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Original poster

Baby breastfeeding constantly

21 replies

HelenF35 · 11/07/2015 14:17

Hi all. My 10 day old is feeding every hour and a half. He's had 13 feeds since midnight, all at least 15 mins long. Is this normal? His latch has been checked and is fine, I can't cope with this much longer. Am considering combination feeding or expressing but it's so early on.

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makeminea6x · 11/07/2015 14:23

Probably normal for this age but it will settle. I would encourage you to keep going if you want to breastfeed. It will getter about the 2 week mark, then better again by 3 months, and by 6 it will be a lot easier than ff, more than likely.

Might be worth going along to a bf group next week, to get some peer support. Bf is tough in the early days, but if it works out then it is worth it. Free, easier when they are older, and many find it lovely.

If it doesn't work out, or you decide it's not right for you or your family, then that's fine too

Flisspaps · 11/07/2015 14:24

Sounds about right IIRC.

It's all part of your supply being increased. Stick at it (if you want to BF) and keep well fed, rested and hydrated. It's a bloody slog early on

With DD I gave her a bottle for 1 feed at night and that is what I think killed my supply (night is when you produce most milk-making hormone apparently)

With DS I couldn't express anything but BF him for 9 months. I thought DS's face was a boob for the first few months because he spent so much time feeding.

It does get easier - you will get off the sofa one day!!

curlyclaz13 · 11/07/2015 14:26

Seems normal to me, building your supply be feeding a lot. Keep at it, it does get easier.

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BeautifulBatman · 11/07/2015 14:26

It's fairly normal. However, if you want to start expressing or mix feed, jolly well do it. Your health and sanity is just as important as your dc's. And no baby ever suffered because it was mix fed or because mummy expressed. Good luck and congrats

Rootvegetables · 11/07/2015 14:27

Probably just establishing a good supply. It's also very warm so remember he is eating and drinking. It can be exhausting but gets much easier Ince they've organised themselves and supply.

Lagoonablue · 11/07/2015 14:29

Awwwww. I remember this. At the time it was horrendous but it soon passes. Just feed and rest. Let others do the work. Eat and drink regularly and sleep when you can.

I found getting DD out on the pram encouraged her to sleep so it gave me a break. Also used to put in car seat, drive until she fell asleep. I would then buy a takeaway coffee, park at the far end of a car park and relax while she slept. Sometimes I would doze too.

PuntasticUsername · 11/07/2015 15:50

It sounds pretty normal! As long as the other signs are there that he's getting enough eg generally contentedly (though at ten days, it's hard to tell as you're still getting to know them) and lots of wet nappies, he's probably fine.

Congratulations give his head a good sniff for me!

Original poster

HelenF35 · 11/07/2015 18:12

He's definitely getting enough, he's doing 7 or 8 dirty nappies plus another 4 or 5 wet on top of that every day. He slept for 3 1/2 hours this afternoon. Sod's law that was the one time I didn't try to get back to sleep .

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PuntasticUsername · 11/07/2015 18:32

Sounds good. Oh, I've just remembered, there's a growth spurt at 7-10 days isn't there? That might not be helping!

ODog · 11/07/2015 21:44

Sounds normal. In fact I would have given my right arm for that sort of feeding pattern at that age. Ante natal breastfeeding advice never seems to give you the true picture of how much newborns really do feed. As a result lots of women (including myself) think something is wrong when it's not. I was lucky that a brilliant midwife assured me that this was normal otherwise I would have probably assumed I wasn't making enough milk and given up. It makes me so cross.

DanyStormborn · 11/07/2015 21:45

Normal for that age, was the same with my baby then at at every growth spurt. It's increasing your supply and giving comfort and fluids in the heat as well as food. It's so hard in the early weeks but it gets so much easier. You will be glad you stuck with it when it gets easier and you have no bottles to wash, no milk to pack for days out and can just get a boob out at night to re-settle baby.

spillyobeans · 11/07/2015 21:48

Ive got a 12 day old and mine feeds like crazy from about 9pm to 4am, breastfeeding consultant told me this is cluster feeding and very normal especially at this age as they have regular growth spurts. Very hard to get used to i have to admit...trying to get sleep as and when i can!

morechildrenplease · 11/07/2015 21:49

Normal. I blame the baby experts for suggesting every 3 hours. Best advice I was given was to get a footrest, a tonne of box sets and try to enjoy it. Not quite so much fun at 3 am I grant you.

gamerchick · 11/07/2015 21:56

It's normal and it sounds like he's doing brilliant.. Clever little man.

