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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

week old baby lost interest in the breast...

27 replies

ruty · 15/05/2008 20:02

Dd a week old today, latched on beautifully few minutes after elective, feeding really well until yesterday, when my breasts got really full. She has got increasingly sleepy since yesterday, and would sleep all the time it seems if i didn't try to wake her. Midwife has seen her and says she doesn't look dehydrated at the moment, but could see she was struggling with staying on the breast and not falling asleep. I've done all the usuals [this is my second baby and fed ds until he was 2] stripping, nappy changing, blowing on her skin, she is just so sleepy and not bothered. Any ideas? I'm really worried, i can't get her to feed for more than 5 minutes at a stretch and at night it is really hard to get her to do that.

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Original poster
ruty · 15/05/2008 20:03

she has been awake today, for good intervals, a couple of hours this morning and a couple this afternoon, but when put on breast takes a few deep gulps and then comes off, or falls asleep.

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Original poster
ruty · 15/05/2008 20:13

bump

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barking · 15/05/2008 20:14

Have you tried bathing her - it may have the opposite effect but thought it may help - my ds3 was a tricky feeder, I ended up expressing by hand into his mouth as he just didn't get the sucking thing until a good few weeks later.
You said your breasts are full - do you think she is getting any milk? Do you think your breasts are engorged? If so the bath thing may be good for both of you as the warm water may help let down

AdamAnt · 15/05/2008 20:16

Could it be that she's now getting enough milk in 5 minutes to fill up her tiny tummy? If your breasts are v full, perhaps the milk is coming out quite rapidly. My DD never fed for more than about 5 mins at a time. It was v disconcerting (but she was obv getting enough milk to grow!).

barking · 15/05/2008 20:18

Just read my post and doesn't make sense - I mean bathing her to try and wake her up.
After 3 children I can barely string a sentence together on mn or in real life!

lackaDAISYcal · 15/05/2008 20:20

It might be that she just can't get latched on if your breast are really full. Have you tried expressing some off before you latch her on so that it;s easier for her?

another suggestion might be that yoou have a very fast letdown and she is struggling with this. There are tips on www.kellymom.com about slowing things up.

Has she been checked for tongue tie? this can cause latching problems (and usually pain for mum)

I would see if you can get in touch with a local breastfeeding counsellor via the usual helplines (you can find them on www.howbreastfeedingworks.com ) or of there is a local baby cafe you can go to. I think you need to get a BFC to see you latching and feeding so that they can give you individual help

the sleepiness can be a worry, as babies who aren't getting enough to eat tend to sleep more to conserve their energy.

Original poster
ruty · 15/05/2008 20:41

i think it may be a fast let down - she takes a few deep gulps and then pulls off gasping. I will look at those links thanks. Midwife came today, old fashioned traditional one and yanked her on quite forcefully, not sure if i can copy the technique tbh - and still baby was a bit half hearted. would the midwife have spotted tongue tie? Someone coming tomorrow so see what they say.
have tried bathing,she cries when she is bathed, then i put her on the breast, she calms down and promptly falls asleep.

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lackaDAISYcal · 15/05/2008 20:55

if it is your leetdown, you can try double ffeds from one breast before moving onto the other one, but you need to make sure this is the problem first. Am not an expert, but I had some fast let down issues with my DD, on the one side only and doing that sorted it out.

MWs don't routinely check for tongue tie I don't think, and I've read some stuff on here that suggests some HCPs don't think it causes a problem.

Ask whoever it is you are seeing tomorrow to check.

You might find it all settles down itself in the next few days anyway as your supply gets more established. In the meantime, I would make sure I was waking her to feed frequently.

i hope you can get it resolved.

Spillage21 · 15/05/2008 20:55

How do your breasts feel after she's been there for 5 mins? Empty? Am wondering if she is very efficient at feeding?

Is she also doing lots of wet nappies?

Might be worth nagging midwife to give her a good top-to-toe check up to ensure that nothing's up (to reassure you if nothing else)...

Original poster
ruty · 15/05/2008 21:01

hard to tell with the wet nappies - she has pooed a few times today, small ones, but the [70 biodegradable nappies i use absorb the pee, can't really judge it.
Will ask midwife tomorrow re tongue tie etc
Just about to try to wake her again, having a go every 2 hours. Wish she'd just have a proper feed.

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Original poster
ruty · 15/05/2008 21:02

breasts feel less engorged after 5 mins, but even during 5 mins she comes off quite a few times and i have to put her back on, something is up i;m just not sure what..

