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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

DD 11 days old t- has been a nightmare with BF from the start - PLEASE SUPPORT ME

61 replies

munchkinmum · 30/04/2008 16:09

For a variety of reasons (poor attachment, jaundice, DD not pooing for 4 days) I have been mixed feeding for 6 days using hand expression and pumping as I have beenwaiting for very sore nipples to heal.

Thought I had cracked attachement at the hospital today but came home to feed and just couldn't do it - DD just fell asleep at the breast and woke up after 2 minutes screaming for milk. Ended up giving EBM and formula again.

Not sure how long I can keep trying - feel like cracking up. My dad is also v. poorly in hospital which does not help.

Feed due in 30 minutes (have to do this every 3 hours from advice from hospital) and terrified that it will not happen.

Anyone else been through this and cracked it?

Anyone?

Munch
xxxx

OP posts:
vicky11 · 30/04/2008 16:52

i did and now doing it again with ds! why every 3 hours? my son is 5 days old and today he fed pretty much all morning!
i recommend sitting in front of tv, with drink, snacks etc and let baby led feed.
yes it's hard work but once you can master latching on you are half way there! Have you got a local breastfeeding support group you could go to? Or a friend who can help you latch on correctly?
Having a baby is hard work but breastfeeding makes it a thousand times harded. get the right support.
If he falls asleep tickle his ears to wake him. make sure he gets a good 40 mins with a single side feed and then offer the other breast! hope this helps I'm feeding at the mo so hope this makes sense!!

Helgicita · 30/04/2008 19:57

I've got a 12 week old. The first 3 weeks were very tough I literally dreaded every feed as it hurt so much and until she was 7 weeks I didn't feel like I'd cracked it, and then it all fell into place. It was exactly the same with my first baby.
You certainly need to keep getting help. I had a Bf councellor visit me and help with attachment. Make sure that you haven't got thrush (you didn't say anything painful nipples though.
Try to keep going - it WILL work out in the end and it is so worth the effort. But ask for more help.
How has it been going this afternoon?

BerkshireBella · 30/04/2008 20:15

Keep up the good work! You are giving your baby such a good start in life, and you can be proud of yourself for making such an effort to breastfeed. Although it is very hard not to, try not to stress too much as even if your supply seems lower once your nipples are healed and you go back to normal bfing, it only takes a day or 2 of offering the breast often to get the supply back up. One day at a time, one feed at a time, every little helps! My dd didn't learn how to latch on until 3 weeks and we still used loads of formula until switching to only bf at 4 months - it can be done!

sushistar · 30/04/2008 20:22

Munchkinmum, it sounds as if you are having a hard time.

If your latch is still not right, it will be painful for you and harder for baby to get milk out. It sounds as if it might be helpful for a breastfeeing supporter to come round and check the latch is good.

If it is good, it may just be that your dd has got used to the milk coming fast from the bottle, and is not used to putting a little extra effort in to get it from the breast. Every three hours sounds very infrequent to me - when DS was this age he would feed for about 30-40mins on each side, then have a half hour break, then want more - all day! When he was 3 weeks old it spaced out alot more, but at 11 days he needed to feed alot. You could try offering the breast hourly, PLUS whenever your dd shows signs of hunger. Also, having skin-toskin contact with her will help with getting breastfeeding going.

You're doing really well, and it can and will get easier. Well done!

StarlightMcKenzie · 30/04/2008 20:23

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EllieG · 30/04/2008 20:25

Sorry to crash - but how can you help nipples heal when they are constantly in use? I am usin shields but still sooooo cracked and sore. My sympathies munchkin - I am finding really tough too x

StarlightMcKenzie · 30/04/2008 20:28

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sushistar · 30/04/2008 20:29

EllieG, again, the first thing is to check the baby is latching on correctly, or they might make it worse...

mumdebump · 30/04/2008 20:29

Do keep with it. DD took 3 weeks to get the hang of bfing (sounds like a standard timescale given the posts above), but there was no way I was going to give in. Just remember all the positive things about bf vs formula (it is a complete pain to make up formula and get to the right temperature with a screaming hungry baby). Bf is much quicker and much less hassle than formula once you have cracked it.

Try removing a layer of baby's clothing to make them less warm and snoozy before a feed, and lots of hand and feet tickling to keep them awake.

EllieG · 30/04/2008 20:29

Ah so she does. DD is grizzling so typing and reading in between cuddles. I will just carry on then.....

lulu25 · 30/04/2008 20:30

lansinoh

magic

smells a bit funny

EllieG · 30/04/2008 20:34

It does smell funny but am plastered in the stuff all the same! Plus am sitting round with no top on in effort to dry them out a bit. Might be more attractive to poor DP if wasn't leaking milk all over the place....

jaynz · 30/04/2008 20:38

Send someone down to get some lanolin for sore nipples. Minimum amount after every feed, you don't need to wipe it off either. It's fantastic

And check for fish lips every time

And breathe!

Good luck, keep going, you've done great so far

islandofsodor · 30/04/2008 20:39

Every 3 hours may not be bad advice. I had to go through this regime of feeding every 3 hours day and night becasue my ds was on the verge of dehydration, very low weight & jaundiced. He was basically not latching on at all and so I had to express every 3 hours day and night until he put a bit of weight on and I could let him go longer in the night.

