Help - Not sure what i'm doing!

[Kate1979]

Hello - NEw to this site and would welcome any advice.....my little boy is now 3 weeks old and i have been breast feeding him, however have been on antibiotics since the birth! Charlie seemed to feed ok/well in the fist few days however then seemed to struggle to latch on - it was in the hot period and out of desperation i went to nipple shields. I am now struggling to get him to latch properly - i think he is doing it (and have been to a bf counseller who says it's right)however, the feed takes upto 2hrs at a time and he still cries afterwards. We have taken to giving him a bottle at night which he happily takes. I am probably confusing the hell out of him but i would like to bf properly and am worried that he is not getting enough milk?? any sugestions??

Hi, Kate. Can you give some more information? What is your little boy's weight and weight gain? How many times, day and night, does he breastfeed? Is he having one, two, or more breasts each time? How much formula is he having?

If you can share all that, it will help

Kate - where are you?

Hi - I'm in Bournemouth - if thats what you mean?

Charlie weighs 7,14.5, he was 7,10 at birth, went down to 7,1 after birth. I try him at the breast about 10 times a day approx - he goes for it it is just i'm not sure he's latching on correctly or getting enough out of me?

Formula - getting 3 and 4 oz at night one at around 7.00pm and one at 10.30pm

at Bournmouth No, I just meant 'hello, where have you gone?'

Thanks for extra info.

10 times in 24 hours is not all that often for a young baby, but I can see it feels like a lot if it takes 2 hrs each time...shields may be an issue in that they can reduce the availability of the milk. Not sure if you are still using them. Is he having one, two or more breasts each time?

is the formula one 3-4 oz bottle or two?

sorry new to this

I know! It is on two breasts at each time.

I am no longer using the sheilds - although my left hand side is still sore when he initially attatches.

Formula 3- 4oz x 2 bottles a night.

Kate - that's a lot of formula, then. Night time breastfeeding is really important, as long gaps between breastfeeds mean not enough stimulation of the breastmilk. I'd go so far as to say most women will simply not make enough milk if they are not breastfeeding at night at this stage...3 week old babies and their mums need night time breastfeeding!

The first thing anyone would suggest when you share your concerns with them would be 'breastfeed at night' - one formula bottle will have an effect, but two means the gap between breastfeeds is very long indeed.

How do you feel about dropping the formula to one bottle and then dropping both?

He may be a hungry baby and the more he sucks the more milk you will then produce for him.

Its a tough time when you really have no idea what you are doing. As soon as my dd cried I popped her on and then she would projectile all over. It was wind not hunger, but give it time and it will be fine and you'll know if he is getting enough.

One way to know if he is getting milk is if your breasts 'deflate' after a feed.

Could you express for his bottle feeds, so you are upping your own milk production at the same time and so having more for him during the day?

I dont know if you already read it but www.babycentre.co.uk is the business for any questions you might have. He may just be a lazy feeder and like to take his time. Hell for you, but I did most of my feeding lying down, I found it more comfortable and read a book or a mag. Loved it. DD is now almost 9 months on on bottles. Enjoy every minute of it, the time will fly and you'll be an old hand in no time.

Good luck

salleroo - expressing to give in bottles later will not help. The real downer on milk supply is gaps between breastfeeds - the bottles of ebm still extend the gap and will still mean she makes less milk.

Aye Kate, you need to be feeding at night. It's essential to keep supply up. Remember also the more you feed the more you make. Simple economics, supply and demand stuff.

thanks for the advice - the reason i have slipped on the feeding at night is that he doesn't seem to sleep much during the day - therefore i'm not getting any sleep whiches stresses me out too. i will try my best tonight. he only seems happy when he is held - is that normal

Kate, it's normal

Less than a month ago your ds was inside you - as close to you as possible! Many babies take a little while to get used to being separate and wanting to be held is lovely and soothing and comforting for them.

There are lots of ways you can make this easier - co-sleeping, using a sling in the day, recruiting another pair of arms when you need to.

Hope this helps.

Yes, all normal. He is so tiny with a stomach the size of a walnut. Go with the flow and sleep when he sleeps. Having ababy isprob. only time ever in your life that yuo can do that.

very normal. can you bf lying down? saved my sanity! some of the best memories i will have are those of bf my tiny dd in the dead of night - warm, snuffly sweet smelling baby and me.

Swaddling is a fab way of making them feel like they are being held x

in the early days lying down wa the only way i could feed - now he seems to have gone off that position! but will re attempt - i'm currently leaving our bedroom before he screams the house down in an attempt to latch on. i have heard about these slings - any recomendations? thanks for all your help! x