Does anyone feel like this?

[CharlieP]

Hi Girls

Even though I have read loads about cluster feeding etc I still feel like perhaps I am the only one who is going through this - I read that people feed their babies for 5/10 mins and then they rest and then go back on over a period of a few hours and then they sleep for a long time...

my baby seems to be off and on from one second to the next over a period ovf about 6 hours a night and then he is up every hour in the night too... and when he is cluster feeding he isn't actually feeding - just suckling on the nipple - and I can't get him to latch properly because he is bobbing on and off so much...

I feel like my baby doesn't even cluster feed properly... I am seriously close to packing this in

Does anyone esle experience the same thing - I literally feel Like I have no milk to give him - this is horrible and I am not enjoying my baby - I feel terrible

 

[codegirl]

I can't say that we had that kind of cluster feed, although ours lasted 4 to 5 hours in the evening and it didn't seem to help him sleep any longer at night so I do understand that part.

Are there any close bf support that you could call to check your latch etc?

 

[CharlieP]

have had my latch checked... its fine... its just when he does this

 

[Rebaby]

Well Toby definitely cluster feeds (should be starting up any time now actually!) but he doesn't sleep for a long period afterwards regardless of whether he has been cluster feeding in the evening or not he will still wake for feeds 2-3 hourly overnight (sometimes even hourly but that is happening less often this past week or so) so it doesn't seem to make a difference in that sense.

I guess the only difference then between our LO's, is latch, as when Toby is cluster feeding he will still latch on correctly, but will come on and off the boob a bit more frequently, sort of like he can't really decide whether to have some more or not! Lol.

So other than maybe getting some help with your latch to make sure you don't get sore then i'd say you're doing good hang on in there

 

[Seraphim]

Yes hon I do.
Reading your posts helps me know I'm not alone.

I have to confess a chuckle when I read us all asking questions every which way to try and decipher when this tough time will end, or even to try and find out if it really is as normal as everyone says

I think it is.

We stopped the colief for a couple of days and the intense feeding has increased, with some spitting up. I'm thinking maybe without the help of colief Hazels not digesting so well again. She seemed to have gotten over the 'spurt' - so now we're back on colief.

With regards to worrying if you have enough milk... have you been able to collect any leaked milk, or express?

We tested Hazel with 2oz of leaked milk on Monday, and she still asked for more a few minutes later... it at least let me see how she behaved while I knew she had a reasonable amount just gone into her.

I'm balancing my thoughts on nipple confusion... I've had to start expressing sooner than recommended, as I've run out of leaked milk to give the colief drops in... but I feel like I'm past the crazy engorged stage... so that's one recommendation we're living without.

We had to be using a dropper to give the colief too... well I managed to melt that today in the microwave steriliser So we might just have to use the teeny medela bottle. So far it hasn't caused a problem with nursing afterwards.

And if the colief doesn't reduce the crazy 6-7 hour feeding frenzy, then my so far stoical nipples might just start to give in anyway.

It's all a balance hon. I hope you can stick at it, and find your own way through it. The bottom line is that most compromises will be waaaay better than giving up... but do listen to everyone here when they say 'its normal - it will get easier'

Big

 

[Rebaby]

Ooops sorry, we posted same time so ignore my comment about checking out your latch (didnt want you to be sitting there going "There's nothing wrong with my goddam latch argh!!!" type thing!)

Not sure what else i can suggest hun. But Toby does go on and off more during cluster feeding, and i often wonder if it's linked to the fact that he cluster feeds usually in the evening and he gets a bit colicky in the evenings too, so often when he's bobbing on and off i wind him inbetween and if he gets some wind up then he will normally go back on the boob and be a bit more settled after.

 

[Seraphim]

...yes its like a burp or two makes space for MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEE MUMMY!!

I just sat here and expressed 2oz in no time... so I know she really is pigging her little face off most evenings

 

[petal040]

Yes hon I do.
Reading your posts helps me know I'm not alone.

I have to confess a chuckle when I read us all asking questions every which way to try and decipher when this tough time will end, or even to try and find out if it really is as normal as everyone says

I think it is.

I think it is normal too. I also wondered when the tough time would end. I love bf but I have pretty regular tough times and they are TOUGH. Breastfeeding is HARD. They don't tell you that before you start... but I think it really is. I think it's a massive commitment and responsibility (having someone literally sucking the life out of you day and night).

The amount of effort (maybe effort is the wrong word - but I can't think of the word I want to use) and work that it takes to breastfeed is something that I don't think you can really truly understand, appreciate or imagine until you've done it. Same with feeding through a growth spurt and coming out the other side.

You are right in the middle of the three week growth spurt - when a lot of people give up bf (which I can understand, because it is very hard and can make you feel like crap - sorry if that was too blunt, but I think it can). If you hang on in there for a little longer (like a week) then things should have improved because you'll be through the growth spurt.

Have you been getting your baby weighed? If you have, what's his weight gain been like?

Would OH be able to put LO in a sling and take him for a walk for an hour - to give you a break?

 

[CharlieP]

Thanks girls... I am hoping I can get through this because I really want to keep BF'ing but I do feel like I am making my LO and me miserable... He has cried on and off (more on than off!) since about 6... I am worrying that ge has colic as well which will be double crap!!

I am so exhausted and to be honest my OH is being a bit crap with helping round the house so not resting in the day either... He just forgets to do stuff like the washing and the dishwasher so I end up doing it.

Have had LO weighed each week... He's doing really well... Was 7lb at birth, lost only 0.3% of his body weight and weighed 10lb 1oz on Monday so over 3lb in less than 4 weeks... So I know he's thriving and am proud of that and it would naje the decision to give up even harder. I know that if I gave up there would also be no guarantee of a happier baby!

 

[TigerLady]

First big big again. You deserve it!

I LOL at the idea of burping to make room for more. That was SSOOOO my LO! He would burp, spit up, or poo and everyone would joke, "Well, he just made room for more, mommy." Even my grandmother was shocked at "how much and often that child eats." I shared a hotel room with her once when LO was about 7 weeks old and the next morning she went on and on about how everytime she woke (which was often) she heard LO feeding.

Some babies do exactly what you are describing. Mine was one, too! He would cluster and cluster and cluster feed in the evening. Actually, he was closer to one LOOOOOONG marathon 5 hour feed some days.

Have you tried the pacifier yet? (sorry, don't remember ) If his latch is good, you are probably safe giving it a go!

It got much much better for us at 6-8 weeks and was old hat by 10 weeks. You are half way through the worst, you can make it!!!

 

[TigerLady]

Oh -- and my LO has always eaten more often than most... at 4 weeks going 1 to 1.5 hours between feeds was a LONG stretch for him. That was around the clock, 24 hours. Meaning he did 12-16 feeds a day... sometimes more. But I didn't count then because I would get too depressed!

 

[petal040]

Well done on the weight gain! That's excellent!

My OH does help me a lot, but I also find myself doing the laundry and dishes, picking things up etc whenever I get a moment. It's poo.