Help with feeding issues with 3 week old

[houmousandcarrotsandwich]

Sorry this might be a long one!

I am breastfeeding my 3 week old DS. I have been expressing occasionally since engorgement at 1 week (reccomended by MW). usually has a EBM at bed time as was going down much better if I did this. All was going well...

The last few days, he's not been settling very well. He is latched on for 1 - 1.5 hours each feed (surely he cant be feeding for that long?!) and going 2-3 hours between feeds (he was 3-4 hours). So have had very little sleep!
Even his EBM feeds, he is asking for more 2 hours later. He is gusling down 4onz, so next feed was going to try 5onz, is this ok? Also is it OK to express this off at seperate times? as there is noway I can get 5onz off in one session (using an electric pump)
Am so close to chucking it all in and going to formula. I feel so drained, and am finding I'm not getting any quality time with DS. It would be a shame as we started so well.
He is being weighed tommorow, if no gain then that will tip it i think.
Would love to hear others views and ideas

You need someone else to answer your questions about expressing, but I would say if he is regularly going so long on the breat you could benefit from having your latch checked at you local breastfeeding group or cafe.

You could try looking at the websites of the Breastfeeding Network, the NCT and LaLeche league to find one.

I think 2-3 hours between feeds at this age is quite normal, but such a long time feeding suggests to me that he needs to get the milk out a bit more efficiently.

going 2 - 3 hours at 3 weeks is amazing!

my own experience with DD was she fed hourly if not more freqently at this age

they do have a bit of a growth spurt at around 3 weeks as well

you have to trust your baby knows how much he needs to eat and let him feed even if it seems to be all you are doing!

you can express at different times - best time i have found is after the morning feed

you can add to it during the day as well

there is now way to say formula would be any better - you may well be making up bottle after bottle and then you have to wash and sterilise on top of it all

if you can, go to bed with your baby - feed him laying down so you can rest

i did this quite a lot in the early days

you have my utter sympathies - it is utterly knackering and tiring and draining

(if you search the archives you will see many posts from me on the subject )

had to take our newborn to spec care when very tiny and a consultant told me that it takes between 15 -20 mins to take what is in one side, so the rest of the time it is comfort. also I think that your body produces breastmilk with different constituents depending on the time of the day, so in the evening more stuff that helps with sleep (sorry can't be more specific). Weight gain isn't always uniformly up. both my dd's lost weight during the first month, but it was clear that they were alert and with it. with the first dd I FF in the evening, with the second i persisted and it was fine. try and stay with it. the health benefits for the baby are enormous if you can get to six months, and once it's sorted it's a doddle - honestly. Is there a breastfeeding clinic you can go to. Often breastfeeding counsellors will come to you to help you over this. all the best.

FRor what its worth, I'm always a bit sceptical about the 15-20 minute thing, especially in a very young child. I was told the same thing, but I'm sure not all babies need to feed for the same amount of time.

i have asked similar questions re length of feeding times and the answer is that however long baby needs to feed for is the right length of time for then

DD feeds super fast - 10 mins per side although up to 20 mins at night

DS used to take an hour minimum

you cannot say an arbitrary amount of time is "right"

He's just had 5onz of EBM, wonder how long until next feed (will prob be breast as wont be able to make that again in a hurry!)

Had my latch checked by midwife about 10 days ago, and she said it looked good. If it was a latch issue, would I not have other signs? (such as sore nipples, which I dont at all).
The only thing I do get is a blueish tinge at the end of my nipple after a feed or when I have finished expressing. Breasts also tingle between feeds/expressing, but I assume that them refilling.

I cried the whole time I was feeding him, starting to wish I hadn't bothered with breastfeeding in the first place. I really think I will be trying formula soon. The sterilising etc, doesn't really bother me as Im doing all that with expressing anyway (plus the faff of expressing regularly)

you don't need to sterilise anything with breastmilk!

i learnt this on MN

i express and just hot wash everything in the dishwasher and leave to air dry

it is sooooooo unbelievably knackering

i cried frequently in the early days and didn't think i would get to 2 months but DD is now 16 weeks and EBF

the best advice i was given on MN was that in the early days you just need to feed your baby and not go mad - everything else can wait or be delegated to your DP/DH if you have one

Midwives don't necessesarily have a lot of training in bf. They have to take an interest themselves. I'm not sure you would get other symptoms with a poor latch.

I was in bits at three weeks. Don't go thinking this is unusual!

Sorry - DD whirling around me - meant to add, you're doing great.

hi houmous,

I just wanted to echo everything that has been said before- feeding at 3 weeks is completely random and will remain unpredictable for a few weeks yet. Your baby knows what he needs- I know it's exhausting when they latch on forever (DS would do 2 hour feeds until about 4 months) but try to see it as quality time in itself. Formula may seem tempting now, but if you can give it a bit longer, I reckon you'll be glad you did.