9 days old and things mostly seem to be going well but I am still a nervous wreck....please tell me I am doing ok!

[TheProvincialLady]

DS2 was born 9 days ago. He weighed 7lb 9oz and on day 5 had lost 4% of his birth weight, which is normal I was told. Today he was weighed again and has almost regained his weight - 2oz to go. He is a very sleepy baby, slightly jaundiced, and I have to wake him for feeds at times.

Our latch is rubbish by all the textbooks, his gape is not wide at all, but my nips are not sore except for a couple of seconds at the beginning when he draws them out IYSIM? He will only ever take one breast at a time and never more often than 2 hourly...4 hourly at night unless I work very hard to wake him. And he feeds for 20 minutes max, but more often 10...gulping loudly the whole time and I see him swallowing.

He poos a tremendous amount...but they are very small. Bright yellow and curdy though. He wets tons of nappies (8 last night alone)

So, nothing sounds normal but he seems to be doing ok doesn't he? It's just that DS1 never slept and ate constantly...and would not breast feed no matter how hard I tried, so there is definitely baggage and I am not confident.

Please tell me I am doing ok! I am so anxious it is ridiculous and poor DH can't reassure me no matter how hard he tries.

Oh and we co sleep and he has constant access to breasts so I don' think I can get him to feed any more often than he does.

sounds like everything is going fantastically well TPL - congratulations!

I think they sleep loads for the first couple of weeks and often start wanting to feed a bit more often after that - that was certainly the case with my two.

You are doing great - be proud of yourself

Oh that is good to know, thank you! My DS1 ate like a baby horse right from the start so it is just so different this time.

I am feeling SO proud at the moment

Sounds like you're doing fab TPL DD was a bit sleepy then 'woke up' and started feeding constantly so you never know he may start feeding more soon. He does sound like he's doing well though, well done!

You're doing great.

Dd only ever wanted one side a feed. She would sometimes go 4-5 hours between feeds (hv told me to wake her for feeds, advice which I ignored). Shr lost about 10% of birthweight in hosp, then was on the 95th percentile by a few months old! She is now a very active and happy 13 mo and currently scoffing Weetabix in her high chair.

If he feeds quickly sounds like the latch is working fine, even if not "textbook". Best advice I had on bfing from nurse in hosp was to forget the complicated diagram on poster I was trying to follow - "The baby hasn't read that", she said, "The two of you will work it out". Loads of wet nappies - he's doing great.

Thanks so much everyone. We've just had another 15 minute feed including burping, 3.5 hours after the last feed, then straight back to deep sleep...guess I should just be grateful!

Sounds perfect - ideal, and couldn't be going more swimmingly! Make hte most of those four hour gaps at night!

I don't have text book latch with dd2 either, but no pain and she gains weight beautifully. If it feels ok for you and your baby is pooing, weeing and gaining weight, then it's all good.

Sore nipples - check
One boob at a time - check
Yellow curdy poo - check
Lots of wet nappies - check
Almost back to birth weight - check

All sounds very normal (and very familiar) to me

Congratulations on your little one - he sounds perfect

darling, ds1 was like this, and I'm sure if he had been breastfed he would have been the same. He was like a little robot, a textbook baby. Ds2 was such a shock, let me tell you!

If he is healthy looking I'm convinced he is fine. There is no way on earth a mother as attentive and instinctive as you would possibly get it wrong. You just won't, I have utter faith in you!

Thanks again all. DS2 achieved the magical 2 boob goal last night (once) so maybe he is getting hungrier!

Coldtits you are so kind Come and see us when the holidays are over.