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Infant feeding

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

Overfeeding breast fed baby?

6 replies

MHill · 20/03/2009 12:36

Hi
Sorry - this is a long post -typed with one hand while holding my DD1! I am having a few problems with feeding (she is 3 weeks old today!). It has been a hard slog sticking with the breast feeding so far (had an emergency c section and tongue tie baby) but i really want to stick with it. I guess my worry is whether she is getting enough food. According to the signs the MW have told me (nappy frequency etc) she is fine but sometimes i'm nt sure whether to feed her. Everything i have read suggests that basicly you should feed a baby whenever they want it - ie when they root around/suck hands/fingers/ will take it. This is what i did for the first couple of weeks until i read that there is a condition where the baby has wind from getting too much foremilk and milk coming too fast so they act like they want to feed because it gives them temporary relief from the pain, but in the long run feeding them makes the condition and pain worse, a bit of a vicious circle (I hope i explained that properly!)So now i'm in a dilema - should i feed her when she seems to want it (this can be every hour sometimes but she only feeds for about 20 mins on average) or try to distract her so i don't overfeed her and give her stomach ache (which breaks my heart when she is crying and looking at me and i can't give her what she wants)? Hope someone with more experience than me can help.

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MamaG · 20/03/2009 12:52

Hi MHill - I also had an emCS and a tongue tied baby. Hard isn't it! You've done a great job so far and I would say 100% keep feeding when baby seems to want it. I kept feeding my baby when he wanted it and he's now a strapping boy of over 22lbs at 18 weeks!

Unless your baby seems to be in discomfort and is disressed whilst feeding, just keep feeding on demand. 3 week old babies do tend to have a growth spurt as well, so she'll probably want to feed more than usual.

(has the tongue tie been dealt with, by the way?)

peppapighastakenovermylife · 20/03/2009 14:28

Well done you for keeping at it - can be tough at the best of times without dealing with c section and tongue tie. Has anything been done for the tongue tie by the way? (Sometimes if baby cannot latch on properly they may feed more frequently)

Newborns have such tiny stomachs and breast milk is so easily digested that feeds can be very frequent at first. From hearing others experiences every 2 hours is not uncommon and when they are having a growth spurt can easily be every hour. I wouldnt say you are over feeding her at all feeding that often.

What you describe can be down to too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk but that isnt necessarily down to feeding frequently. I think you would know if she had this problem - crying after feeds, squirming and wriggling a lot, perhaps green nappies. In that case the advice is usually to feed from one side over the course of two or three feeds so they are getting to the hind milk. From what you say I dont think this is an issue.

If you watch a little baby, when they are hungry they do tend to start mouthing, sucking hands etc - crying is often the last sign, so by feeding them when you notice this you are doing a fab job. It is true - breastfed babies tend to regulate their own intake of milk so as long as she is latching on happily (and who can actually force a bf baby to drink?) then she will sort her own needs out. I know how exhausting this can be but it is worth it in the end. Take it as an excuse - if you can - to put your feet up and watch tv!

As for feeding every 20 minutes that is normal too and varies from baby to baby and feed to feed. Both my babies only ever fed for 10 minutes at a time - friends babies may feed for an hour or more. They are all different and it sounds like she is doing great.

I wouldnt try and stretch out feeds at this early stage. Babies and boobs are really clever - they work out together how much milk you need to feed them. If baby feeds, you make more milk to match her needs. That is what growth spurts and lots of feeding are all about - stimulaing your supply. If you miss feeds, not only do you have a grumpy baby but you may not make as much milk as your body thinks you do not need it. This is especially important in the first few months or so as your body gets used to working out how much it needs.

You sound like you are doing a great job!

mrsgboring · 20/03/2009 14:33

My BFC told me that the foremilk hindmilk thing is far more to do with latch than duration of feeds - a baby who isn't that well latched will get more foremilk; a baby who is well latched will reach hindmilk pretty quickly so I don't think you need to worry (though you obviously need to be extra careful about latching with a tongue tied baby)

Sounds like you are doing a great job.

MHill · 20/03/2009 14:33

Hi MamaG - thanks for your message - it is hard and good to know i'm not on my own and that you have been sucessful with it. Everything i heard/read about BF while i was pregnant made it sound so easy - i had a real shock and a lot of tears that it wasn't like that in reality. The tongue tie was spotted and dealt with on the same day (when she was 3 days old) and it made a big difference.

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kathryn2804 · 20/03/2009 14:45

MHill, you have done brilliantly, well done. Too much fore-milk is definitely much more to do with the latch than the frequency of feeds. Plus, if your little one is 3 weeks, they have a growth spurt at about this time and need to feed all the time. It should settle down in a few days. There will be more growth spurts later on, about 6 weeks, and 3 mths, so watch out for those!

What people seem to forget to say to new Mums is that you have to LEARN how to breastfeed. It can take some time to get things right. Well done for persevering

MHill · 20/03/2009 14:50

PP and MB - sorry - didn't see your messages when i typed the last message! Thanks for the advice - thats useful info and advice. I like the excuse to sit and watch TV and MN while feeding without feeling guilty!

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