EEEEK, need a breastfeeding queen to coach me!

[Shinning_Star]

Hey girls,

So been breastfeeding for twelve days and it has so not been easy, I've had mastitus, (although MW says positioning is abs fine.) I've nearly given up so many times and last night was sheer exhaustion.

So what I need help with right now is, my little girl is only going three hours for a feed and then feeding for an hour! This is abs exhausting, and last night was really hard. Is this normal is she playing me (although she is actually feeding for the whole time. and if we stop she frantically looks around for boob and shoves her hands in her mouth and sucks really hard) or is this a temporary thing cos she's having a growth spurt??

Also she doesn't seem to feed as well on my left boob and it seems to run out sooner than my right (My left is the one I had mastitus in, but I continued to express during this.) I know it's a common woryr and not as common as you'd think but how do you know if your not producing enough milk for them, could this also be why she's feeding so long and more often?

Thanks ahead of time, and please BF queen come to my saviour!

 

[mommyof3co]

I would start her out on the left side then to stimulate it to produce more. Hayden the very first time he nursed, he did it for a full hour! And did a few other times. What I did to be sure he was nursing enough on each side though was nurse on say the left, for about 10-20min then burp him, then switch to the right and do the same and then burp...usually by then he was done and fell asleep..sometimes he was still hungry though so I'd let him nurse again on the right then the next time he nursed I would start on the right then switch to the left. Each time starting on the one he ended on the last time. He only went 3hrs for awhile, sometimes as little was 1hr though and as he grew up to 5-6hrs at times during the day. We always just fed on demand

 

[Pyrrhic]

Yes, feeding for an hour at a time at your LO's age is completely normal. It does get easier, Niamh now just feeds for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time every few hours. Like 3 said, I'd feed her from the left side at the start of a feed to stimulate more milk, however you'll always find one side is better than the other. Also, you need to make sure you're draining each breast. I only ever feed from one side at a time so I know she's getting the fatty hindmilk as well as the protein-rich foremilk, whereas if you alternate breasts during a feed you run a risk of her only getting foremilk. If her poo goes green, this is probably what's happening.

 

[Serene123]

Feeding that much is brilliant! I know it's so, so tiring at first but it'll be worth it! x

 

[Jemima]

Hi

There are plenty of BF queens on here but I don't think I qualify just yet, maybe I am more of a princess?!

Anyway, first of all, it sounds like you are doing really well to carry on, especially since you have obviously had a tough start with the mastitis, ouch.

At 12 days old, my baby was still feeding at least every 2 hours, even through the night. I think you might find that she becomes more efficient as the weeks pass, it's still very early days for her and she is probably still learning how to extract the milk in the quickest way she can. And I think when they are as young as her, they just enjoy the closeness feeding offers them. They just love being with their mummies! I brought my baby into bed with me for a couple of nights, just to catch up on some sleep and she just fed through the night when she felt like it without me having to fully wake up.

She sounds like a sucky little thing. My LO was too. Mine wasn't interested but I know a lot of mums recommend dummies to allow their babies to satisfy their need to suckle, you could try that?

About your left boob, if you keep offering it as much as the right one, it will soon "catch up".

Try not to get too hung up about the amount of milk you are producing. As long as you eat and drink plenty and she is gaining weight well, giving you wet and dirty nappies and seems content between feeds that it the best indicator.

Good luck with everything and you will get loads of advice on here. I think she sounds like she is doing fine at every three hours.

 

[Lou-b-lou]

I would say that this is soooo normal! I had real problems with my right boob at first and now its fine, (my lo is 5 months) it doesn't produce as much as the left, this is normal too. You could try feeding her every two hours?
If you are worried about your supply you could try "tigers milk" this is full fat milk, banana's and brewers yeast tablets, its ment to increase supply, if any thing you will get and energy boost!
At your lo age they don't know how to play you! just keep at it, its so worth it and gets so much easier. good luck x

 

[Mervs Mum]

^^^^^ What Jemima said!!!

Try to forget about amounts and 'how much' - we dont have ounce markers on our boobs but we live in a bottle feeding culture so it's hard not to think in ounces.

