Crikey! is this normal??

[mad4mainecoons]

Just wanted your experiences or opinions on this?

My DD is now 10 days old and has been fully breast fed since birth. and as advised i have been feeding her on demand but at certain time of the day - and not always the same times - she seems to become really hungry, just wanting to feed and feed. she does fall asleep on the boob no matter what i do but has usually fed for a good 10 mins before doing so. so i put her down asleep and within 10 mins she is awake again and rooting for more milk

im confused as to if she is hungry as there still seems to be milk left (it will drip out if she pulls off). or if she is just comforting herself to get off to sleep. is there a way to tell the difference?

so far i have not given her a dummy as i was worried it would stop our feeding being successful but if she is only sucking for comfort im beginning to wonder....

sorry for the long post, any guidance greatly appreciated.

yes it is normal. it's called cluster feeding, quite often newborns do it either in the evening, or first thing in the morning.

it kind of sucks, but it's a good excuse to sit around and get peopel to bring you tea and biscuits. and of course, it's great for your supply!

It's not unusual for babies to feed very frequently.

You might consider getting your latch checked so you can be confident DD is getting the most milk at a time that she can.

Have you got any breastfeeding support groups near you? Might be worth a drop in.

I wouldn't have said comfort sucking is something to worry about in one so young, if at all.

Her tummy is very tiny yet, too.

Places to check for local drop in or telephone support here

Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
www.abm.me.uk
Helpline: 08444 122 949
Offers voluntary mother-to-mother support, counselling and information for breastfeeding women. Helpline open from 9.30am to 10.30pm.

National Breastfeeding Helpline
Helpline: 0300 100 0212
Funded by the Department of Health and staffed by trained volunteer mothers from the Breastfeeding Network and the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers. Lines are open between 9.30am and 9.30pm every day of the year.

NCT Breastfeeding helpline
Breastfeeding Line: 0300 330 0771
The National Childbirth Trust has trained breastfeeding counsellors who can offer individual advice and support. Lines are open between 8am and 10pm seven days a week.

La Leche League
www.laleche.org.uk
Helpline: 0845 120 2918
Helpline offering advice and information on breastfeeding, plus local group meetings.

Breastfeeding Network
www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk
Helpline: 0300 100 0210
Offers free, confidential telephone information on breastfeeding and one-to-one local support.

10 days is a classic growth spurt age so buy some chocolate, make a cup of tea, put on a DVD and just go with it! It will settle down again after a while.

Yes this is normal. It's probably a growth spurt. I remember these days! As MrsJamin says, load up on choc, tea and park yourself on the sofa.

I look back on those days with fondness (although my nipples don't ) - now my DS is wriggling to look at the world when feeding so much less cuddle time!