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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

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

52 replies

pud1 · 11/02/2008 21:48

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

OP posts:
fingerwoman · 11/02/2008 22:15

but CPD a baby behaving this way is completely normal.
the OP has no reason to suspect that her baby is failing to thrive, losing too much weight or isn't getting enough milk.

and even if that were the case it would be better for her to be helped with ways of boosting her supply (expressing for example) and cup feeding her baby

MrsBadger · 11/02/2008 22:16

but crackpotdog, babypud is only on day 3 - way too early to worry re failure to thrive etc

hang in there, pud, MN is behind you

keep us posted!

Original poster
pud1 · 11/02/2008 22:18

typing one handed but here goes

all you replies have been fantastic. i am going to keep going. oh is being a massive support. am going to take myself to bed in a bit. my only concern is for her as she hasnt pooed today.

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 11/02/2008 22:18

CPD arent you jumping the gun a bit? The best thing to stimulate milk production is simply to feed as much as possible....

crackpotdog · 11/02/2008 22:19

okay okay!! having just been through it myself a week ago i am aware that it doesn't suit everybody and their baby, never mind how much you want to do it as i did.

hunkermunker · 11/02/2008 22:23

When was her last poo, Pud?

Was it tarry meconium? How often has she pooed since she was born?

Are her nappies wet?

I'm going to have to go to bed now, but I hope you have a good night. Don't expect too much from her or from yourself. Enjoy getting to know your baby - but I'll be checking in tomorrow to make sure she's pooed.

You know you can ring the midwife 24 hours a day though for the first couple of weeks if you are worried? Try to get someone who is supportive of bf... Or check what they say with a BFC in the morning - links on my blog.

sushistar · 11/02/2008 22:26

pud, i am no expert but my baby did EXACTLY THE SAME. For the first couple of weeks he was GLUED to the boob, it was tough and tiring, but now he's 10 weeks and I'm loving feeding him and so glad i didn't resort to formula topups etc in those early weeks - I feel like it really got us established well with the breastfeeding, although it WAS hard work.

Also, again i am not an expert, but my exclusively breastfed ds has pooed only once a week since he was born (after passing the meconium). EVERYONE I have asked - HV, dr, on mumsnet, on other websites, have said this is perfectly ok in a breastfed baby. But as I said, I'm no expert so would be worth checking this with hunker/tiktok who know lots.

Original poster
pud1 · 11/02/2008 22:27

still sticky poo. last one was late last night. only one wee today also. she didnt wee for 2 days in the first place and when she did midwife said that she has never seen a newborn pee so much.

OP posts:
fishie · 11/02/2008 22:32

hey pud1 you have much good advice here, well done and enjoy your baby .

crackpotdog congratulations to you too are you ok with how you are feeding? do you need some support because it sounds like you weren't advised very well, do you want to bf longer? can start another thread if you need.

ChirpyGirl · 11/02/2008 22:41

pud1, just wanted to add my 2pworth!
Both of my DD's were attached to me for the first few days of their lives. My milk doesn't come in until later than normal so they just feed and feed to stimulate it. The only solution I found to the constant feeding was to get someone to take them and walk them either in a buggy or sling or I put them in a sling and went for a wander round tesco to stock up on chocolate biscuits
Have a look here for some ways you can carry her around without hands so you can make yourself a cuppa/butter some toast/brush your hair!

You are doing great so far, well done!

tiktok · 11/02/2008 23:54

pud, some good stuff on here already.

Tomorrow, you'll be hoping for lots of wee and poo as this will show you that the frequent feeds are doing their job - which is i) to bring in milk and ii) to get lots of milk into the baby.

A dummy or formula could undermine breastfeeding and while sometimes, formula is needed to 'save the day', it's rare that it is really necessary, and the UK survey shows that mums who give formula in the early days are three times more likely to be fully formula feeding by the end of week 2 which is obv not what you want....

(crackpotdog - you had some very poor support, I think, from what you say....and I see on your 'grunty baby thread' you are no longer breastfeeding, which is not what you planned on. Pud needs help and info to keep going )

If you see the midwife tomorrow, pud, you can ask her to observe a feed and to check all that lovely stuff is going in!

onepieceoflollipop · 12/02/2008 07:58

Good morning pud and babypud. How was your night?

Don't forget to come back on here and let us know how things are, especially if you need more support. Lots of people thinking of you and wishing you well on here.

(my dd1 after passing the meconium didn't poo for a few days - similar to sushistar's experience).

Hope you have a good day. Don't forget to eat and drink lots yourself; I found it really helps if you are feeling tired. If anyone asks what they can do to help, get them on to making drinks, food, even cakes if they can!

