finding feeding so hard already

[justmeinlove]

For what it's worth:
1. Those pampers nappies that have a line which goes blue - awesome!
2. Our baby was uber sleepy for the first few days, I think they're just getting over being born, it's ok. Although picking them up to feed them is fine too, I seem to remember the midwife picking her up and giving her to me to feed on a regular basis
3. Babies can get more out than you can express. And as said, they have tiny tummies. And you would just likely be producing colostrum so far, once the milk comes in you'll know - certainly my breasts suddenly turned into huge unhappy rocks! Hot showers helped at that point.

 

[justmeinlove]

oh and
4. Don't swap every 15-20 minutes. Let the baby feed until it is done on one side, then for the next feed, use the other side. This means (once your milk is in) that the baby will be getting both the watery foremilk and then the fattier hindmilk (aka a drink and a meal).
To help me remember which side is next, I put a hairband on my wrist, and then swap it to the other wrist after she has finished, so I know which one to use next

I hope it's going ok? I really am sure you're doing fine. Keep talking to people. For me the first 2 weeks were just dreadful in every way, post-birth haze can be dreadful and if you haven't dealt with a baby before, it can be terrifying. But tbh everything you wrote sounded ok at a distance? Bar I suppose the being cold - add a hat?

 

[MissRhead]

Hey sorry I have been coming on to read your replys just haven't had time to reply. Things are going ok, i went back to the hospital because he just wouldn't wake up and wouldn't latch, nothing. We did skin to skin tried everything their, nothing. One of the midwives gave him a tiny bit of formula then put him on and he started to feed. Things then went down hill as I was doing this to just get him to latch on, he just screamed at the breast it's been so stressful, I just wanted to give up and FF, I had an appointment with a feeding specialist from the hospital yesterday and I've been dreading it, I honestly wanted to cancel it and tell everyone to just leave me alone, well it turned out to be the best thing meeting her! She spent time with me helping to latch him on, reassuring me and hes been feeding great! I'm still having to give abit of formula but it's going so much better and I'm feeling more confident with it, I'm hand expressing in between feeds too, fingers crossed it keeps getting better. Thanks for all your kind support x

 

[MissRhead]

Just wanted to upload this from this morning, latched on first time and fed for ages before falling asleep, I know I still have a long way to go but I'm feeling so much better about things

 

[everdreaming]

beautiful photo. Well done

 

[Popples1]

Beautiful photo - well done you

 

[pinkpolkadot]

Gret news, well done! Love the pic

 

[lovelylaura]

I've only just read this but well done! Both my girls were the same and i gave up and formula fed. I came on here to see if there are any positive storys of lazy slow eater's for next time. I'm feeling more positive for this baby.

 

[Popples1]

I've only just read this but well done! Both my girls were the same and i gave up and formula fed. I came on here to see if there are any positive storys of lazy slow eater's for next time. I'm feeling more positive for this baby.

I'm combi feeding my boy as he was the same. I'm determined to nail it next time though! Good luck with yours

 

[Vicki_Cream]

Well done! Breast feeding is so hard in the early days, no wonder you were stressed

You're clearly doing a fabulous job!

 

[noon_child]

So glad you got such excellent support. By the way that pick looks like a great latch!

 

[MissRhead]

Thanks all still sticking with it, I'm not totally sure if we are doing well or not but he's a lot better at latching on now, at every feed though he goes on for a little bit then comes back off and crys he doesn't just go on and feed? I am still supplementing with formula and I'm hand expressing between feeds nothing much comes out mind. I seem to be having him on a lot though which I'm hoping gets my supply up? Waiting in for the midwife today so will speak to her too. Thank you for all the great advice and support x

 

[noon_child]

at every feed though he goes on for a little bit then comes back off and crys he doesn't just go on and feed? I am still supplementing with formula and I'm hand expressing between feeds nothing much comes out mind. I seem to be having him on a lot though which I'm hoping gets my supply up? Waiting in for the midwife today so will speak to her too. Thank you for all the great advice and support x

He's probably a bit lazy and frustrated. If your milk proper hasn't come in yet but he's used to the quick hit of formula, having to work at getting his meals will be a bit of a shock!! He'll get used to it though.

Crying is normal. It is a really, really good survival mechanism for newborns. If the crying wasn't so annoying/heartbreaking we'd not be so desperate to get them to shut up and we'd not put them on the boob often enough to produce enough milk. Crying ensures we try to stuff boob in their face at every opportunity!!! I remember on night 3 my LO was just crying and crying, latching and unlatching and couldn't be calmed. The next morning I had huge rock hard breasts. She had finally got hungry enough to bring my proper milk in, but there is always a lag between the demand and the supply catching up - which inevitably means crying.

Try if you can to supplement as little as possible. Pumping isn't recommended by a lot of midwives in the first few weeks as it can cause over supply but if your baby is taking formula your body isn't learning to produce as much as he needs and it is hard to hand express for long enough to be equivalent to a formula feed.

 

[MissRhead]

It's changed from the yellow thick in the beginning to now white and sticky type milk so I presume that means my milk has/is coming in now? I really want to drop the formula I'm just so scared he won't get enough, when I try and hand express some does come out but it wouldn't even be enough to get into a bottle or anything it's such a small amount. I'm still trying to hand express inbetween putting on the boob at every opportunity I'm just worried without the formula he won't get enough. X

 

[noon_child]

It's changed from the yellow thick in the beginning to now white and sticky type milk so I presume that means my milk has/is coming in now? I really want to drop the formula I'm just so scared he won't get enough, when I try and hand express some does come out but it wouldn't even be enough to get into a bottle or anything it's such a small amount. I'm still trying to hand express inbetween putting on the boob at every opportunity I'm just worried without the formula he won't get enough. X

I suppose it depends whether feeding him is painful or not. I fed expressed milk because I was so sore and my LO took ages to learn to latch correctly. BUT if you now have a good latch there is no reason why he wouldn't get enough. Yes he might be a bit hungry for a few days while your body catches up, but that will not harm him. After all this is what happens during growth spurts: they need more food than you are making and scream and fuss for a few days so that you feed them pretty much constantly, and they pull off and scream cos it's not coming fast enough. Then your supply catches up and they return to normal.

Maybe just try making it less and less formula a few days at a time? Or just ensure you never feed him more than you are doing now - so during growth spurts you give no extra formula, any extra milk he wants he has to get from you?

It sounds like you are doing a great job!

 

[MissRhead]

Thank you, today has been a really good day, he's not had much formula and is staying on the boob for a lot longer, he hasn't pooped since yesterday though so I wonder if he's got constipated from me using formula aswell.
He was weighed earlier and he lost 2% of his birth weight x

 

[noon_child]

Thank you, today has been a really good day, he's not had much formula and is staying on the boob for a lot longer, he hasn't pooped since yesterday though so I wonder if he's got constipated from me using formula aswell.
He was weighed earlier and he lost 2% of his birth weight x

Brilliant!!!!

(Some babies don't poo everyday. If he gets uncomfortable or his tummy seems swollen or tender then he may be constipated and need some medical help, but 1 day without a poo is usually nothing to worry about.)

 

[Popples1]

On the poop front... My LO usually does one huge one every other day and he's gaining weight at a rate of roughly 1oz per day.