demand feeding....when can you establish a routine (of sorts)?

[reluctantincubator]

I am bf-ing my 3 week old LO, and happy (for now) to continue with "baby lead" feeding, although I am trying to encourage three hourly (ish) breaks between feeds; If she starts grizzling but can be distracted easily and happily for a short while then I do that, but if she cant be put off then I just feed her.

But at some point surely it makes sense to try and establish a slightly less random routine so that she (when she is able to go longer between feeds) csn get a sense of day/night, meals etc? but when should this be? i.e i presume she will leanr quite quickly that if she yells loudly enough, she will get boob, so how do I stop getting into a situation where she snavks when she feels like it, as opposed to taking a good feed at slightly longer intervals?

Sorry, it is me, InsanityClause. I have reluctantly turned my back on Christmas.

Oh the thought of three hours gaps between feeds! I'm lucky to get an hour and it's driving me deranged.

Hi InsanityClause/Mumsnut,

Glad your babies have done well since they were in NICU. Just wondering, when you say:

They did gradually transfer to the nipple

• how long did this take? I ask because we got off to a rough start and our nearly-3 week-old has never taken to the breast. He needed to be given formula in the first few days, and my supply could never compete with the quantities he's become used to. I am expressing and hoping someday he will accept the breast (for now he cries and pushes it away). For you, was it just a case of having the opportunity for you, once they were out of NICU? Or did it take practice and perseverance? Do you have any tips?

Thanks

Laura.

mummy2will, does your baby have a nasogastric tube in? Also, was he premature?

Hi blueshoes,

no, he doesn't have an NG tube - and he was term to the day. I haemorrhaged and was told this would affect my supply - am on Domperidone now. He needed to have formula as part of his UV therapy, and we didn't get skin-to-skin contact etc. Now he's used to formula and probably has nipple confusion.

So, I'm just hoping it is possible to get them to start breastfeeding after three weeks or more... it would be good to know this is possible.

Thanks

Hi mummy2will - yes it is definitely possible! Contact a bfc for more advice - they will be able to give you lots of tips on how to go about it. I would recommend LLL: 0845 120 2918

mummy2will, my dd was term as well. I asked about the NG tube because my dd had one and she was pumped so full of formula she was never hungry. It was only after she was taken off the NG tube that she actually got hungry enough to even want to breast feed. Once she got started on bf-ing (2 weeks from birth), she never looked back.

I don't know whether you have started bf-ing yet. But I would suggest you express frequently to keep up your supply and start sooner rather than later, if the doctors allow. I suspect you would have to be quite ruthless in phasing out formula, just so your ds demands enough to support a decent supply. Otherwise, bf-ing will come second best to ff-ing and you will probably stop bf-ing within a few months. Nothing wrong with that - depends on what you think is best.

I agree to check with LLL or NCT or even post a thread on bf-ing section of mn. Tiktok is quite the expert.

Thanks for the encouragement Bubbleymummy, I have had several midwives try to help and am going to a support group on Monday.

Thanks for sharing your experience Blueshoes - I am expressing and taking Domperidone.. unlike your little one he just won't suckle though. I am a NCT member, but haven't tried them yet - I think I need practical help.

You're right though, I should start another thread. I just wanted to ask InsanityClause about something she said here. I will look out for TikTok though!

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