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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Urgent bf advice please!!!!

24 replies

Seashell71 · 10/05/2008 21:47

Hello, baby is 8 days old, was healthy 8lb 2oz, born at 39+ weeks. The problem is he's a very lazy feeder, doesn't really suck actively on the breast but just waits for milk to drop in his mouth. Or he falls asleep within seconds. I then un-latch him, try to wake him up, he'll often wake up and start looking for the breast then do the same again.
This unefficient feeding is drying up my supply, so I have started pump-expressing today. Tonight after 30 mins on the electric pump I got less than 1oz .

What do I do? What do I feed him when he wakes up? I feel I'm letting him down by introducing formula but if he wakes up now that's all I can give him (after giving him my ebm of course).

Help!

OP posts:

Thomcat · 10/05/2008 21:49

Pumps don't give a true indication of your milk supply. Your baby will be getting a lot more than that out.
What makes you think your supply is drying up?

jingleyjen · 10/05/2008 21:50

why is that all you can give him?

definatley offer the breast if you want to carry on feeding.
our little man was a lazy feeder we had to wake him blowing onto his face or a cold flannel round his chops.
He would suck a few times then fall asleep.

somehow it just clicked on day 10 and we fed for 11 months.

stick with it if you can, how often is he feeding? make sure you offer him the breast about every 2 hours it will help build your supply.

so many things...

I will go and search to see if some of the more experienced bf counsellors are online.

lilyloo · 10/05/2008 21:52

my dd gets much more than my pump does , she is 15 weeks and i can still only get 1-2 oz expressing but her chubby legs and cheeks show e that's not the case !

Thomcat · 10/05/2008 21:53

I used to keep jiggling DD's feet and blowing on her to keep her awake. She fed little and often. Every 2 hours. Sometimes she'd feed quite well and fall asleep, sometimes she'd just suckle a bit and then fall asleep. It took ages for her to get to the stage where she would take both breasts in one feed.

Thomcat · 10/05/2008 21:54

I can hear DD3 gulping milk down from me and it's leaking out the other one. Put me on a pump and i'll barely fill it.

usernamechanged345 · 10/05/2008 21:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lilyloo · 10/05/2008 21:56

seashell i think the sleepiness aand constant feeding very normal in the early weeks i would just go with it he will soon get the supply right.
just put him to breast when he wakes.

mylovelymonster · 10/05/2008 21:58

Hello - has your LO had his 1week post-birth weigh-in yet? Would indicate if there is an issue?
Are you feeding on-demand? You need to keep a record of when/how long feeds are and press MW/HV for support now.

When he wakes up and if hungry, put him on your breast. Do that before you give the ebm. That's what I would do anyway.

mylovelymonster · 10/05/2008 22:01

I think I had to waggle DDs ear to get her to continue to feed, or stroke her jaw........
Blowing on her face was useful too.

chunkychips · 10/05/2008 22:04

You will have enough milk, mine were sleepy babies and it took ages to get a feed down them, kept having to wake them up etc so was stuck to the sofa for weeks on end. PUmping doesn't give an accurate indication of your supply, they're much more efficient once they get going, so don't worry about that. I would suggest just keep persevering, try to keep him awake, perhaps take some clothes off (his!), change nappy, whatever, but he will get better, the first few weeks seem to be constant feeding. Whenever he's awake just latch him on. You're doing really well by the sounds and you don't need to top up with formula, that will reduce your supply. You will produce as much as he needs.

kiskideesameanoldmother · 10/05/2008 22:12

How many wet and soiled nappies are you getting per day? does he have any periods of alertness between feeds? is he content when he is otherwise not feeding?

Keep him in skin to skin contact as much as possible. When he is feeding and when he isn't.

what is breastcompression

when the milk flow starts to slow down, do some breast compression when it stops, swap sides. it doesn't matter how often you swap sides.

Original poster

Seashell71 · 10/05/2008 22:13

I'm trying to feed as much/long/often as possible. Just baby is very sleepy. There have been times when I felt and heard milk flowing down his throat(what a great sound), but not it's just little, mini sucks with not many gulps. He's lost just over 10% of his birth weight in the first 4 days and since then has put on half an ounce.

I went to see a bf consultant and she agreed he's not very efficient most of the feed.

Believe me the other night he was hungry, latching on and nothing was coming out, so he was geting more and more upset.

OP posts:

Original poster

Seashell71 · 10/05/2008 22:15

Thanks for the tips and thanks Kiskidee for the links

OP posts:

mylovelymonster · 10/05/2008 22:19

You can gently massage your breast for a quicker let-down once he latches on if that would help. You need to be shown how though so you don't hurt delicate breast tissue.

