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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Exclusive breastfeeding support thread

86 replies

Reallytired · 13/08/2009 22:16

I thought I start a thread for those of us who are attempted to exclusively breastfeed up until 26 weeks as recommended by the NHS.

I have two children. A little boy who is seven years old and he had solid food at 16 weeks and a 17 week old baby girl. The weaning guidelines have changed beyond recognition since 7 years ago. My son is healthy inspite of weaned quite early by today's standards.

I need people to tell me to be strong and not give dd baby rice or top ups and that this latest growth spurt will pass.

OP posts:
lilymolly · 23/08/2009 12:09

Hi all

I have decided to join this thread again, as I only gave 2 teaspoons of baby rice last saturday, and it made naff all difference to his sleep, so I have decided that it did not count yes???....
and that I am still exclusively breastfeeding until 26 weeks

Anyhow...after last weeks awful sleeping, I decided to go cold turkey with the breastfeeding during the night, as I was convinced that he was comfort feeding and waking for a little suck rather than hunger. I also fed him at 5pm 6pm then 7pm to tanked him up for the night.

First nigth he woke we shoved his dummy in and he fell back to sleep. I did feed him at 3am but not again until 6am.

Next night he did not wake and by 5am I had to wake him as boobs where massively engorged
anyway, a week later, he is now only waking once at 5am at which point I feed him and he goes back to sleep, he then wakes up again at 6am, but we put dummy in and he goes back to sleep until 7.30am

The time period between 16 abd 21 weeks has been very hard and ds has had very disturbed sleep, but it looks like it has passed, so those of you strugglng, please hang in there

llareggub · 23/08/2009 12:55

No, the more you feed the more you'll produce. Don't listen to your mother!

Original poster
Reallytired · 23/08/2009 13:34

((((( lilymolly)))))))))

No one has to perfect to be on this thread, I hope this is a friendly thread. I'm glad that things are gettting better.

OP posts:
Original poster
Reallytired · 23/08/2009 13:35

SlightlyDoolally, have you tried a baby sleeping bag. (Grobag or Tescos/ Sainbury's imatation.)

OP posts:
SlightlyDoolally · 23/08/2009 17:40

Reallytired, I have tried a baby sleeping bag, but the free arms still keep him awake.

One final question, if I am tired (and I really am), does my milk become thinner or less filling in some way? I don't want to think I'm starving my baby for another 6 weeks and exhausting myself in the process....

Original poster
Reallytired · 23/08/2009 19:17

"
One final question, if I am tired (and I really am), does my milk become thinner or less filling in some way? I don't want to think I'm starving my baby for another 6 weeks and exhausting myself in the process.... "

I think that your milk remains the perfect consistancy for your baby. When your baby drinks because he/she is hot then he/she will feed little and often and switch breasts quite a lot so the baby gets lots of foremilk which quenches thirst.

If your baby is hungry then he/she will still on the breast for longer getting more hindmilk.

Our bodies are amazing and I agree its exhausting, especially if you have other children and its hot.

OP posts:
cassell · 23/08/2009 21:22

Hope you've all had a good weekend. It's been feeding central here, feel like I haven't done much else! Ds is wanting to feed more or less all the time but gets easily distracted while feeding and then starts pulling and pinching the breast - oh and still biting as well from time to time, nothing seems to have stopped that yet. 'm a bit concerned that my supply isn't keeping up as well, just hoping that it will regulate itself and that this is just a phase....

I agree with reallytired, I don't think that the milk quality is affected by tiredness (hope not anyway!)

lilymolly · 24/08/2009 08:14

ds slept 7 till 7 last night afte about 6 weeks of hell

So anyone having problems, hang on in there, as I promise It can get better

Original poster
Reallytired · 24/08/2009 08:26

"ds slept 7 till 7 last night afte about 6 weeks of hell "

lol... but that won't last. My daughter slept 8 to 6 at about 10 weeks, but she started waking up again.

still last night was quite good in that we only had one wakening. I feel fine as I did get a block of about 5 hours sleep.