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cockles · 15/05/2008 21:25

Please contact a breastfeeding counsellor via NCT, La Leche or breastfeeding network. I agree 5 mins can be enough even for a newborn but t he sleepiness can be a sign of problems as you know. Sounds like it might be overactive letdown, but the midwife yanking her on isn't going to help.

callmeovercautious · 15/05/2008 22:09

DD was the same but woke up loads at night after a few weeks to compensate

tbh I went with it as I did stuggle with the thought of long feeds, I was always on the go and would be looking around wanting to go and do something else. She moved gradually to longer feeds and longer breaks but slept really badly at night until over a year old.

It has not harmed our BFing relationship as she still feeds at 20M but it was hard going for a few months. Perhaps I was doing something wrong, let me know what the advisors say!

chipmonkey · 15/05/2008 22:22

ruty, does she look jaundiced? That came make them sleepy and less inclined to feed.

williamsmummy · 15/05/2008 23:22

ok . early days...........? sleepy still recovering after birth? sleepy sounds normal to me.

so, how frequent are feeds?, and what birth weight was your baby?

dont panic, you are doing well, I am sure infant will change soon.
if poo not meconium ( pardon spelling cant remember!) its show breast milk is getting in there!.

Original poster
ruty · 16/05/2008 12:20

a nice midwife came today, latched her on and she fed really well [no idea if i can replicate it!] Was not worried about her. I don't know, I'll just have to persevere and hope it gets better. Thanks for replies.

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TheProvincialLady · 16/05/2008 12:25

I'm glad things are better today. Have you considered contacting one of the helplines? Because it is no good for you if a MW comes and latches your DD on, then goes leaving you no better off than before. Also - don't let ANYONE do that rough handling stuff making your DD feed It was the end of my BF because my poor DS was hurt and scared by it and started to refuse the breast completely. Why oh why do they do it?

I really would talk to someone who knows their stuff. Most MW don't have decent training. Even if it is just for reassurance.

lackaDAISYcal · 16/05/2008 16:50

glad she is feeding better today ruty, but i agree with what theprovinciallady says. You need to be shown how to get her latched on yourself, not woman handled by some no doubt well meaning MW.

Is there a Baby Cafe near you? or other local support. An NCT post-natal group might be useful as well.

tiktok · 16/05/2008 21:19

(daisy, what you are suggesting to ruty is not right for a baby of a week - it is only ok to do what you suggest when the baby is older and is gaining plenty of weight).

Ruty, there's not enough info to draw any conclusions from what you say - need to know baby's weight at birth and weight now and any interim weights, how often she is feeding, too.

I am not sure all is well - it could well be fine, but you need someone who can have all the info to listen to you, and you need to have your baby weighed, too, I think. If you think it is not quite right, you deserve to be taken seriously...and I agree, don't permit anyone to 'get your baby on' in the way you describe

lackaDAISYcal · 16/05/2008 21:34

oooh sorry

Am always very conscious of trying not to say the wrong thing on these threads; hopefully my upcoming peer supporter course will help.

Original poster
ruty · 17/05/2008 09:06

it is so hard to say something when midwives handle your baby roughly, my fist experience with poor ds was the worst in hospital, the midwife grabbed him and yanked him so hard he started screaming, it was awful. The midwife who came yesterday was very different and i think i have managed to copy her technique, and dd is feeding more regularly.
Tiktok, she was 8lbs 12 oz at birth, and then 5 days later she was 8lbs 2 oz. She was weighed yesterday, at 8 days old, and she was 8lbs 4oz. Do you think that is ok? How often do you think i should try and feed at night? I am trying to feed every two hours in the day now.

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Original poster
ruty · 17/05/2008 09:07

she is starting to feed for longer periods, around 15 to 20 mins now.

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Original poster
ruty · 17/05/2008 09:10

unfortunately she sicked up a nice feed last night at 9pm Hope it is a one off, ds was not a sicky baby so not sure what is normal.

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tiktok · 17/05/2008 11:33

ruty, the weights sound normal (am assuming weighing was done accurately and not with spring balance scales and with baby naked).

Feeding sounds normal, too, and the sicking up is normal occasionally, as well

If things continue the way they are at the moment, then it sounds like all is well...but your perceptions of it are important too, and if you think things are not right you deserve to be taken seriously.

Original poster
ruty · 17/05/2008 12:08

thanks tiktok - not sure what spring balance scales are though - midwife brought them in a case, they were digital ones, and she was naked though i think she had a nappy on, on both occasions since birth weight.
I feel a bit better today, though a bit worried about my supply as it is difficult to feed her at night - any ideas how often i should feed her at night if she is happy to sleep? Wonder if i should express too...

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