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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Hungry 3 wk old

10 replies

Phonicsangel · 07/04/2009 23:05

My 3wk old son is contantly hungry and i'm not sure that i have enough milk to satisfy him . He crys constantly and is always rooting for food the only time he will settle is after the morning feed as i'm very full but then the feeds after is contantly on and off and wont settle for a nap or seems full . By the end of the day he is crying so much and is constantly swapped from one breast to the other . I'm getting really upset and so are my other children . He lost a lb at his 15 day HV check which is a lot and he had very dry nappies which i then gave him a bottle of formula which he gulped down. Can you advise me how to increase my supply and have i really got enough milk. Any advice would be appreciated.

OP posts:
MamaG · 07/04/2009 23:08

Hi Phonicsangel.

I'm not an expert on bf, but I am feeding my baby so I'll give you my opinion.

3 weeks is real growth spurt time and they do seem to be hungry at this time. I remember posting a thread at this stage asking for help!

The only way to increase your supply is to feed more. Can you have a babymoon where you take to your bed for as long as poss, day and night, don't wear a top and keep baby in just a nappy if possible. Just snuggle up and feed (with a telly ) having lots of skin to skin.

If thats not possible, put baby to breast as often as possible. Swap breasts when he's finished on one breast at feeds.

Really - feed feed feed is the best advice I personally was given

Good luck

shonaspurtle · 07/04/2009 23:11

Dry nappies are a bit of a worry. Have they got better? You should be getting heavy wet nappies and dirty nappies.

Has anyone checked your latch to make sure he's transferring the milk effectively? How's his weight now?

Original poster
Phonicsangel · 07/04/2009 23:18

The MW & HV checked that he was latched on properly and they said he was and seemed to be eating . He does fall a asleep alot during feeds which i have to keep waking him and then he will suckle again . I have HV coming back Thurs to check weight as she was quite concerned i have been giving a bottle at night since her visit but Bf only up until then . Nappies are getting slightly wetter but i think that's the formula.

OP posts:
MamaG · 07/04/2009 23:28

You must be anxious.

Can I suggest you ring one of the BF helplines? la leche league, nct etc? Could you ask your HV if there is a local BF counsellor? We have one who talked me through a few worries on the phone (little things like positioning whilst lying down in bed) - they often can come and visit you at home to help.

The only way to increase your supply is for your baby to demand it, by feeding. Giving formula isn't the way to go, although I can 100% understand why you are doing (I did same with DS1 on advice of HV and he ended up being exc FF and STILL didn't pile on teh pounds! He was - and is- just thin)

MamaG · 07/04/2009 23:29

oh and don't wait until thursday to speak to HV about a counsellor. Ring her tomorrow morning but DEFINITELY ring one of hte helplines

shonaspurtle · 07/04/2009 23:36

Second the helplines - I don't want to scare you, but a friend was told by several midwives and her hv that her dd was latched on properly. She wasn't and became dehydrated.

My friend did get proper help (and an apology from the hospital) and managed to bf combined with ff for a short while but she switched to full ff quite quickly. She feels that if the problem had been caught earlier she would have bf for longer.

Lots of people have problems at the start (me included) but there is help out there.

In the meantime, have a look at the videos on this site it shows how to check the latch is good and your baby is feeding well and has lots of good advice. Kellymom is another great site. But not a substitute for a person seeing you feed so please do call the helplines.

Original poster
Phonicsangel · 07/04/2009 23:42

I am anxious and i really want to bf i only managed 10 wks with DD2. I'm just concerned as i seem to be constantly feeding him and he then doesn't seem full or settled and then when i finally give him the bottle it's like TG i've finally been fed . I'm just concerned also that we have very dry nappies and lack of weight gain.But my other children are skinny so maybe like you said just may be him. I only give one bottle at night so we can all have a rest to stock up again and so that he is slightly rested to start again. I will call advice lines that you suggested .. Thanks for your advice

OP posts:
Original poster
Phonicsangel · 07/04/2009 23:47

I did read in the Baby Whisper book about babies not being latched on properly and becoming dehydrated and died .. I will definately call helpline tomorrow would be good if someone could come round as i did call when BF DD2 but noone could come round . Thanks both of you for your posts .

OP posts:
PortAndLemon · 07/04/2009 23:57

Constantly feeding him without his seeming full or settled is totally normal. It's how they build up your milk supply -- as someone on here said once, it's like putting a note out for the milkman "an extra pint tomorrow, please". The more you give formula, the more you interfere with those natural signals.

Given that you're concerned about his lack of wet nappies (have you tried putting a cotton wool ball inside the nappy so that you can get a sense for whether he's weeing, as modern disposables soak it all up very quickly?) and the amount he's sleeping, though, seeing a counsellor in person is definitely the way to go.

MamaG · 08/04/2009 13:53

Did you have any luck with the helplines phonicsangel?

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