It took Hebe an hour plus at her age every feed. It's a ten minute job now.

You are both learning. She will get better but it takes time. She's also very new to this big scary world - remember, not 2 weeks ago she was permenantly snuggled up inside you, listening to your heart and voice, feeling you, never separated from you. Now she's outside and she wants you back!!! So she needs that comfort sucking because it keeps you close - she need to know you're not going anywhere just yet.

I wouldnt use a dummy just yet. At 12 days old she should really just be working on one sucking technique but thats not to say in a week or so you cant try her with one - just take it a bit at a time.

You are also probably at the 2 week growth spurt too so give yourself a MASSIVE pat on the back for getting this far, especially having had masititis too....you just need a cracked nipple and you have a full set!!!

You are doing a wonderful job already an I promise you faithfully, if you can weather the storm it will get much easier and you will be a BFing queen before you can say 'which boob was she on last???'

xx

 

[Bec L]

I think the advice given so far is spot on but just wanted to say well done for carrying on - give yourself a big pat on the back B/f is sooooo rewarding but the first few weeks can be tough and it is so easy to give up.

xx

 

[Shinning_Star]

Thanks gals , wow lots of bf queens!

My left boob is smaller and the one I had mastitus in, I have been giving her my left first in hope of stimulating more production. My right one leaks loads when feeding from left though. I have found she seems to feed for 20-30 min on first boob offered and then falls asleep, I put her down she wakes and has 20-40 min on second boob.

I think I was bit concerned cos at first she was feeding 4 hrly and for about thirty minutes and seeing as feed got longer and time between got smaller was wondering if suddenly milk was not enuf. I was also worried abt the whole swapping boobs thing and the hind milk and fatty milk, but her poo's are still yellow + grainy. So fo the moment I guess thats ok. As for content inbetween, she was a bit restless yesturday but generally shr sleeps soundly inbetween.

Thsnks so much or your input means alot from someone who's almost given up so many times!

 

[Mervs Mum]

So long as she seems pretty happy then just keep on keeping on! I always wonder what exactly is meant be 'contented'....I mean little babies cry right?! So just because she crys at times doesnt mean there's a problem IYKWIM. I think they are allowed to be a bit restless too in this new environment as I mentioned before.
At first she probably slept more because she was recovering from the birth. So now she'll still be sleeping much of the time but she will start to sleep less and less over time and you can expect to start to see some 'open eye time' between feeds too.

 

[Samantha675]

The others have already said it well. I just wanted to add my support. You are doing fab. I remember thinking I couldn't get through the first few weeks, but now looking back it really did go by sooo quickly. Hang in there love, it is so worth it!

 

[princessellie]

so sorry uve had it hard hun, i just want to repeat what everyone else has said, theyve all given brilliant advice, im by no means a BF queen lol, im still trying to get it and everyone has told me it gets better and easier with time so we both have something to look forward to

youre doing a brilliant job hun

x

 

[sam#3]

well done hun you are doing a great job and like everyone else has said it will be sooo worth it in the end.
well done you xx

 

[Chel]

Perserverence is the key i think.

I had thrush in my milk ducts when Jasper was about a week old (and he had it in his mouth!)That stung likecrazy, it burned when the milk let down, I had to brace myself each time he latched.

I had mastitis - with the fever and nausia thrown in for good measure.

So, I've breast fed when it hurt so bad I was in tears.

But it gets better!

It gets easier!

I remember Jasper when through a phase around 6 weeks where he was feeding for an hour every 3 and that was just a crazyamount of time to feel tied down! BUT it made it better if I fed him on the side, so I could doze in and out while hefed - but Jasper had a killer latch, so I found I cold feed him in any position without a problem -that I am greatful for, considering I had a c-section, I needed something to go right and him latching so well was a godsend!

Just keep at it, it gets to the point where its second nature. No pain, no fuss, no problem! My OH can bring Jasper in to me whe I'm in bed, and I can pop the boobie out and put him on, without waking up!

Also, Jasper much prefers my right breast, so I always start him on my left and when he's finished with it I give him the right anyway. I cant imagine why, they seem to have equal milk production... maybe rightie has a better flavour!