting on the sofa with ds and just feed him till bedtime! the bfc i spoke to said that he was essentially building up his supply for the night and following day.

what sort of sling do you have? (sling addict - i have 4!! )

louii · 16/12/2007 23:05

I found that a Nuk dummy was the only one DS would take, its a totally different shape from others.

holidaywonk · 16/12/2007 23:05

Ah I do sympathise. I remember getting very frustrated, and thinking 'he can't POSSIBLY still be hungry', and wanting to run off down the road screaming (in fact I think I may actually have done that a couple of times).

I found it particularly hard because DS1 was my first baby, so his marathon feeds kind of emphasized just how dependent he was on me, and how different my life was going to be.

Please try to bear in mind that this phase really won't last long - it is almost certainly a growth spurt and his pattern will become more reasonable soon. Is there a LLL group or breastfeeding support group you could attend?

theUrbanDryAdventCalendar · 16/12/2007 23:07

wonky - i miss those times now though. now he comes up, has a quick drink and bounds off to play!!

TheTwelveDAISYOfChristmas · 16/12/2007 23:11

no expert, but have had my fair share if ishoos, and wanted to ask, how often do you swap sides? My DD went through this in the early days and I was advised to put her back on the same side to ensure she was getting hindmilk rather than swapping sides. It seemed to work for us.

It also didn't last for too long this constant feeding stage and my boobs started to regulate better around 5-6 weeks.

It sounds like you have got off to a flying start though, so sit back and enjoy as this time disappears so very quickly.

Good Luck!

VVVExcitedAboutChristmasQV · 16/12/2007 23:12

Sounds fine. It probably is a growth spurt. But check it over with your MW/HV just to reassure yourself.

VVVExcitedAboutChristmasQV · 16/12/2007 23:14

If the baby is feeding as regularly as he is, there will not be that much time for the milk to become 'thinner' at the front than the back, so shouldnt be an issue with 'hindmilk'.

VVVExcitedAboutChristmasQV · 16/12/2007 23:20

(there isnt an issue with foremilk and hindmilk as such, because there is no definitive of either, but I dont want to go into it - suffice to say, if baby is feeding regularly, it wont be a problem).

Original poster
sushistar · 16/12/2007 23:23

DH has just brought him back from a little drive to give me a break, and he's straight back on the boob. Sometimes he makes little noises when he's feeding - kind of a little squeak - is that ok? Also, i looked at the kellymom site - thanx for the link - and it says he should do 3 poos a day. He does one BIG poo, soft/runny and yellow. D'you think he's getting enough to eat?
Thanks so much for the encouragement, I need it! I feel like nothing but a pair of breasts. He's now feeding for the fifth hour in the last six...

OP posts:
GoodGollyMissMolly · 16/12/2007 23:26

DD is like this, she will be 4 weeks old on Tuesday. She tends to feed constantly from 7pm till 2am, but goes a good 6-7 hours until she wakes up.
DD also looks drunk on milk and dribbling. I have tried to give her a dummy but she wont take it.

Good Luck.

Original poster
sushistar · 16/12/2007 23:26

Daisy I change sides when he seems to have finished - he stops sucking, or pulls himself off.

OP posts:
VVVExcitedAboutChristmasQV · 16/12/2007 23:27

are you sure kellymom says "should do 3 poos a day?" babies (mostly b/fed) can go for days without pooing.

Original poster
sushistar · 16/12/2007 23:29

Ah, molly, glad it's not just me!
BTW, I have a kari-me sling. He only likes it when DH wears it - I smell of milk, so he goes crazy when i wear it and wants to feed!!

OP posts:
Original poster
sushistar · 16/12/2007 23:32

vvv, it's here - www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html

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