5 day old BF for 3 hours - is this normal?

[Tobermory]

DD is 5 days old, during the day feeds for 30-45 mins on average though with some cluster feeds which last longer.
She started feeding tonight at 9.15, and has been on - off the breast but off for only minutes. She is in her Moses basket now but still squeaking and nibbling her hand.
Is this normal?
3 hours?

Has your milk come in yet?

Sorry, that was very blunt Rough night.

What I meant to ask was has your milk come in yet? Or could she be stimulating more milk?

The first growth is at around a week, so maybe she has hit it slightly early?

Congrats on your DD

No need for apologies, I assumed it was a relevant question!
When I express ( is that the term) I get a mic of very White milk and also at times a murky liquid, so I'm assuming somewhere in the middle?

I wish she would stimulate it at a more sociable time!!

Thankyou for the congrats

It sounds totally normal, I am sorry to say! As SirBoobAlot says, she is probably stimulating your milk to come in. Can you bring her into your bed? You will get more sleep (or at least rest!) this way. Don't worry about habits at this stage. I really think that co-sleeping is a sensible choice if you are breastfeeding, in the early days at least.

Unicef leaflet on safe bedsharing

Do your breasts feel engorged? Swollen and heavy and sensitive? If you're able to express and get some milk out, then that would suggest your milk has at least started to come in, so sounds like a growth spurt (bear in mind I am no expert, just talking from my own experience!).

RE expressing, remember that it works on a demand = supply. The more you express, the more milk you will create. So don't express too much unless you are entirely feeding by expressing or you will end up with watermelons on your chest

Sirboobalot, yes exactly like that. When I use the term expressing I really mean the squeezing a drop or two o fluid which I suppose is something entirely different.

Bertie thanks for the link, will read it tomorrow when I can see straight!

If you can lie down with her next to you you can doze off while she sucks and then you won't be so tired tomorrow. You will definitely know when your milk comes in! When she starts sucking and comes off it will squirt everywhere, I guess if you are only getting a few drips it is starting though. Good luck!

I don't think I can do this, so tired.

Oh you poor thing, it always seems so much worse in the middle of the night.
Have you got other dc? If no, then sleep when you can,if you have then get someone else to take then whilst you nurse the baby. Keep resting, don't do anything, just lie with your dd and let her feed.
It does pass mine are 8 & 7 now but I remember feeling just as exhausted as you are now.
Congratulations and remember to make everyone look after you particually in these very early days x

My DD would normally feed for about 45/50 mins at that stage but did a few marathon 1.5 hr plus sessions. My HV told me she was using me like a dummy. She was/is a very sucky baby. Is your DD swallowing?

Sounds like it's going well though. Congrats.

Hi Tobermory - it is exhausting, isn't it? Dd2 now 2 weeks but I remember with dd1 how much easier it got in a few weeks - ds was ff and although that is a bit easier initially it very quickly is much more hassle than established bf. Rest whenever you can, co sleep and keep repeating to yourself "this too will pass"

when your HV comes, get her to check for a tonguetie using her finger under the tongue. My DS had a minor one, missed by 3 MWs, picked up by the BFing expert and we had it snipped when he was ~2wo, made a massive difference to his feeding (~2hrs every time during the day pre-snip, 1hr reducing to 45 mins and less post-snip)

Ds2 fed non-stop from about 9-10 pm till 2am every day for the first two weeks. Rough, but sorted out my milk supply just fine!

It is tough - but it gets easier very quickly, truly it does. Remember you are recovering from birth as well, and adjusting to being a parent! The first two weeks really are very hard. Keep doing what you're doing, you're doing fantastically! x

Thankyou for your posts everyone, last night was v v tough. She eventually dropped off sometime after 4.30 . Am shattered thus morning and seriously wondering if I can carry on, dont think I can do many more sessions like last night. Am very weepy.

DD is having her feed, DH is making me breakfast then I will have a shower and sleep! MW is visiting today so I will talk things through with her

Newkiwi, I did wonder about her using it as some kind of comforter given how long she is on there.

She is only 6 days old - she has gone from being at the perfect temperature, constantly held and rocked, never hungry or thirsty, constant gentle rhythmic shushing noises to bright, too cold/too hot, loud harsh noises, hunger & thirst, being apart from mum, all these new skills to learn.

Is it any wonder she wants to be held and to suckle?

I don't mean this in a sarcastic or bitchy way but in the sleep deprived haze of the first few weeks of a baby's life it's easy to forget they haven't read what they are 'supposed' to do and don't go to sleep in the cot if they are put don sleepy but not yet asleep, go 2-3 hours between feeds, gain 6-8 oz a week (after regaining birth weight that is!), sleep in 6 hour stretches......

At this age feeding constantly, wanting to be held constantly, not liking to be put down or left is completely age appropriate behaviour.

I also felt proud that I was my babies comforter, it showed they were bonded to me. Fecking annoying though when you need a wee but you gotta take the rough with the smooth

Good luck with the mw.

Pah to anyone who says 'she is using you as a dummy'

She is using you as a mummy!!

How lovely that babies find comfort in their mothers, and in their mother's close, loving, bodily contact at the breast.

This does mean the mum needs to work out ways to get her own sleep and rest and she needs to be looked after too. Hope you find this, Tobermory, so both you and your little dd can feel ok and nurtured

Get the remote, get some chocolate a big jug of water and just get comfy.

"The using you as a dummy" thing drives me up a wall. No, they would be using a dummy as a Me, not the other way around!