BF worries ... help ?

[ellie]

god, this all feels so new, I am so confused ..... I thought BF would be so natural and easy ....

my LO was in NICU for 8 days after birth being given bottles, I was determined to BF though and started with him last Monday and we've been more or less exclusively BF'ing ever since (with only 2 formula top ups since we've been home) he seems to mostly do okay with it, except for a bit of 'nipple chomping' at the very beginning and end of feeds (ouch). he's been feeding 9-11 times a day, usually for about 20 mins at a time before falling asleep on there, he's doing loads of orange/yellow nappies (sorry!) but is gaining very little weight and the MW is making me paranoid by weighing him twice a week and going on about referring me to a BF specialist and maybe making me put him on a formula top up at night

What else can I do / should I be doing?

I've thought about expressing some milk to give him as a top up, and I have an Ameda electric pump (like the hospital ones) I hired while he was in NICU, but whenever I use it (I only try after/between feeds) I only get a few ml's out. Why is this? it worries me that he's not getting enough milk from me and talking to the MW/HV just makes me feel even more inadequate, and they're not very helpful.

Sorry this is long but can anyone offer any words of wisdom

 

[Serene123]

The nappies sound perfect!

He's 2 weeks old, been breastfed for what, a week. I personally think you're doing amazingly. I'm not qualified, but you know your baby. If he's happy, gaining weight, wet and dirty nappies, I wouldn't worry too much x

 

[TigerLady]

I agree. You can't tell much by his weight gain in one week. It needs to be considered over the course of a few weeks. His frequency of feeds and his nappies all sound perfectly normal. You probably don't get much expressing as he is eating so often you don't have time to build up much.

If you want to build up your supply more, try expressing for 5-10 minutes right after feeds. This will stimulate more milk production, but give you enough time to fill back up before he wants his next feed. Don't worry if you don't get anything out. It is the stimulation that will increase supply.

Also, plenty of skin to skin contact!

I would be reluctant to give formula too much or too often -- that will actually make your supply NOT meet his needs. Try to phase the FF out asap. Don't let one MW give you doubts and fits. Get another opinion. In the meantime, keep going, it sounds like you are doing great.

 

[codegirl]

The only thing that I would try is when he falls asleep on side A I would change his diaper (to wake him up) and then try feeding on side B.

Also, pumping can take a while before you can express a reasonable amount of milk. I've been pumping for months and still can't get a full feed off of one side (it takes both sides). Edward is much more efficent than the pump. Our bodies are designed to respond to a baby versus a machine so just have patients with pumping. Try thinking about your LO or even better, look at him while you pump, that might help too.

 

[polaris]

Hi Ellie,
I agree with what others have said, it sounds like you are doing great after a rocky start. The midwife sounds less than helpful. I would cut out the formula and just feed on demand as you are and your supply will soon build up and the weight gain will improve too. I think it's completely normal to get very little when expressing at this stage because LO is feeding little and often. I didn't even try to express until Thomas was 4 weeks.

Also I think nearly everyone thinks they are not making enough milk in the early weeks but stick with it, it really does get easier. Thomas is seven weeks now and I can honestly say that feeding is easy now. Other things are still hard but the feeding is great, even though he's still feeding very frequently.

 

[TigerLady]

[Baby] is much more efficent than the pump. Our bodies are designed to respond to a baby versus a machine

This is very true! When I nurse LO I get anywhere from 1-3 letdowns that I can feel. Despite being able to pump well, I never feel a letdown. Which makes me think the pump isn't working nearly as well as LO!

 

[Maffie]

Are you feeding on one side or both at each feed? I'd say if LO falls asleep get baby upright and winded as they sometimes stop feeding if windy. If that doesn't wake them up enough change their nappy.

I knwo some people are advised to feed on one boob, wind nappy change onto the other boob and then express anything left and bottle feed that.

How much weight is your baby gaining each week? My LO is only between the 2nd and 9th percentile and feeds for 20 minutes at a time (one boob only) which he drains (I produce about 4oz per boob).

My LO is nearly 8 weeks old and is only 9lbs 4 1.2oz he gains slowly (91/2oz in 2 weeks) but he is gaining thats the aim.