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Original poster

Day 2/3 feeding every 2 hrs ok??

22 replies

Thirstysomething · 23/12/2011 07:36

DS, (3rd child but seem to have forgotten everything I ever knew about babies...) born middle of tuesday night, so 55 hrs old or so. First 24 hrs sleepy, then terrible next 6 hrs, feeding all through weds night non-stop, calmed down a bit yesterday, but last night waking up every 1hr45mins and SHRIEKING for food. Pretty sure it is hunger, tried all other usual suspects, nappy, wind etc...
Demand feeding but when milk comes in would like to tryand stretch him to at least 3 hrs between feeds so he doesn't just snack.
He has just woken up after 1hr45 sleep and DH taken him downstairs, but been yelling ten mins now so prob going to feed him. Still colostrum I think.
DH thinks should keep him waiting a bit longer.
Wow, this post seems trivial... Amazing what you can get yourself worked up over when it is a new baby, I was really stressing about this!
Anyway, sorry, paranoid new baby's m

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Original poster
Thirstysomething · 23/12/2011 07:38

And then hit wrong key...
Any advice gratefully received, does it matter at this stage if he establishes 2 hourly pattern?

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TanteRose · 23/12/2011 07:42

Too early for ANY k

TanteRose · 23/12/2011 07:44

Sorry! Too early for any kind of routine - just feed him whenever he wants , which willbe ALL the time at this stage . He is ordering up the milk

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CharlieMumma · 23/12/2011 07:45

Deffo to early just feed him when he wants it. His tummy is the size of a walnut so he will eat little and often at the mo. no point stretching him out to 3 hours or anything he's too young and will prob just wear himself out crying for food.

Good luck!

Original poster
Thirstysomething · 23/12/2011 07:46

Thanks, going with that... Too early, no sleep, does funny things to your brain.

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NotjustaMummy · 23/12/2011 07:46

Mine is 9 weeks one day and still feeds every two hours or so. Don't worry. And yes, you are probably still at the colostrum stage so would feed more often. Do you have a Leche League near you? They are BF experts and were very supportive of me.

Original poster
Thirstysomething · 23/12/2011 08:12

Stayed in hospital for first few days with DDs, but this time gave birth 12.40 and was home by 3am! So never been alone for first few days before.... Forgotten what to do! X

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chocolateyclur · 23/12/2011 08:20

Mine's a week old today and I've been going through the same. He did calm down around day 5 - day 4 he fed ALL day (to the point I was in tears latching him on) but from then he's been calmer.

Don't forget that at the moment they are still putting in their milk order and regulating your supply, as well as due for a growth spurt around day 7 (though I do think this happened on day 4 for us).

Personally, I wouldn't go with a feeding routine when BF - feeding on demand is less stressful than listening to a whingy baby, and gives the best supply. They do fall slowly into their own routine anyway.

seeker · 23/12/2011 08:24

Don't keep him waiting- he needs all the colostrum he can get and you need to feed loads and loads to get your supply going. It'll settle down- but you need to go through the constant feeding stage. It won't last long.

ConstantCraving · 23/12/2011 13:03

Agree with the others - demand feed him, best way to make sure breastfeeding is successful as will help your milk supply. It will gradually lengthen - although my DD did 2 hour feeding for a good 5 weeks!! And then we got into the evening cluster feeds - wish someone had warned me about those! Glued to the sofa all evening with almost constant feeding!

ilovejackreacher · 24/12/2011 05:21

I remember with DS2 wondering what on earth was going on as he needed to feed every two hours for a few weeks (this was after having a very easy DS1 who ever so conveniently had a 4 hourly routine). Anyway, it did settle down a bit but during the day for a good few months, he liked to feed every two hours. I tried the whole stretching it out thing but it was actually just easier to go with it.

soandsosmum · 24/12/2011 10:57

Mine fed every 2 hrs for a few months. Think she was unusual but she was happy between feeds and still low percentile in weight. I just did a lot of online shopping and read lots of books. Harder when its DC3

Original poster
Thirstysomething · 24/12/2011 10:57

Stayed in hospital for first few days with DDs, but this time gave birth 12.40 and was home by 3am! So never been alone for first few days before.... Forgotten what to do! X

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BertieBotts · 24/12/2011 11:00

I think 2 hours is pretty good for day 3!

Not much important to remember to do other than tuck yourselves in bed, preferably with the Christmas chocolate Xmas Wink

Christmas newborn snuggles, awww!