Is he latching on well? Shouldn't be sucking but pummelling below nipple with lower jaw to pump milk.

The first few weeks are a learning experience for both of you. Babies need to learn how to BF as well as mums. Do you have a bf counsellor available? Ask Mw/HV or contact the NCT.

kiskideesameanoldmother · 10/05/2008 22:22

you said 'bf consultant'. can you describe better and give more information? a well trained bf counsellor will not just say that he is not feeding efficiently and leave it at that.

fishie · 10/05/2008 22:24

seashell it is horrible when not going well. are you giving formula? what did the bfc recommend?

Original poster

Seashell71 · 10/05/2008 22:25

Many times he latches on well and sometimes not so well (mouth not open wide enough), but generally his positioning is very good.
I'm actually already massaging the breast while he feeds and also do some compression to stimulate him.

Also he's my second baby, so I'm not new to bf, I can see when he's latched on well (and I can feel it too as it doesn't hurt!).
I also have very large nipples and wonder if they're uncomfortable for him, or unpleasant, IYSWIM?
Just tried to wake him, he hasn't latched on for 3 hours and it wasn't a big feed.

OP posts:

tiktok · 10/05/2008 22:28

Seashell, I think you will be helped by someone in real life....see the bf consultant again (what's a bf consulant?) if you felt she was helpful, or the midwife (who you will still be in touch with).

The pump tells you nothing very much, as people have said here.

At 8 days pp, you will not have dried up, I promise you. You do need to feed often and efficiently, you're right. The worry with new babies who fall asleep very soon is that they are lacking the energy to feed properly, so they need to be kept skin to skin for as much time as poss, day and night, so you can respond to feeding cues straight away.

It's hard to say more without more information, but when it comes to 'what can you feed him now?' the answer is to breastfeed him, direct, and seek good help tomorrow. Unless you are seriously concerned about your baby's hydration levels or his health, then this will be fine. But give your community midwife a call (someone will be on duty even now) and talk to her if you are in any doubt about this at all. Remember, this is the internet, we don't see you or your baby, and it is fine to get more direct help.

Original poster

Seashell71 · 10/05/2008 22:30

Not sure what her qualifications are but she's a very well respected and knowledgeable bf-guru who runs bf-clinics etc. Her advice is "keep going" and lots of positive encouragement but then when baby is hungry and desperately rooting in the evening and nothing comes out of my breasts I really don'tknow what to do!
I have given ds formula, very slowly with a syringe (7ml, then 30ml the other night, and felt terrible for it)

OP posts:

fishie · 10/05/2008 22:31

tiktok, hello. here here thank you.

kiskideesameanoldmother · 10/05/2008 22:35

I would be inclined to take him to bed with me tonight, skin to skin. You to your waist and him in his nappy. This way he is right there next to you to rouse when he comes into a light sleep. Phone a helpline in the morning as i am no expert.

can you try self attachment when his latch isn't going so well?

biological nurturing

baby led attachment also look at this site if you want a read on bfing lying down.

National Breastfeeding Helpline 0844 20 909 20
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers helpline 08444 122 949
Breastfeeding Network Supporterline: 0844 412 4664 Breastfeeding Network Drugline: 0844 412 4665
La Leche League Telephone Helpline: 0845 120 2918
National Childbirth Trust Breastfeeding line: 0870 444 8708

chunkychips · 10/05/2008 22:37

I know someone who had this problem latching and her dd would get very agitated when she couldn't latch on etc, position as you say was fine, but just didn't seem about to get a grip. She tried nipple shields and she seemed to latch on to them easier for some reason and would get a good feed. I know a lot of people don't rate them, but they worked for her and it was only temporary, she doesn't need them now. She also lost 10% and put it back on very slowly, but is now doing really well.

jingleyjen · 12/05/2008 16:52

seashell, just checking in to see how you are getting on?

things getting any better for you?

99redballoons · 12/05/2008 17:18

I second the recording of feeding times and for how long and which breast etc. For me that really helped and I could see how much or little he was staying on and he definitely preferred one side to the other (this was in the start, didn't need to do this once he got the hang of it). I too have large nipples, atleast they seem it compared to his little mouth! and I found he preferred the slightly smaller one at first. I also wasn't waiting for him to get a good mouthful (nipple + areole) and he was on just the nipple alot of the time. Tickle his chin or his nose with your nipple so that he opens wide for it. At times it felt like I just had to shove it in with my index finger and thumb at the right moment rather than bring his face onto my breast (only did this until he worked it out).

Feed every 1.5-2hrs if poss as this will definitely stimulate your milk, or express in between feeds so they think they've been required iykwim! You don't see the 'increase' immediately but by the second or third day you will. HTH

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