Original poster
pud1 · 12/02/2008 10:20

hi all

honestly cant thank you all enough for your support. got through the night quite well with combination of feeding lying down and lots of tea, water and crap tv. milk has come in now. was so satisfying to see her come off the breast with a wet mouth and milk dripping from me. am now waiting for the poo and wee. my only concern now is that she has not slept in her crib since coming home yesterday. hopefully that will change now i have my milk and she will become more contented.

again thank you all.. i will be sure to make you my first point of contact in my next dont kniw what to do moment

OP posts:
ChirpyGirl · 12/02/2008 10:37

Yay for you! Over the next few weeks/months/yearsh I am sure you will have a few of those moments...(I still have them with DD2!) so don't despair or feel silly, we've all been there!

Don't worry about her not sleeping in her crib, it is far too early for her to get used to anything so if she doesn't for a few days/nights/whatever it won't matter in the long run, all that matters is that you get sleep!

ChirpyGirl · 12/02/2008 10:38

Oh, and would you agree in a need for BFing TV? Decent, funny programmes on between midnight and 5am for all the BFing mums to veg in front of!??!

Martha200 · 12/02/2008 10:41

Congratulations!!!

My ds is 4 weeks tomorrow as everyone else says this is sooo normal!

Really hope you are not feeling too sore like I did, but hang on in there and it does get easier (even a few weeks down the line I am noticing improvements and I swear the number of tears I shed in the early days doesn't bear thinking about.it

As for forumla/dummies I say keep at the breast for now.
Not long ago I did have a nasty bout of mastitis and I did introduce one top a day (just to help me cope! I also expressed before then as recommended by my MW, ds had no issue going from breast to bottle but you need the breast stimulation.

I then introduced a dummy (sparingly a couple of days ago) to be honest it really helped as I learnt from using it the signals when baby was really hungry or just sucking for the hell of it.. crap mummy I must be, but think I then had gone OTT in offering the breast when really he wasn't interested.

Anyway, advice to you, hang on in there, it does get better

hunkermunker · 12/02/2008 10:43

Well done, Pud!!!

Poo and wee will come, I'm sure. Be sure to post when she has an up-the-back special - or if you're at all worried about her not producing any.

You sound much more relaxed this morning - keep it up!

Mummyof2boys · 12/02/2008 10:44

Congratulations! Your doing so well. When they are born they only need about a tspoon of colustrum as its so filling, but the more they feed the more the milk will come in. Also if it appears baby seems to be feeding constantly it may be that baby just wants to bond. I was told by my midwife they feel comforted at the breast and therefor baby is probably getting enough milk but just wants to be close. Stick with it your doing so well

mcnoodle · 12/02/2008 10:48

Oh well done Pud - it is such a relief when milk comes in and they get all contented and eye-rolling and (best of all) sleepy!

Don't worry too much about her poos. Breast milk is the perfect nutrition for your baby and she will absorb so much of it that waste is minimal, therefore she won't necessarily poo daily. It is more important that she has wet nappies.

Don't worry about where she sleeps! You cannot teach a 5 day old baby 'bad habits'. Just let her snuggle with you in bed. Sleep when she sleeps, and keep that DH working hard with the food and drink.

Am really pleased for you, you clever thing!

S1ur · 12/02/2008 11:07

hooray for you and your bountiful norks!

well done

policywonk · 12/02/2008 11:08

Well done pud. Let us know if you get engorged (hard, painful breasts) - I'm an expert at that one [ouch]

robinia · 12/02/2008 11:22

Just to add that my little one went 7 days without a poo at that age and it was not thought to be a problem ..... only problem was the enormously explosive one he produced when it finally all came out

hunkermunker · 12/02/2008 11:24

Robinia, it's always worth checking out a no poo situation in a baby under two or three weeks old - because it's possible bf isn't going well. In older bf babies, poos are often few and far between and that's fine, but in younger babies, it's worth checking.

sushistar · 12/02/2008 12:30

So glad things are going well now pud! Re the sleeping - we always intended ds to sleep in his moses basket. When he arrived he had different ideas, andat 10 weeks he's in with us still! I know that it bothers some people, but really, baby in bed makes breastfeeding soooo much easier an means dh and i get much better sleep. There'll be time enough to teach your dd to sleep alone, and at themoment she just wants to be near her mum! (and her milk supply!)

tiktok · 12/02/2008 12:52

Thanks, hunker, for clarifying the poo thing - please, mumsnetters, don't mislead new mothers with this. No poo in a new baby can be a sign that all is not well. In an older baby, it's not significant.

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