1 week in and feel like quitting. :-)*Update pg. 3*

[Soon5kids]

I am at a loss here because lo is so frustrated and I know everyone says keep nursing and baby will help make more milk, but what happens when he is screaming his head off. It is killing me to see him screaming like this so I give him a bottle. If I cut out the bottle he won't latch. I just don't know what to do? I have been crying my eyes out all morning.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I know I answered your other thread, but I just thought, does he have gas? Alex won't latch and screams if he has a gas bubble.

 

[Soon5kids]

I know I answered your other thread, but I just thought, does he have gas? Alex won't latch and screams if he has a gas bubble.

It doesn't look he does and he burps very well after each feed.

 

[jaytee146]

after you burp him do you stop or keep going?

when my lo was a week she would only feed if i had a syringe of formula ( i had to supplement) I literally had to place it on my nipple to get her to latch and periodically place a little in her mouth... all while she yelled so loud and hard she either spit up or turned red. idk what happened but she stopped needing the extra incentive to latch and feed... she eventually was able to do it on her own... I know it's hard and I felt like the worst peice of scum because i felt like i'm letting her cry for nothing.

skin on skin helpd/s me tremendously!! I'll place her on my chest and she'll lay there and calm down..

hang in there... that's the best advice I've ever gotten

 

[Soon5kids]

after you burp him do you stop or keep going?

when my lo was a week she would only feed if i had a syringe of formula ( i had to supplement) I literally had to place it on my nipple to get her to latch and periodically place a little in her mouth... all while she yelled so loud and hard she either spit up or turned red. idk what happened but she stopped needing the extra incentive to latch and feed... she eventually was able to do it on her own... I know it's hard and I felt like the worst peice of scum because i felt like i'm letting her cry for nothing.

skin on skin helpd/s me tremendously!! I'll place her on my chest and she'll lay there and calm down..

hang in there... that's the best advice I've ever gotten

I usually keep going just to make sure there are no extra gas bubbles. And skin on skin is when you strip baby down to their diaper and then lay them on your chest right?

 

[jaytee146]

after you burp him do you stop or keep going?

when my lo was a week she would only feed if i had a syringe of formula ( i had to supplement) I literally had to place it on my nipple to get her to latch and periodically place a little in her mouth... all while she yelled so loud and hard she either spit up or turned red. idk what happened but she stopped needing the extra incentive to latch and feed... she eventually was able to do it on her own... I know it's hard and I felt like the worst peice of scum because i felt like i'm letting her cry for nothing.

skin on skin helpd/s me tremendously!! I'll place her on my chest and she'll lay there and calm down..

hang in there... that's the best advice I've ever gotten

I usually keep going just to make sure there are no extra gas bubbles. And skin on skin is when you strip baby down to their diaper and then lay them on your chest right?

right. i normally do this after her bath or wash up. . when she's fussy i found it works loads.

 

[mrs_park]

I second skin to skin contact. It is such a powerful tool with newborns. There is a theory that their fussiness can be homesickness for the womb. Sometimes to physically reconnect with mum, the sound and smell of her body is soooo soothing for LO's.


Is he crying when he first latches on? How long has his screaming been going on? When did your milk come in? He may be getting used to a sudden and fast letdown of milk (which will settle down)

Hang in there hun. My first few weeks I was swinging like a pendulum, one day I wanted to quit the next day I didn't. It is so heartbreaking hearing your LO cry, but it will get better. Bottles are not the answer, (in my experience anyway) I supplemented in the early days, and still had problems with him being unsettled.

to you hun. You are doing a great job and we are all here to help and support you xx

 

[DarlingMe]

How often is he nursing? If you can put him on every 90 minutes or so you can help him latch before he gets too upset. If he is upset and hungry by the time you try to latch him he will have a harder time. I found just letting LO comfort suck as long as I could worked best at keeping us both calm and helped the milk come in!

 

[Soon5kids]

How often is he nursing? If you can put him on every 90 minutes or so you can help him latch before he gets too upset. If he is upset and hungry by the time you try to latch him he will have a harder time. I found just letting LO comfort suck as long as I could worked best at keeping us both calm and helped the milk come in!

He nurses every 2-3 hours. I was thinking too maybe I was waiting too long to feed. I find it hard to wake him up to try any sooner.He will just lay there and doze off and not want to suck.

 

[Tacey]

Have you got anyone to check your latch? It could be that he's feeding inefficiently. Do you have any breastfeeding cafes or La Leche League groups nearby? Getting an experienced person to check things over can make the world of difference.

