please help really do not want to stop breast feeding my 4 day old baby

[pud1]

born on the 8th at 1 min past midnight and did not feed for 14 hours. is now constantly on the breast but will not settle once off it.Milk is not yet through , have been feeding since 3pm.
Do you think a dummy would help or maybe a top up on formula

i had similar problem a week ago and was still inhosp and thay got me to express and top up, fo;;owed by formula top up. they told me that the xtra stimulation on the humilactor would stimulate me to produce more milk

Hi Pud. Congratulations. He/she needs to carry on sucking as it sends the messages to your brain to produce the milk. Once they start using a bottle they get use to sucking in s different way and can have problems breast feeding. Have you phoned your midwife?

I am bumping this for you because I really want others to see it so you get the support you need.

From the little I know your milk is about to just come in. Your little one has a tiny tummy so will be getting the colostrum and lots of comfort from sucking on you. He/she has had a good rest by the sounds of it and is now awake and ready for comfort/milk.

I know it is hard but don't make any hasty decisions about giving a top up or a dummy. This can cause difficulties later onObviously it is your baby and your choice but all this sounds normal, and you did say in your op that you "really do not want to stop breast feeding".

my little one was able to take the breast and the bottle

what your baby is doing is normal! a lot of newborns can be a bit unsettled until milk comes in.
the feeding can be a real arse (god I remember the every 20 mins bit only too well) but it's what baby needs to do to stimulate the milk supply.

trust in your body. it will provide lol

Sorry you are finding it tough pud1. It can be a real shock when you discover how much newborns can feed. Unfortunately (for you!) it sounds as though your baby is doing exactly the right thing - he (she?) is helping you to establish your supply.

The best thing you can do is take your baby to bed, have a good rest, get someone to bring you all the food and drink you need, and let your baby feed as much as he wants. This stage won't last long, honestly.

Giving formula top-ups in this sitation is usually a bad idea I think - but I'm not an expert. However, I'm sure someone who is an expert will be along shortly.

Well done for giving your baby such a great start. Breastfeeding can be hard and veryu demanding to start with, but if you get good advice and stick with it it is incredibly rewarding.

by the time my little one got to day 5 his weight loss was over the recommended levels so top-up needed, more important baby gets food from whatever source

As I posted before, ds2 was tube and bottle feed before being breast fed when home. If a top-up is needed then give one and please try not to stress too much which I know is really really difficult but breast feding is rewarding in the long run and better for the baby.

Congrats by the way!

congratulations on your lo!

lots of sucking will help get your milk in, dummies and formula will not - bumping for an expert opionion though

Can you sit up in bed with him latched on? Or lie down to feed so you get some rest?

I have tried to attract Hunker's attention on another thread but sounds as if policywonk had some good advice too.

onepiece - I am simply regurgitating hunkerisms

Ah Pud1 congrats on your new baby.

Totally normal to be feeding like that, take the chance to rest, lie in bed feeding etc.

It will pass once the milk comes in it will settle down a bit, although my DS spent the first 6 weeks feeding quite a lot.

Stick with it just now, and congrats again.

Just to echo what others, (avenanap/onepiece/fingerwoman) have said.

Your baby needs to suck a lot in these very early days, it is the best way to stimulate your milk supply and gives excellent nutrients at the same time.

There is no need for dummy or bottle this early imo if you can stick it out a wee bit longer.

Take it as a good indication that all you need to do is spend all your time with your pfb and snuggle a lot

Keep feeding on demand. Once you milk comes in (any time soon) the baby might be a bit more settled.

Sounds completely normal!

Congratulations

policy wonk is right imo! When DD was a few days old she spent one whole afternoon, evening and indeed night latched on. She calmed right down when my milk came in which it will in the next day or so I'd have thought. Topping up with formula will impact on the supply.

hi pud1 no great advice to give but just want to add my support. I was in a complete state of despair when my 6-day old just would not stop feeding and i topped up with formula in desparation. Looking at it now, i think i probably didn't help myself and just prolonged the process of my body adjusting to how much milk i needed to produce. MNers recommended www.kellymom.com which i wish i'd known about and read while i was still pregnant, i would have been so much more prepared for the realities of BFing. If you don't want to give up, its really worth persisting - a few more weeks down the line i am really enjoying feeding dd and find it a million times easier than when i began.

Hello, Pud.

Congratulations on your baby!

Do you have sore nipples at all?

Is your baby weeing? Pooing?

Your baby's sucking will help you produce more milk.

I wrote this on my blog a while ago - it might help

Do you have somebody who can take the baby for a little while for a gentle jiggle on their shoulder, so you can have a shower or cup of tea without a baby on you?

Can any of you do a link to Hunker's pages/website (iykwim, or any of the numbers for bf helplines just in case pud1 needs to speak to someone in rl. I cannot do links. (pathetic I know).

should add, ds2 was very, very unsettled between feeds (not that there was much between iyswim?lol) by about day 4 when milk still wasn't it.
as someone else says, they're getting to the point where they're ready for bigger volumes of milk so will be a bit more unsettled.
but it is normal, and it will pass.

crackpotdog - the op wants to breastfeed.

Congratulations pud. Second all the advice to take to your bed and let your gorgeous new baby feed as often as he/she wants. Lots of skin to skin contact, rest and boobs is the way to get your milk in.

It is very hard if your lo is unsettled, but rest assured, your milk will come, and she will be getting colostrum which is all that is needed atm.

Get your mw to check your latch, and, as a precaution as her to check that your baby doesn't have a tongue tie. In only say this because mine did, and it made it difficult for him to latch properly. It is very easily sorted out, but worth asking them to check.

If you start getting stressed and panicky, call a breastfeeding counsellor, for some hands-on (literally) support.

You can do it! Good luck.

congrats on your new baby

it's normal for a newborn to want to feed and feed and feed. his tummy is only the size of a walnut right now so he doesn't need loads of milk at one time to fill it up, but then again, it needs refilling lots as well. the more he feeds, the more your breasts are stimulated to produce more milk. do you have people around who are looking after you while you look after your new ds?

how is he doing wet /dirty nappy wise?

x-posts You are in good hands now.

Good luck with it and congratulations btw. x

Congratualtions.

the early days are very tough, but you are doing all the right things , and your milk won't be far off. Agree that dummies can confuse things this early and that formula may well interfere with your milk production.

I heartily recommend a babymoon; take to your bed and just let baby feed with lots of skin to skin contact. Gt Dad to keep you supplied with food and drink, and let him get some skin to skin time in as well. It's a lovely way to bond and get feeding off to a great start.

Congratulations pud!
It sounds very normal what you are experiencing, both my sons were very restless and fed loads until my milk came in, think it was day 4-5 with DS1, sooner wtih DS2.
The more your baby suckles the faster you milk will come in.
I would avoid dummies/formula at this early stage if you want to breastfeed. It will get much easier once your milk is in....

mcnoodle -
i'm not saying dont persevere butits no good if baby not settling, not getting enough millk and looses weight nd doesn't thrive.
i'm all for breast feeding don't jump wrongly to the conclusion im not