Not so great for you but this is expected and on track, many well dones.

Breastfeeding is so tough in the early days but I swear it gets easier and by 16 weeks it'll be a peace of pee.

Remember newborns get a feed that barely covers the bottom of a bottle, we are not cows that spurt gallons of milk it has to build up as baby sucks. The more he sucks the more milk your boobs know how to make.. Mix feeding will interrupt that message.

Atm it's not about filling them up so they're full for hours, it's about getting your supply up. The best thing you can do especially if he's your first is have a babymoon.. or at least someone to water and feed you and pass you the remote while you nurse.

Breastfeeding is how I got into Xbox ironically.

ShanghaiDoll · 12/07/2015 06:47

My DD has just turned 5 weeks and went through this stage. I remember thinking exactly the same thing about expressing and formula feeding. It really is a pain when you're up every couple of hours in the night.

When I discussed this with the breastfeeding consultant I got told that you need to wait until around the 4 week mark (when breastfeeding is properly established) to start expressing otherwise it interferes with supply and you end up producing enough milk for twins.

Agree with others that have said to feed, rest and watch TV. My DD also fed to sleep as well so I changed her nappy at the start of the feed so that I could put her in her cot and have a sleep myself. I say I changed her nappy luckily my DH is quite hands on so we take it in turns during the night to change nappies so it's not so full on.

Just want to let you know that it does get easier, we're at 2 hour intervals during the day and 3 hours (sometimes 4!) during the night. Something clicked for me around the 4 week mark and it no longer feels so arduous.

Chococroc · 12/07/2015 07:33

Yep, normal. Seems so hard at the time but it really does settle down and get easier.

fruitpastille · 12/07/2015 08:00

Have you tried a dummy? Saved my sanity (and my nipples!) I know people say they can cause confusion but myself and friends were fine.

BreeVDKamp · 12/07/2015 08:02

Yes my 6 week old is still feeding every 1.5-2hrs. Such a relief following the every 15 minutes that was the first few weeks!!
his tongue tie was missed until yesterday, maybe you should have him checked again?

ohthegoats · 12/07/2015 11:45

Totally normal. No one warns you about the reality of breastfeeding I found! Or if they did, I didn't 'hear' it. This sort of cluster stuff went on until about 6 or 7 weeks. Just give in to it and try not to find it too annoying, watch lots of telly, get a kindle/small tablet (this was my best 'baby' investment) and read lots of books/read the interwebs.

If you want a good book about it that makes you realise that everything and anything is 'normal', then try The Food of Love by Kate Evans - nice and easy to read, good cartoons and it kept me going when I was losing patience with the whole thing.

On the other hand if you want to start mix feeding, then just do it.

Couchkitten · 12/07/2015 23:30

Yes normal. Read up about growth spurts before you decide to supplement. You're best off understanding how the whole growth spurt system works before you start giving bottles. It makes it easier in the long run.

Good luck. I hated the constantly feeding stage. Now I wish I'd just enjoyed sitting in front of the T.V.!

Lagoonablue · 13/07/2015 11:58

Yes I miss it now......kids are growing up and the BFing days are long gone....wistful.

Feels like a war zone at the time I know. I think I expected a feed and then Baby would sleep for around 4 hours and so on.....hollow,laugh. I don't recall the ante natal midwives actually telling me that babies pretty much fed constantly for the first few weeks and that interval feeding largely is for formula fed babies early on.

In nature we would give birth and rest for a while just feeding. That's what most mammals do. Instead we are expected to be out of hospital and back to normal with baby in a routine after a few days. Madness really.

Don't fight nature! Rest, sleep when you can and feed. These snugly days will soon pass and you'll be an old gimmer like me who looks at her 5 and 9 year old and wonders when they got so big!

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