Also, bear in mind you're both new to this breastfeeding relationship. It will take time for you both to feel settled and comfortable. Make sure you give yourself a pat on the back for the feeds you've been giving, and stay positive!

 

[Palestrina]

My baby screamed a lot too. It was heartbreaking and I think I cried more than he did. But I really wanted to BF him and I knew that this is normal behavior for a BF baby so I stuck with it and it paid off. Check out kellymom.com it has some great information on BF. https://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/fussy-while-nursing.html

 

[wiggy]

Just wanted to tell you that was me two weeks ago. I was ready to give up. I didn't and it did get better. It was the absolute worst and then gradually started getting better. I feel for you!

 

[mysticdeliria]

I agree with mrs park. Keep trying. When my little one was 1 week old I was about to quit too. I was told to have him nurse for 20 minutes (continuous sucking) every 2 hours, but he would suck suck stop......suck suck stop.... I was lucky if he nursed 20 continuous seconds. It would take almost the full 2 hours to get 20 minutes of feeding time and then I'd have to start again. I was EXHAUSTED doing this round the clock, he was exhausted, we had to strip him down to his diaper and wet him with a cold wet wash cloth to start every feeding because he wouldn't wake up.

When he was 1 week old, I dragged us to a La Leche League meeting and asked for help. A lady there watched us try to nurse and gave us some tips to get him latched and nursing. For us, it was a matter of making sure that I was bringing baby to my breast, not the other way around. Also it was a matter of positioning the nipple and aiming it properly in his mouth. I can't say what your difficulty is, but find your local La Leche League group and GET HELP! They are FREE and usually they are on call any time of day or night and are really happy to do anything to get your baby nursing well and off the formula. Don't give up, there is help out there Good luck!

 

[DarlingMe]

How often is he nursing? If you can put him on every 90 minutes or so you can help him latch before he gets too upset. If he is upset and hungry by the time you try to latch him he will have a harder time. I found just letting LO comfort suck as long as I could worked best at keeping us both calm and helped the milk come in!

He nurses every 2-3 hours. I was thinking too maybe I was waiting too long to feed. I find it hard to wake him up to try any sooner.He will just lay there and doze off and not want to suck.

If they drink the milk they can get out sometimes they get tired or doze off waiting for more milk! If he is staying latched on he is waiting for more. You will feel him suckle every couple minutes to check if there is any there yet. They also will do this to get the fattier hindmilk and to stimulate production. Any update how is it going?

 

[Soon5kids]

@Darlingme.....Things have gone south on this end. My son just won't cooperate with my breast. My milk is snailing and he just won't take after waiting so long for my milk to let down. The sad part is that it is ripping me apart to have to stop the breast. I just don't want to stop trying, but I see he is not happy and that makes me very unhappy.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

What about switching to expressing? That way, at least he gets some BM for a while Don't feel bad. Breast is only best if it makes mommy and baby happy

 

[midori1999]

I've poste don your other thread too, but you might find a supplemental nursing system will encourage your baby to feed from the breast directly and you can either use expressed milk in it or formula until your supply has been stimulated.

As I said in my other post, a good BF professional from somewhere like La Leche League is likely to be your best source of help and can help with how to use a SNS most effectively.

 

[DarlingMe]

I agree with the above posts but it comes down to whatever works for you. My LO still gets mad after I have been at work and he has to work for a bit to get his milk! After a minute he gets some and calms down. You LO might be having some nipple confusion too it sounds. Your milk slows when it isnt stimulated enough. If you are determined to continue a consultant will help alot! At the very least your LO got those first few days of colostrum and some BM. Some BM is Better than none!

 

[patch2006uk]

If he's latching on at all, keep feeding him. You can do breast compressions at the same time to encourage milk flow and hopefully keep him interested for longer. Take a day or three skin to skin with your LO in bed, in a no pressure nursing environment. He's probably picking up on your stress regarding feeding, making it even harder for you both.

Have you phoned la leche league or NCT or someone? You need some guidance I think, and someone qualified should be able to listen to what's going on and advise you accordingly. If there are any groups, go to them ASAP. Go to your midwife or HV and demand assistance. You really need to do this today if you can. Once you know how to latch LO on then retreat to the bedroom for as long as possible (I know it's hard with other kids too. If you can't take a babymoon, can you wear him in a wrap while you're both topless? That will have a similar effect)

You obviously want this to work! I really hope things get easier for you soon. I at any point your LO's nappy rate drops, then you should get immediate help. If his nappies are ok, then whatever his behaviour, he's getting enough milk. Top-ups will disguise the nappies, so drop them completely for a day and keep a close eye on him.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Patch, unfortunately, OP live in the USA so no HV or MW