1st time mum - b'feeding blooper, help

[bumpylump]

Help, I think I have made a blooper with my very hungry baby 5 wks. I started giving a bottle before bed to top him up for bedtime. The following week I had to start giving one in the morning too after b'feeding for 1 and a 1/2 hrs and running out of milk. Am feeling quite low now as he finished his 6pm feed tonight after 20 minutes with lots of screaming and pinging of my nipple like an elastic band(ouch), and the little blighters are completely empty again, so I had to crack open the SMA again.

At this rate I'll only be doing a couple of feeds myself a day, I really dont want that.

I feel like ive been sleeping with a pnematic drill all night, then stampeded by a heard of rhino's. I'm afraid he woke evry two hours with blood curdling screams that made me want to cry too. Didnt give in tho so am feeling quite pleased, not sure dh feels the same tho.

Seems to be sucking more for comfort I think as is bringing his little knees up lots and is white round the mouth. Tried a dummy..not impressed with that..tried gripe water...loved that...am back to rocking him again, cot attatched to my foot as I type.

Seem to have a lot more milk though so there is some sun on the horizon I hope.

Aloha & Csa would be happy to look like a nice daisy cow this morning instead...more like a warthog with a hangover

I suspect that as you get into a rhythm with feeding he will sleep a bit better. I didn't mean to be discouraging about the swing - I think my ds would have loved it. DD is just a far easier baby altogether.

Bumpylump - sorry you feel so knackered. A word of caution about night feeds. In the early days babies night feeds stimulate the breast to produce more milk because prolactin levels are higher at night. Prolactin in a hormone that stimulates milk production. In the early days you might find it is quicker to feed a baby than spend hours trying to get them to sleep. Feed him first then give him to DH if he doesn't settle. You should find that as your milk supply goes up, he will settle better.

Think Mears idea about feeding then handing over is an excellent one! would have loved to be able to feed lying down. Never worked out how though!
Touche Eclat helps with general warthogginess

Haven't time to read the rest - but I found that my babies used to cluster feed in the evenings and go mad for breastfeeding between 5pm - 9pm whilst they were newborns....(it seemed to settle after a couple of months or so) - it was exhausting.

With first baby I gave in to top up feeding (largely because I didn't have the confidence that I was "producing enough milk" a little doubt that my mother managed to put into my mind..."she's obviously hungry... perhaps your milk isn't good enough quality") and due to top up feeding with formula I found my milk supply dwindling.

With second baby i decided to tough it out and 'have faith'. His evening feeding frenzy settled after a while, and even during that period he was gaining weight so I obviously wasn't 'running out' of milk.

Hooray for the swing. I've got my mornings back!
Had emotianal meltdown yesterday and was mumbling incoherantly after 2hrs of sleep so dh set off to Mothercare with a mission to buy a gadget..all blokes like that , came back with an armfull of toys and the baby swing, hooray.

Kept on feeding him like a madwoman and he woke at 3am and 6am finally this morning. Am pleased I didnt throw in the towel thanks to all of your advice.

Can I ask if any of your babies had reflux? he is sick after almost every feed, he sleeps like an angel then creases his face up in pain and screams for 20 seconds or so then stops each time. This can go on for the whole time he is sleeping. Also he is blowing off for England but this seems to hurt him as he cries afterwards, is this normal & is it connected?

no experience of reflux... but do see health visitor/GP if concerned.

regarding crying after blowing off... think this is normal, and not that he is in pain, but just surprised... after all, he isn't used to this strange bottom feeling!

Very true Starlover. And no one told me that something that size could make a noise that big either..let alone what happened to his little boy's bits when I changed his nappy yesterday for some reason I thought he'd be about 13 before that started.

bumpylump well done on breastfeeding youve been given lots of good advice here-my advice would be similar keep breastfeeding as often as you can an it gets easier forom here the first few weeks are def. the hardest youve done that now so well done again!- it really is worth it

you try some nelsons teetha medicine for the screaming(sounds like wind) -this is homeopathic chamomilla - totally safe and natural for babies(newborns too) works for wind and is very calming/soothing.boots do an own brand one for 3.99 def worth a try !

other thing on wind is that its sometimes caused by what you eat-(you prob know this)-avoid grapes, green veg like cabbage ,spicy food, but dont limit your diet too much-babies soon seem to get used to stuff and become tolerant to it-helps later when weaning too if theyre used to lots of flavours

er... meant you could try

i had reflux as a baby but my 2 were ok should get better with time -sounds like it might be windy burps do you always get his wind up after a feed ?

re the other (wily!) thing my poor ds is potty training at the mo and sometimes wets his face at night cause of that old problem

Will def try that Lunachic and go to Boots tomm. He seems to have a time delay bringing wind up, I have tried breaking after the first breast and trying but seems to come out the other end when changing his nappy instead

sounds like its wind then !

a good way to get wind up is to sit them up on your knee holding them with your hands spread out under there arms iyswim - and rotate them(from the waist ) slowly one way and then the other -a nurse showed me this method and its better than just patting back

walking about with them is also good -going up and downstairs works too but this method is too energetic best left to dad or grandma !

oh and all the natural pruducts in boots are on 3 for 2 even more reason to get down there !