Original poster
Thirstysomething · 24/12/2011 11:10

Sorry, that last repeated post went Without me doing anything.
Think he desperately needed the colosseum to get all the meconium out.. 9 huge black nappies in the first 36 hours! Now my milk has just come in and his first normal pooh this morning. Still kept me up between 1and 5am though, either feeding or crying with wind (farting for an hour?!) He is so easy during the day now, feeding like clockwork every 3 hours and sleeping in between...

Now my next question is: (thank you lovely advisers)
How long do I feed for? I know this is a 'piece of string' question because each baby is different, but at the moment I am not trying to keep him awake if he dozes off while feeding, should I be? My breast still quite full at that point, so not sure he is getting much hindmilk.
He is feeding for 15 mins or so.
I am going to try and log how long he sleeps for after each feed and hope that tells me if he has had enough, but again, any advice very gratefully received.

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BertieBotts · 24/12/2011 11:50

Just feed until he comes off, then wind etc, if he seems to want more put him back on or on the other side - please don't worry about timings at this point. Hindmilk/foremilk is supposedly outdated now, anyway. Your breast being very full is normal, it's just because the milk has only just come in.

I wouldn't log feed times or sleep times, because you will just make yourself worry. Breastfeeding doesn't happen to a logical pattern, and it's not supposed to. It doesn't really matter if he doesn't take much at a particular feed, because he can always have more later. If you had a cake, you wouldn't cut exactly the same sized slice every time you wanted some, would you? You might have a bigger slice or a smaller one depending on how hungry you were. The best way to tell if he is, overall, getting enough, is to count his nappies - he should have at least 6-7 wet and/or dirty nappies in 24 hours. If it's coming out, it had to be going in from somewhere!

Original poster
Thirstysomething · 24/12/2011 13:57

Really lovely helpful messages, thank you so much, just realised this is what mumsnet is all about,the support you really need at 3am with a newborn! Thanks, taken it all to heart and going to chill a bit... X

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Original poster
Thirstysomething · 24/12/2011 14:16

Ps Bertie botts brilliant, thanks!! Are you midwife or breastfeeding counsellor, you should be! Only seen midwife once since birth, tbh she wasn't v helpful though v nice. Not seeing anyone again till 27th now. Having left hospital ( at midwives urging) an hour and a half after giving birth, I had to take the little'un into the doctors surgery for his 24 he check yesterday. Not only the last thing you feel like doing with newborn, but also lots of people coughing everywhere, and I got a doctor I had never seen before, who did a very cursory check and sent us home. No weighing (I asked, but they didn't have any baby scales), no measuring, nothing. I am lucky enough to have a good education, have an amazing support network etc and I appreciate that the doctors/midwives know I have had two babies before, but I still can't help feeling quietly a bit appalled at the lack of attention being paid to my baby at this point, Christmas chaos or not. What if I wasnt on top of things and didn't know about things like dehydration? You hear stories of people with especially sleepy babies who let them go too long without a feed and they are then too weak, creating a vicious cycle which can end in hospital with a seriously dehydrated baby. I just don't feel being seen once in the first week is enough.
But then, as you may have gathered from above posts, I am not exactly relaxed mother at moment, unlike with my previous babies... But perhaps I was so relaxed with them because I saw the midwife every other day??
Sorry, rant over.

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BertieBotts · 24/12/2011 14:36

No I'm not, just a mother of a hulking breastfed three year old... :) I just read a lot on here and take it in (I have a good memory for weird things) and it makes me sad to think that some people end up struggling because of bad advice. I'd make a rubbish midwife, probably. Too lazy! Plus I have learned loads from the other posters here, some of who are BFCs etc.

I did the peer supporter training but was never actually allowed to support anyone, long story...

Octaviapink · 25/12/2011 05:15

Thirstysomething it sounds like you're doing brilliantly. Carry on feeding when he wants it and for as long as he wants it. He may have an excellent latch and really only need 15 minutes per feed (my DS got down to six minutes for a full feed within a week!) so I wouldn't worry at all about a sleep/feed diary at all at the moment.

It's a shame that you feel unsupported by your local healthcare team (I had a similar experience with my first) but we're all here for you! BTW - I would refuse to go in to the surgery for checks - with two other DCs they can come to you!

skybluepearl · 25/12/2011 22:05

it's hunger if you are about the third day. your milk will come in and things will calm down once bfing is established more

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