1week old unsettled after breastfeeding

[DandelionPockets]

Hi all, hoping I could gain some wisdom from fellow mumsnetters.

My baby is 8 days old. I had a very tricky start with breastfeeding and went to 50/50 formula and expressed milk. Today my baby had has tongue tie snipped and I've breastfed him exclusively since then.

My concern is that he's been awake now for 5 hours going on and off the boob. Each time he comes off (falls asleep and nipple drops out of mouth) after about 20mins he cries again and starts showing feeding cues.

Could he not be getting milk when on as I've disrupted the production? Will I just have to have a few days of literally constant feeding to get him used to the nipple and to make sure my supply is in?

Any advice or similar experience would be most appreciated.**

He is still tiny and it’s normal for them to want to eat little and often. It doesn’t mean that he isn’t getting enough milk at each feed, just that he digests the very small amount he is able to consume quickly and gets hunger again. He will also be looking for comfort which can easily be mistaken as a feeding cue, or it could be that he has trouble bringing up his wind.

You will just have to have a little while where he is on the boob more than he’s off it to establish your supply and make sure he’s feeding well.

Congratulations on your baby! Experienced peer supporter and mum of tongue tied babies here.

Your baby hasn't been able to feed effectively for the last 8 days and needs to completely relearn how to lift his tongue to feed. It's a big muscle - this takes usually at least 2 weeks.

The absolute best thing you can do is get some specialist face to face support. The ABM website lists local groups, or there may be a mum's facebook group you can ask, or even a private IBCLC appointment if you can stretch to it. You need to make sure your positioning and attachment is as good as it can be (google exaggerated latch/U shaped hold/breast compressions).

It is likely that because of the restricted movement of his tongue, he hasn't been able to get as much as he needs out of the breast yet. Keep him fed - get him to the boob as much as possible and keep your milk flowing.

But please, please get specialist (ie not your MW) support.

@FloweryName thank you for your response. I suppose because he has had formula which was easy to get out the bottle and fill him up, seeing him awake all day wanting to be fed constantly has just made me worry something is not right. But yes, he must just need little and often.

@CocoPlum thanks for your advice. So he may not be hugely efficient yet at getting the milk from the boob, which could explain why he's so unsettled and wanting constant feeding? I will look up the support groups you've mentioned there for sure!

Also he has had quite a day getting his tongue snipped so perhaps needs some extra comfort!

I'm cooking so this isn't my best explanation but I am 😦that none of your care team has actually explained this to you!

Babies breastfeed by lifting the tongue. It holds the nipple at the back of their mouth (near the soft palate, so that your nipple doesn't get sore), and the rest of the tongue moves like a wave to move milk from the breast (this is also why you need lots of the breast covered by lower jaw, top lip lands just over the nipple). It's likely that your baby's tongue can't/couldn't lift to hold your breast in place so it falls out before he's full.

Basically BF babies need their full tongue movement to feed and will usually be prioritised over FF babies for division.

Imagine you have had your arm badly broken and then strapped up for months. Then we remove the cast - you can't just pick up a heavy bag, you need to build up the muscle. Same with baby and their tongue- it forms at 3 months in utero. Breastfeeding effectively is the best way to help him learn but it takes at least 2 weeks, that's with good p&a. We often find the first day is good, then there's a regression for a day or two, before things start to improve.

MWs are wonderful but it can be very hit and miss if you get a good one tor BFing.

And yes he's probably in need of comfort too!

@CocoPlum I am honestly so grateful for your response. I know the information is all out there but I've been flailing a little bit and I just need some ~calm~ and properly give it a go now.

It took my baby about two weeks to begin to feed really well after her tounge tie division. I had support from my local infant feeding team and we both basically re-learnt how to breastfeed again. She's now four weeks old and the latch is comfortable and she is slipping off far less now. It's really tricky but if you want to keep breastfeeding then hang in there and keep offering the breast. Your supply should increase pretty quickly.

@bk1981 thanks for your response. Really glad to hear you've noticed an improvement. Yes I'm totally going to commit to cracking this, give it our best go!

I've already noticed an improvement in the last couple of days, Incan tell he's getting more used to his tongue. I'm going to go to a local breastfeeding group and I've had some good advice now from a few sources (la leche and infant feeding specialist) so feel equipped to get to where I want - which atm is to exclusively breastfeed.