It is ver hard going and I feel for you. There are times when you wonder whether it will ever happen. We kept up with it for a month before ds suddenly decided he knew how to feed properly!!!

I found that not using a bottle helped, I cup fed, also I made a decision to use some formula as it gave me a little respoite against the arduous regime of expressing. Of course missing an expressing can mean your supply isn;t as good but it can be better than giving up altogether. You have to weigh up the options according to your situation.

Try having a bath with your baby,lots of skin to skin. One good pience of advice I was given was not to try and breastfeed when ds was starving. Feed her a bit of expressed milk first to take the hysterical edge of his hunger, then try and latch him on. If either of you gets upset or frustrated stop, express and try again next time.

Just take each day at a time and well done for persevering so far. It can get better.

StarlightMcKenzie · 30/04/2008 20:42

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sushistar · 30/04/2008 20:46

3 hoursis very infrequant for an 11dayold. Sometimes I wonder if people mean 'every three hours AT THE VERY LEAST' but it's misunderstood?

islandofsodor · 30/04/2008 20:50

Sorry Starlight. I thought people were saying wait until baby wants a feed. The advice I was given and what I assumed the OP was given was feed AT LEAST every 3 hours around the clock. My ds was very sleepy and jaundiced with no wet or pooey nappies and would happily have gone 5-6 hours without a feed.

busybaby · 30/04/2008 20:56

I experienced months of sore nipples and fighting with dd to get her to latch on well. Had awful time dreading feeds because of it all but was determined to continue so persevered and sought lots of help/advice. Unfortunately nobody noticed that dd had a tongue-tie that was preventing her latching on properly until about a week after I had very reluctantly given up .
It would be worth getting someone to check for this - just in case...

StarlightMcKenzie · 30/04/2008 20:56

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pinkyminky · 30/04/2008 21:53

Ds fed well initially, but I received very conflicting advice in hospital and DS and I got very distressed about the whole thing. My nipples were in a bad way, too. I decided to express milk for him, and the community MW advised me to double up on my expressing. So I expressed every two hours for a few days, then every three, until I was well ahead of him with feeds. I kept offering the breast from time to time,with lots of skin to skin, until he just latched on, no fuss, no pressure. I fed him until he was 7 months old.

P.S. don['t let your nips dry out. keep them moisturised, otherwise you'll just keep cracking dry scabs every time you feed/express.They heal much better moist.

Lizcitral · 30/04/2008 21:58

And don't worry about infrequent pooing in bf babies (until you get beyond a week). Dd would take lots of small feeds to start with and would regularly go several days without - she seemed to be using every drop.
Sympathy on the sore nips - it does go away. You're doing a very, very good thing for your baby.

Poohbah · 30/04/2008 22:03

Yes I did crack it! ds had jaundice and was too sleepy to feed. The midwives said try to feed for 20 mins then give EBM, I was told every 2.5 hours as a minimum. Go to bed, get hubby to bring things to you, let baby be as much as possible at the breast. It was fucking hard work but worth it, harder than anything I have ever done in my life, but don't lose hope. Try and relax. Good luck.

Once you get the fluids in him he will wake up and feed like a very feedy thing thing that loves boobs!

FourPlusOne · 30/04/2008 22:12

This happened with both my DCs. DC1 got v dehydrated at one point. I did get through it. Didn't bother with formula (though obviously your circumstances could be different to mine), but just carried on with toes curling in pain every time I latched baby on (it is really horrible I know, but will ease and heal as you continue feeding)

I remember how completely exhausting it was, and the frustration of taking up to an hour to latch a baby on. I think that some just take longer to get to grips with feeding, and my babies were both v sleepy in the first couple of weeks. I used to wake them a lot and practically force feed them, and was setting my alarm clock throught the night.

Once they had got the hang of it though then they were brilliant feeders, though it did take a few weeks each time. After this I no longer needed the alarm clock - they started waking me themselves!

Hope you get this sorted soon, can't be easy with your dad in hospital too.

I really sympathise as I remember how hard it was.

Original poster
munchkinmum · 30/04/2008 23:02

Hi all

Thanks for your replies - have had a good cry reading them!

Just to clarify - DD has been a great sleeper and rarely demands feeding hence having the 3 hour rule to ensure that he feeds often. Of course, if he is unsettled then I offer him the breast.

I had a bath with him tonight and he finally latched on and we continued out of the bath. He fed OK, although I suspect that his he was using me as a dummy a bit but we definitely had the long sucks and swallowing. I gave him a bit of EBM too that I had in the fridge and has been sleeping since.

I hope to get to the point where I am confident in latching him on (lost ALL confidence this PM) and also to the point that he demands feeds.

So, we are not out of the woods, but a small victory tonight. Roll on the 12.30 feed (nervous laughter) and will go back to the infant team in the hospital tommorow to check latch and take stock of situation.

Will keep in touch
xxxx

OP posts:
pinkyminky · 30/04/2008 23:07

That sounds really encouraging!

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