Newborn constantly on the breast, im struggling to cope

[fairgame84]

DD is 3 days old and she is constantly on the breast. She has a shallow latch which is improving with flipple technique. I feed her on cross cradle hold. I am re-latching most of the time when she slips back to shallow latch.
We were seen by feeding specialist midwife yesterday due to me being in pain and that's where she said the latch wasn't deep enough. There's no tongue tie, she just has a small mouth apparently.
Yesterday she was feeding 10-30 minutes in total every 1-3 hours.

Today she's feeding for 1-2 hours every 3-4 hours. As soon as she drops off she wants to go back on. I've got milk, her poos are yellow, and she is offered both breasts at each feed.

I've offered formula but she vomits it back and just wants breast. She's got no interest in a dummy.
I've tried swaddling, winding, rocking and nothing helps. She's not just rooting, she's properly crying until I she's back on the breast.

I really want to carry on breastfeeding but Im at the point where I'm thinking of giving up and bottle feeding. Im not getting any rest or sleep.

Please help.

It's so tough at the start.
Baby feels safest at your breast, it meets her need for warmth, comfort, safety, food, familiarity.
Plus, she is putting in an order for milk she'll need in the future. Your body needs to know how much milk to make and baby suckling is what your body responds to.
The start is tricky but it gets so much easier.

Oh lovely, I didn’t want to read and run. Those early days are epic. And honestly the smallest of tasks when you are so tired are overwhelming let alone breastfeeding.
can some one take the baby for you while you have a couple of hours sleep? Even just an hour in the day will help you.
I didn’t have the issues you are describing with breastfeeding but my friend I think had similar and she used and swore by nipple shields. Hopefully someone with more experience in that area will come on for you. Stay strong 💪 you’re a fecking hero! Making, carrying and birthing babies is warrior work, and feeding them too. Xx

This is normal. And yes it’s horrendous, my nipples bled for weeks. It’s okay to find it hard. And it’s okay to stop. It’s also okay to keep preserving if you want to. But yes it’s hard. You’re doing a great job!

Look up cluster feeding. It's totally normal and won't last forever. If you want to breastfeed then she needs to tell your body to make lots of milk! Get comfy with lots of snacks/drinks/books/tv remote and make the most of not having to move for a few days 😁

Also - it might be worth consulting a qualified Lactation consultant ILBLC (?)
I don't know what the qualifications midwives have but it may not be an "actual" qualification in breastfeeding. (happy to be corrected on this)

Ah it's totally normal - she is cluster feeding to establish your supply. My baby is 9 weeks now and it has definitely settled but she still feeds every couple of hours in the day and then sleeps longer stretches at night. I did give a bottle of expressed milk/formula at night so that I could get abit of rest and would just do a quick pump to make up for the missed feed.. get lots of snacks and make yourself comfy on the sofa - it does pass.. might also be worth having some support from a local BF team. I joined the group 'breastfeeding and lactation support UK' on Facebook and found their info really useful

This is very normal and your on day 3 when your milk comes in and a huge hormone shift happens. It's a shit day.

If your milk has just arrived she will be cluster feeding lots to put her order in with your body.

This settles down and it will settle soon.

You're doing a grand job and if you do want to breastfeed you just need to get through the next few days and weeks.

If dad is around get him to do everything round the house. His job is to keep you fed and watered.

If she does sleep, you sleep too and let dad have a short cuddle while you shower. Chances are she will settle a bit for him as he doesn't smell of milk.

It does get better though. It won't be like this for long

Aw, hun that's breastfeeding at the start. They are glued to you and you can't do anything. Cluster feeding builds up your supply - my record is 4 hours of solid feeding; 30 minutes each side from 8 to midnight. Plenty of people break this record.

Have a big bottle of water near you and snacks, as well as a phone charger. Chuck netflix on. This is temporary - it DOES get easier. Back when my son was born I thought there was no way I could do it for a whole year, but I did. Just take it one day at a time.

Thankyou all so much.
I knew cluster feeding was a thing but I stupidly thought it was the odd day here and there, not for hours and days on end.

It's nice to know I'm not alone and I'm not doing anything wrong.

DH has just made the most bland salmon and rice for tea but he's trying bless him.

Day 3 is brutal. You're doing an amazing job. It feels relentless now but it's very much within the normal range and sounds like you're getting the hang of it. As pp said, let dad do everything else. You feed and sleep when baby does and wait for your world to open up a little at a time. It's very early days but you're doing amazingly well.