I agree it does get better,

OP posts:
exasperatedmum · 24/08/2009 08:42

This thread just caught my eye, although it has come a little too late for me - my ds is 6 months this Thursday, so we're nearly there! He's been feeding every three hours (or more frequently) during the day, and up two or three times at night most nights although we do have the occasional night where he sleeps through(ish). You're all doing a great job - know how difficult it feels at times... With my first, 6 months seemed to stretch out in front of us like an eternity, but this time around has gone really quickly!! Am ready to launch into BLW at the end of the week, so looking forward to that. Keep on going everyone!

lilymolly · 24/08/2009 08:42

Reallytired my ds is now 21 weeks old, so I have had my problems as my earlier posts tell.

And my ds was exactly the same, was a great sleeper until about 15 weeks

I was not coming on here trying to be unsupprotive, quite the opposite, I was simply trying to show, that it can get better, withour resorting to either early weaning or adding formula (both of which have crossed my mind several times)

Original poster
Reallytired · 24/08/2009 13:28

Sorry lilymolly, you are an inspiration to me and you are doing a lot better than me.

I'm very tired and I typed without thinking.

I have to admit I am having really serious doults about getting to 26 weeks. I let my daughter hold and lick a bit of salad, but I don't think she has yet swallowed any. My son gave her a bit of his fruit salad and my daughter sucked it with great pleasure, but again none of it got swallowed.

I am in a dilema whether I am doing the right thing waiting until 26 weeks.

OP posts:
Meeeow · 24/08/2009 14:19

Reallytired great sign in name by the way! and what a great idea for a thread. I am a new mum; DD is nearly 3 weeks but I am determined to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. So far I have been very lucky; lots of milk and a satisfied baby gaining weight beautifully and filling the correct amount of nappies. But I can already see that there will be lots of questions and need for support on this journey. So thank you for starting this thread

whelk · 24/08/2009 15:11

This arrived at the top of the page just as I need it. dd2 is 19 weeks and exclusively bf. Weaned dd1 too early - I was a sheep and everyone was doing it - at about 20 weeks. Im determined to get to26 weeks this time especially as my dd1 has allergies. But its so hard - Im so tired as dd2 gone from sleeping through to waking once, then twice, then three times in the night! Formula and/or solids but particularly formula has eneterd my head every night at approx 3am for a week!!
I just keep thinking that it passes so quickly and

  1. dd1 didn't sleep any better after havig solids
  2. If dd2 does get allergies then I have tried my best (as opposed to beating self up on a daily basis about dd1).

Good luck to all of you. I will read this thread with interest!

WelliesAndPyjamas · 24/08/2009 15:55

Well, at exactly 25 weeks we gave in to ds2's desperate pleas for the banana his big brother was eating (and I mean he really, really wanted it - almost looked like a tantrum - so unlike him!) and we let him gnaw away at a little chunk for a few mins. He swallowed some although not much so I reckon he has officially started weaning! Will give him something else again in a week or so. He is much much hungrier at night now too and my left boob (my preferred side for feeding whilst co-sleeping) is usually quite raw by morning - ouch!

It's quite emotional making this transition, isn't it? My baby is growing up...

imaginewittynamehere · 24/08/2009 16:07

Hi all just thought I'd give some support. DD2 is 6 months today! She slept 8 hrs at night with a feed & then another 4 from 6-19 weeks, then started waking every 3-4 hrs until last week. She is now back sleeping 9hrs, waking for a feed & sleeping another 3. I've changed nothing she is still exclusively BF.

I'm actually dreading starting weaning in-case it disturbs this new phase

lilymolly · 24/08/2009 17:00

reallytired

at little old me being an inspiration!

