Help please!!!

[haydensdad]

Hi and sorry if this has been asked before but im new to this fourm and need some help.
My partner and i have a month old son who she has breast fed from birth, Her milk supply was there from the first day and she's been very happy feeding him...Over the last week or so he doesn't seem to be getting as much milk as he needs, he will latch on for a few seconds then pull away and cry this can go on for 15 mins and even if he's been on the breast for 20 or so mins he always seems hungry wanting to be fed every hour or so...she used to be able to express a good 4oz so i to could enjoy feeding him...so could express that amount in about 5 mins.
Last week we decided that she should go out and have some "her" time with her friends all i asked was that she expressed milk so i could feed him. it took her nearly all day to express to feeds. then when she did go out i could feed him the whole bottle wind him and change him and he would sleep for 3 hours but as soon as she came home and started feeding on the breast again the same as above happened keeping us up every hour or so

any ideas what we can do or why this is happeing?

ross

 

[Samantha675]

I would say that it is one of two things. One that your son is having a growth spurt. So he is more hungry, and it will give your OH's body the clues it needs to start producing more milk. Growth spurts are very frustrating for all involved, but give it some time and it will pass. Or he is not getting the let down as fast as he wants it. With a bottle the baby gets instant gratification, no work. With the breast he has to work for the milk to let down, and it can be frustrating for him. As much as you enjoy feeding him, I would back off on the bottles for a bit, and let him get used to the flow from the breast again.

 

[marley2580]

I back up everything Samantha has said. It's most likely to be a growth spurt, but could also be that he's getting a bit frustrated due to the flow - it may not be the bottles, it could just be that your partner's supply has regulated, meaning the let down can be a bit slower and that she's only producing what he needs. Either way, if you both stick with it things should settle down within a week or so.

 

[thelilbump]

i agree with above aswell.

 

[alice&bump]

i agree with all above! when katie has growth spurts she's a nightmare to feed! i think she's having one now cos she's constantly on the boob and even tho she's havin 3 meals a day she still wants milk constantly.

it could be that he's getting to the stage where he's more active and needs more milk. they fuss around your boob, working at your supply to build it up. it can be frustrating and really upsetting for all concerned, you think you've got no milk anymore etc, but it builds up over time.

as long as he seems normally happy and has plenty of wet and dirty nappies then i'm pretty sure he's fine xx

 

[mari72]

How often have you bottle fed him? It might be that he has nipple confusion and that when he's at the breast he's just not as efficient at suckling as he was. Breast feeding and bottle feeding are very different processes the latter being the easier, its recommended that breast feeding babies aren't bottle fed until about 6 weeks so that they're totally proficient at feeding before a different teat is introduced (same goes for using dummies.) So much as you enjoy feeding him i think for the moment it'd be best for you to leave that to mum (assuming she wants to continue with bf) and maybe you could do other things like bathing him? He'll soon be adept at bf and you can enjoy feeding him then