DS was born 10 days ago, on 15th, weighing 10lb 7oz. Labour was induced, natural and quick. He is a healthy, relaxed, calm baby. Formula fed on cow and gate. In hospital he was taking 30ml/1oz every 3 hours and midwives were happy with his feeding when we were discharged. He passed meconium fine and has pood since, but he is now constipated and his stools are firm pebbly type, kind of look like yellow wotsits 😂
He was weighed on day 5 and only lost 200g which midwife said is well within the OK limits. He was weighed again yesterday and his weight has stayed the same. He's neither gained nor lost. He is currently taking between 2-3oz every 3-4 hours. Sometimes he goes 5 hours at night. He has good periods of awake alert time for a couple of hours a day at least.
Midwife has said that he isn't feeding enough, I need to up his feeds to 4oz. She says that the reason he's constipated is because I'm not feeding him enough which made me feel pretty shit tbh. I can't physically make him take more milk. He is happy and settled on his 3oz although he is a slow feeder. He wakes for feeds and shows hunger cues. He has plenty of wet nappies. His mucous membranes are moist and his soft spot is not sunken. Sometimes he falls asleep on his feeds and we have to strip him down, tickle him or change a nappy to wake him up to finish a feed. Sometimes he only takes 2oz and he loses interest entirely but is satisfied. He brings wind up fine. On the days that he does a poo he feeds better than the days he doesn't poo.
I feel like the midwife has made me so anxious and I'm overthinking everything now, worrying about being sent back to hospital. I'm so anxious that she's coming to weigh him again tomorrow and he won't have gained weight. Am I doing something wrong? What will happen if he hasn't gained weight? I feel like just because he's a big baby she expects him to be feeding like a 3 month old.
Any advice is welcome because I feel outnof my depth. This is my 4th baby and she's made me feel like a total novice.