Hang on in there

will write more later when babes are in bed

essenceofSES · 25/08/2009 19:28

How's everyone doing today?
We've had a good day with a visit from my godmother who thought DS was adorable.
He does seem to be feeding a bit more again at the moment though and whereas he normally has one or two pooey nappies a day, we've had 4 so far today!!

imaginewittynamehere - thanks for the support and good luck with the weaning

whelk - welcome to the thread. Hope you post occassionally as well as read

meeow - welcome to you too and congrats on your newborn DD

Original poster
Reallytired · 25/08/2009 19:58

We had a really good day. My son went to a local wildlife centre in the morning where there were children's activites. In the afternoon he did archery and then finally he went swimming.

It has been great that we have been able to all these activites without having to lug bottles of formula or baby food about.

We had a good night last night with just one wakening at 12.20pm. I even got a lie in until 7ish. I am feeling much better, but I have probably tempted fate.

Are people planning on doing baby led weaning? I can't make up my mind whether doing purees is natural or not. I believe that in many countries people chew the food for the baby. [Yuck emoticon] Its a very different experience to weaning my son seven years ago.

OP posts:
logrrl · 25/08/2009 20:53

Hi! I sort of butted in a while back without saying hello. I'm a formidable lurker!
DS is 21 weeks and adorable but nights are tough going at the minute-up every hour and a half for a feed last night (yawn). he took two good naps today, which was great because his naps have also gone to pot. Part of me is very sad to be thinking about weaning already, as I am just getting used to him being around (I had a tough time adjusting for many weeks after he was born)and being proud of what I've done. Is anyone else reluctant about weaning for this reason or am I just being plain old weird? Put it this way-I'm definitely waiting the 26 weeks! I do hope that the sleeping improves when we start weaning but as I said before, as we plan to do BLW (have bought and read the book and started thinking about appropriate veggie meals)it will probably be some time before he actually starts getting much nutrition from his food and therefore I will probably have to be a martyr to sleep for some time to come. For some reason he is taking ages to settle tonight, when he usually goes down beautifully...but his daddy is doing that job...
Its really helpful hearing other peoples experiences on this journey!

Meeeow · 26/08/2009 11:46

Hi essenceofSES thank you for the wecome

I'm interested in baby led weaning; obviously ages away for us at present so i shall be lurking and reading how people trying it get on. i have a friend at work who used this method with his little boy and swears by it.

cassell · 26/08/2009 16:16

We've had a bit of a bad day today - car broke down while we were out, so ds & I had to sit on the side of the road and wait for the AA to come and rescue us - and turned out to be a fault with a part we'd only had replaced a couple of months ago so it's now back at the garage to be replaced again

Anyway back to babies...

I'm thinking about blw, got the book on request at the library! though thinking we might do a combination (probably not at all recommended!) of purees/allowing him to help himself to finger foods. Reluctant to allow him to choose what he eats entirely - my mum did this with me and I apparently ate nothing but banana for 2 years! can't stand them now...!

Thankfully the last day or two ds has not been feeding quite as frequently as the last couple of weeks and seems generally a bit more contented.

Logrrl - I don't think it's weird to feel a bit odd about starting weaning as it's the end of us being the sole source of sustenance for the LOs and the start of their independence - quite exciting for them though!

whelk · 26/08/2009 17:45

Bad night for us and Im sorely tempted by formula I must say especially as EVERYONE keeps telling me thats what dd2 needs. PLease help me and tell me why not!!

Meeeow · 26/08/2009 18:52

Whelk don't give in, tell people to mind their own bussiness, I know they mean no harm but you really are giving your baby the best food and if you can, bf should be continued, remember your baby gets so much more form your breastmilk, immunisations etc and formular just doesn't provide this. Hang in there and let others' advice to the contrary go over your head. I have a friend who has been encourage me that formular is the way forward and my lo is only 3 weeks!People are of course free to their opinions but if you are happy bf stick to it you are doing a great job to get this far you lo will thank you in the future when she is big, strong and healthy! My mum bf me for over a year and I (touch wood) have never been properly ill in 26 years!.

logrrl · 26/08/2009 19:32

whelk don't forget that formula will not guarantee a full nights sleep-there are people at my BF Mum and baby group who switched to formula and even started solids, with NO effect on their babies sleep...

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