Tiktok or other knowledgeable M'netters - advice please!

[monthlymayhem]

My LO is 5 weeks old on Wednesday. He was 6lb 2 at birth and weighed 8lbs at 4 weeks and I've been excl bf'ing him. He seems to feed very erratically though and I'm worried that I'm misinterpreting his cues.

He generally only feeds for 5-10mins before thrashing around or falling off, after which I try to wind him and then offer him more which sometimes he will take for another minute or so. I have given him EBM in a bottle once or twice and he seems to take between 2 - 3 oz so I guess he probably doesn't need long at the breast to take that?

However yesterday evening he seemed to be hungry every 30mins to an hour, so I kept feeding him and in the end he did two huge projectile vomits (which he does once or twice a day normally). So I'm not sure if I'm maybe overfeeding him, and misinterpreting his hunger cues?? He has never been a very content baby and suffers with lots of wind, and I've also been wondering if he might have reflux.

I do seem to have quite a fast let down and can express really easily so had also tried block feeding (or at least my version of offering the same side for 2 or 3 feeds in a row) incase that was the problem.

Sorry for the long post but I'm really not sure where I'm going wrong and would be grateful for any advice to try and get him more content.

they do start bringing up sick at about this time, well some do. Its called being too gutsy

monthlymayhem, I know I tend to see 'oversupply' a lot, probably too often, but when a baby shows afast weight gain (check), fighting at the breast after a short time (check), bringing up milk in apparently large quantities after feeds (check), seems windy and uncomfortable (check), mum has a fast letdown (check)....it starts to look very suspicous.

Block feeding you've tried - try it again properly (lengthening the time you leave between using each breast - some generous suppliers can go up to 6-7 hours) and for at least 2-3 days.

Well I'm afraid i'm no expert either but I had a problem with oversupply and fast letdown with my ds when he was a similar age. Tiktok said that oversupply/fast letdown can cause reflux symptoms. I tried block feeding and it seemed to improve the situation. I still have various problems with bf-ing (I am a novice!) but he is now 13 weeks and it has settled down a fair bit - mainly due to the fact his digestive system has matured a bit and he has also learned to cope with the fast letdown (although sometimes still gets a bit overwhelmed by it ). I also worried that I was misinterpreting hunger cues - I generally just feed him whenever he cried and it took weeks for me to realise that he wasn't always hungry although he would take the breast, he would thrash around a cry etc. He only just recently just started to refuse the breast if he's not hungry rather than just taking it regardless (he's not a bit comfort sucker, prob because of oversupply etc)
Also as Starlight says, it may be a growth spurt, ds had his first obvious one a 5 weeks and fed constantly - that also settles down after a few days. HTH

Thanks v much for the quick responses - will try lengthening the block feeding time as suggested.

Sorry to 'hijack' but what is oversupply and block feeding?
My dd does all the things you 'checked' Tiktok.

Rose, do a search on the archives for both of these terms, and you will get loads of info and people's experiences.

Since my original post, my DS haas been prescribed gaviscon which has put an end to the projectile vomit

I have been continuing with the one sided feeding and have been doing roughly 5-6 hours per side. He is still windy as ever and most of the time feeding for 5-10mins before thrashing around, coming off and needing winded. Sometimes he'll then take a little more, other times not. A few weeks ago he was putting on 10 oz per week, that dropped to a 6oz gain last week, and now only a 4oz gain this week (despite the fact he's now not being sick).

Is it time for me to stop the one sided feeding?? I'm wondering if my supply has now adjusted and therefore he isn't getting as much as he should be when feeding from the same breast for the 2nd/3rd time ? So should I be going back to 'normal' - offering different breast per feed?

monthly - this might be something to talk about with an HV or a bfc...but if the one sided thing is not helping with his apparent discomfort, then it might be worth thinking of feeding normally.

I don't think the weight is significant - you'd expect a baby of this age who's gained v. large amounts of weight at first to slow down the weight gain.

But check it out with people in RL. Don't take what I or anyone else says as gospel, 'cos we can't see you and may not have the full story

thanks tiktok! HV wasn't overly concerned by weight gain easing up, but doesn't seem very clued up on breastfeeding... I have LO's 6 week check with GP on Tuesday so will see if they have any other recommendations.

Thanks again