Still hungry after 4oz EBM?

[roslily]

Ok, quick background-

I am suffering with the constantness of breastfeeding and have been diagnosed with PND. It was suggested that I express so Hubbie could do one feed a day so I could rest.

So twice now I have expressed 4oz and left him to It. He drinks it down, Hubbie winds him, changes, etc but still he chews fists and roots around and screams so I end up feeding him too.

I am really struggling. I desperately want to breastfeed, but can't cope with hourly feeds every night.

How big is the baby? Depending on how big he is, he very well could still be hungry after 4 oz.

Also, could your husband give him the ebm at one of the less hungry times of the baby's day, so you get a decent break?

roslily - a lot going on here, your feelings and the diagnosis of colic in your baby at just 2.5 weeks

Giving ebm may not be the only option for you (though it's a perfectly reasonable suggestion from your midwife, I can see). In a baby with colic/reflux/whatever problems, the use of a bottle may not help, and in any case, a baby of this age is usually best comforted by being close to mum, skin to skin, and may find the bottle does not really 'cut it'...he could well be hungry after glugging it down or just want to be close to you. Normal, normal, normal

Have whatever rest you can...but it helps to accept your baby may prefer settling with you, rather than fighting it.

Have you considered co-sleeping, to help with the night feeds?

A call to one of the bf helplines to talk the whole situation through will help, I think too.

You need a lot of TLC, and it's great your dh can help you rest.

I agree about the timing of the ebm - this might be something you could talk about on the line, too.

Thanks. Baby is 9lbs at last weigh in if that makes a difference.

I will try calling, thanks...

oh - cosleeping really makes a difference.

I actually bottlefed, but I did find amongst my friends who bottle fed that larger babies drink more milk. My friend who, until now only had 5lb babies, was horrfied and a little awestruck at her teeny new (8lb4) baby guzzling down 5 oz then passing out for 4 hours.

Enough of that, ds2 was a night waker and I used to put him on the moses basket, then rest the moses basket on the bed. I barely had to open my eyes to deal with him, and I got a great deal more sleep (although I did once try to feed his ear)

We are co-sleeping as that is the only place he will sleep, he hates the moses basket.

We had a slightly better night last night and managed an hour sleep at a time and a two hour stretch this morning

He is 9lb at last weigh in.