7 week old feeding for hours

[Beckabub]

My 7 week old is breastfeeding for up to 2 hours at a time. Latch is fine and he had a tongue tie sorted 4 weeks ago so that's not the problem. Is this normal?! We have been having difficulties with breastfeeding but I'm keen to keep trying and reduce formula feeds but makes me wonder if he's getting enough from breast. As soon as he is finished and unlatches I burp him etc and when I put him down to sleep he wakes back up straight away screaming for more!!

Yeah cluster feeding, Chuck a good series on and get someone to bring you snacks and a drink.

Normal. Babies have a growth spurt around this time so will cluster feed so your body knows to make more.

@FTEngineerM @DramaAlpaca thanks! As he has mainly been formula fed up until now with expressing breast milk j thought it was perhaps to do with my supply or something!

Is it all day or evenings? Does he want to feed again if you just sit and hold him rather than putting him down?

Absolutely normal. It’s cluster feeding and will help establish your supply. Stick with it, it won’t be like this forever. You’re doing brilliantly.

Ahhh cluster feeding. Prep yourself a little box or basket of snacks, drinks, books, magazines etc and settle in. DD used to cluster feed from 3pm- 10pm and it nearly broke me. It did settle down though I promise!

@Thatwentbadly mainly evenings really when it's hours on end. During day he will go around 2 hours maximum. But in evenings he just wants to be attached permanently/he unlatches himself but then wants more shortly after. Always after I put him down (he always wakes when I put him down regardless!) and sometimes when I am holding him too he wants more and wriggles his way back!

@SaveWaterDrinkGin thank you !! 😃

@spottygymbag will prep the snacks etc for next time!

[quote Beckabub]@Thatwentbadly mainly evenings really when it's hours on end. During day he will go around 2 hours maximum. But in evenings he just wants to be attached permanently/he unlatches himself but then wants more shortly after. Always after I put him down (he always wakes when I put him down regardless!) and sometimes when I am holding him too he wants more and wriggles his way back! [/quote]
He is filling up for the night. During the evenings is when your body produces prolactin, the hormones needed to milk supply, they feed lots then so they keep upping your supply for their next growth spurt and in theory so they can sleep more at night. Just get comfy of the sofa with lots of drinks and snacks x

And try not to develop an online shopping habit, enjoy the snuggles and your doing an amazing job. It will be one of the few times where you can sitting down and watch TV and do they best for your child. They do get much faster and one day your left remembering the days when you could snuggle on the sofa without them being done in 5 mins and chucking the remote at you asking for Bing or Hey Duggee.

@Thatwentbadly that's so clever if that's what they do! I deffo need my supply upped!! The online shopping habit has already formed !!! Thanks so much for the advice it's made me feel a lot better and will keep at it!!! xx

Make sure you are drinking plenty. Aim for an extra litre a day.

@Thatwentbadly he's still feeding! 6 hours later. And I just changed his nappy and it's hardly wet when usually with formula feeds it's heavy at every change?! I really think my supply must be low!!

How is it now? I would give some formula and get some sleep for both you and tomorrow look for a private lactation consultant.

@Thatwentbadly yeah I gave up and gave him formula. Now he's been sleeping for 4 hours which he never does! I've been having help from the infant feeding team for weeks but they have just said continue how I am and my supply would increase. So for two months I've been breastfeeding, then pumping and bottle feeding expressed/formula. It's been so tiring as that's all I have been doing I never get to spend any of his awake time with him as I'm attached to the blooming pump before his feeding cycle starts again. I hate to say it but I think I'm going to give up trying to breastfeed as we are both miserable with him hungry all the time! Maybe I'll just express a couple bottles a day and formula feed the rest.

That’s a perfectly fine option. I ended up in a similar position with my first and life was much easier for us when we moved to formula. You’ve done amazing well to get this far.

Have you been offered motilium? It helps if you have low supply and I didn't have it first time round but did with my second.
I mixed fed both (still going with DS) but it really made all the difference.

@spottygymbag I spoke to my contact on the infant feeding team yesterday-she said GP could look into prescribing domperidone. When I spoke to gp they weren't helpful. Just said formula feed or keep trying to breastfeed and said they were the same and just bottle fed. I think I'm just going to stop expressing as I don't enjoy that and breastfeed him in mornings as that's when my supply is higher and when he wants it usually after his bath. I just feel guilty about it!

I also had to push for it as my usual GP was on leave. I found it did really support my supply but I still used formula as a back up in the evening as i literally ran dry each night. But you need to do whatever you feel is right for you and your baby, and you don't have to feel guilty for making sure baby is getting enough- however you choose to do that.
Good luck with it all!

Definitely push your GP - ask to speak to another GP and tell them the infant feeding team have recommended it.

You need to make the decision for yourself but giving up breast feeding is fine. On an individual level is makes a very tiny difference to health and you as a Mum it’s just job to look after yourself so you can look after your baby. It’s a difficult decision to make.