Baby falling asleep when put on the boob, forced into FF by profs. PLS Help.

[somewhathorrified]

I'm hoping I can condense this down so you don't get bored...

Basically had bad start at BF and didn't get some confidence til day 4, day 5 MW came and weighed him, he'd lost 12% body weight and she sent us to SCBU. At SCBU they tried to keep him over night (although all the tests came back within norms of BF baby), would only let us home if we FF top ups. Baby weighed 2 days later had put on 100grms, so that's good. But now at 10days old he's on 60ml of formula and 15 mins(ish) per boob per feed. I have no idea if my milks 'come in' as I've not got the full, rock hard feeling (although they have grown about a cup size in the last few days and are mildly firmer than b4 and produce white, slightly greasy milk looking stuff).

I've tried to fill him on the breast to reduce FF but he just falls asleep the minute he gets on my boob. MW said to hassle him to wake when he falls asleep which I did, but am finding that he still won't feed as he gets too stressed then won't nap between feeds making him more tired and harder to wake during the next feed. Luckily there's no nipple confusion but I think he prefers bottle to boob because it takes less effort. Don't know what to do, I love BF him and I feel like such a failure. Would love to just stop the bottle FF feeds but the health profs have got me feling like they are breathing down my neck and that I can't chance his weight dipping again.

If anyone has got any suggestions about keeping baby awake, but not stressed when feeding; any suggestions on reducing ff in diet etc I'd really appreciate it.

sorry night not nih

Squiglet is right about the night time lactation, methinks - you have more milk then, plus you need to keep up feeding to keep your supply going. And about the bedtime feeding being the last to go even when weaning. I always found my LOs were fussier and I was tired and usually had a low supply from about 4 - 6 in the afternoon, so used ebm or in the case of youngest who I supplemented at first, she got more of the ff then.

HV said that best lactation was during the night and the lowest point was late evening...I thought this was because of having the rest period. Is this not the case then? Is it about the time the clock says or your own body clock? atm I'm going to bed at about 2 am, bub gets last feed (ff) at about 1.30am.

I was told any night feeding between 12 midnight and 2 am should be bf because supply was best at that time (borne out my my own observation of the way things went actually). I was usually in bed by 10 or 11 pm so had about 2 hours rest before quite a big feeding period (I had to wake DD who was a very sleepy baby every two hours round the clock) I think the supply theory depends on the assumption that you're getting a few hours of rest or sleep before midnight, maybe also on the assumption that you've eaten a nutritious evening meal and are adequately hydrated.

Hey - I'm all for getting expert help on this one. But...if its the bottle method he prefers (as in thats how he like to take the milk into his mouth - not whether its bm or fm) what about expressing - i know its a pain and exhausting but it would also build up your milk supply.

Also...this might be a bit random but my dd was a bit of a fussy feeder - as in stopping and fiddling/falling asleep - all sorts really. I cut out all caffiene after I read that it irritate's baby's liver. I have gone totally decaff with everything and its made massive diff - dd takes proper full feeds now and has stopped snacking/fiddling. I know that might be for other reasons but maybe worth a try.

Meanwhile hey good for you! 2 close friends of mine have been talked into giving up bf and both regret it - good luck x

Sounds as though you are getting there. I would not get too tied up about when milk production is at it's best. It is sometimes said that milk rpoducation is low in the evening but that is usually due to the fact babies often like to cluster feed in the evening, rather than anything to do with milk quantity/quality.

I expect that your HV meant you to use FF just before bed meaning some time before midnight?

Why are you not going to bed until 2am? You need to sleep earlier than that. Your prolactin levels are higher during the night so when your baby feeds you are increasing your milk production.

If you can, feed lying down in bed during the night and snooze at the same time. If you both fall asleep together then that is not an issue as long as you are not under the influence of drugs and alcohol!

I've recently had a similar experience being pretty much forced to give top up formula feeds or take the option of keeping my baby in scbu on a drip (which wasn't going to help much with bf). My baby was smallish (2.5 kilos)and jaundiced but he is my third and I was confident I had enough milk to exclusively bf. So did more or less as told while in hospital and have not given him any formula since I came out. Instead I have got a great electric double breast pump and have given him top-ups of expressed breast milk so I could be sure he was getting enough food, although I am reducing the pumping now as he is gaining weight and demanding feeds. He does fall asleep on the breast and unfortunately this means he wakes a relatively short time later for more feeding but overall I don't feel it means he goes hungry - hv had little success with the blowing, tweaking his ears etc which just make him grumpy but a nappy change often helps. Re your milk coming in - I never woke with huge boobs either, I think because I was busy feeding and expressing around the clock but once the milk is white rather than yellow then it has come in as far as I know, usually about daY 4 or 5

mears I go to bed at around 2am for no particular reason, it's just that I always have. Midnight would seem like an early night! Strange, I've never really thought about it. Re cosleeping, I won't do it, loads of reasons for me not being happy about doing it, think its great if you can, but it's not for me.

DS does seem to be getting to grips with boob, much less falling asleep on there, ever shorter feeding times (down to about 50min feeds instead of 1-2 hrs) I reckon in another week or so we'll have it sorted.

no time to read all replies, but I had this with my daughter, we took all her clothes off and put ice cubes on her feet! She only did it when she was tiny, first couple weeks. Stick at it.

somewhathorrified - what I was suggesting isn't co-sleeping per se.

I had 4 babies and also returned to work part-time when breastfeeding. I was knackered a lot of the time and at night I brought my baby into bed to feed.(actually swung them in holding them by their babygro!) I would lie down, latch them on and close my eyes. If I woke up I put them back in their crib. If i dodn't they stayed there. I never had any problems with babies not settling in their cots when put down at night. I personally would not want to have co-slept as a parenting method.

There is nothing worse than watching a clock when you are night feeding, so if you feel you can't do what I did, try not to make a point of seeing what time it is when you feed.

Sounds as though you are making good progress. Make sure you do get sleep though, whether that is between feeds in the afternoon even.