Have you tried laid back feeding? You’d be able to relax better in that position. Side lying feeding works for many mums too.

It’s normal. It gets better. The first 6 weeks are hard, much easier after that. Try to enjoy sitting down. The household will cope.

Try feeding while lying down.

Babies have spent 9/10 months all cosy in your womb and never experienced hunger before, now everything’s new and bright and scary and cold and their tiny tummies get empty quickly (they also grow quickly- it won’t be like this forever, I promise!!)
your breast is comfort, food, warmth, home. Forget about anything else if possible, get as much help as you can and chill out in bed with your baby. What you’ve described with feeding pattern is totally totally normal and to be expected! It’s your choice of course but isn’t it easier to whip a boob out than all the faff of sterilising bottles and preparing formula? Also look up safe bed sharing if it helps, keep blankets away from baby, sleep in a curled c position round baby. No alcohol. Game changer for me. Meant I got sleep!
ive breastfed for three years now with two babies, through mastitis, blocked ducts, and even struggling to get my first to latch on! When they were newborn it was hard of course, but I think in a weird way it’s nature forcing you to rest after the massive task of actually giving birth! Both my babies were attached to the nipple for most of the day and night, and both refused dummies too! ( a dummy is a pretend nipple so there’s nothing wrong with letting baby have the real thing!)
I know it’s hard but you’re doing brilliantly. Your baby will be so diffeeent in a few months - you’ll be offering first solids in 6 months!! It will fly. Take the opportunity to relax and cosy up with baby, look after yourself too, put some of your favourite tv or films on and hopefully if your other half or friends or family can be there to help out, all the better. Accept help!! If someone offers to do something let them! X

It can feel impossibly hard with a newborn. It won't last forever but at times it's about 10,000 times harder than you imagined it would be. But it will get better in time.

Day 4 cluster feeding was hell. I found my timing log the other day and it all came flooding back.

Not to scare you, but my DS then did it every evening from about weeks 4-9. I coped mentally by trying to tell myself it was a good thing - it’s how your body establishes supply and puts you on the right track for the long term.

Get dh to buy ready meals and snacks. No-one needs to worry about cooking this early on.

Can your dh hold the baby for a couple of hours while you get a stint of sleep?

Do you have relatives / close friends who can help?

Newborns should be happy on a warm body for a couple of hours after a feed. Feed the baby and pass her over to someone you trust and go and sleep for 2 hours. Repeat. If those people or others also bring you food and hold the baby whilst you wash they are superstars.it takes a village. Use the village. I hope you have some support?

Yes, this is normal.
its also awful.
i promise it gets better!

congratulations!

Also yes bedsharing and side boobing are life savers.

Is your baby falling asleep quickly on the breast and waking up and immediately going again? Could also be tongue tied.

It's 100% normal I'm afraid. It totally spoils the first few weeks if you have any nipple trauma, bracing yourself for that agony on latching. Take pain killers and consider nipple shields. The laid back nursing position really helps as well as the flipple. It doesn't feel like it now but it does pass quickly.

My boy started cluster feeding for hours in the afternoon/evening at this exact point. He would suckle for ages, go to sleep for 15mins then be at it again.

I was stuck on the sofa from like 4pm - 11pm for a few weeks. It did gradually get shorter and shorter.
Feeding every couple of hours is also totally normal. People talk of 4 hourly feeds but I don't think my boy ever got past 3hrs! Even through the night 😬
Hes now 2 and he has a meal or a snack every 2 hrs.

The only other reason they might be on the boob so much is if they're uncomfortable, need winding more or ensure the feeds earlier in the day are big enough and they aren't falling asleep at the breast.

Hang in there!!

I would agree day 3 is brutal. If you want to continue and you think you can then just hang in there, more milk will come and she won't need to be attached for so long. It's hard. Drink lots. Eat. Be kind to yourself.

Keep going, you're doing great.

Totally normal newborn behaviour, it's your babies way of getting your milk to come in.

Feels relentless and overwhelming but doesn't last forever.

Those first few weeks of newborn feeding are an emotional sleep deprived blur but at the same time it's a such special time.

Get as much help as you can, get comfortable, lots of food/snacks/takeaways, whatever makes it easy for you.
If you have visitors and they offer to help, ask them to bring a meal or empty the dishwasher/hang out a wash.

I found the kellymom website was good for advice too