just dont understand.....

[pcsoph2890]

So been to see a lactation consultant and I bought up the topic of my daughter after feeding off me for an inordinate long time (approx 40-45mins per boob) then she delatches herself then cries, headband and roots as if she needs more food. So by then I resort to giving her a bottle to fill her up.
So lc told me.to feed her off one boob only to ensure she is getting all the hind milk from one boob, as I may have been swapping her over before getting it.
So today I have been trying this and she has been feeding for about an hr she delatches and I put her back on, she looks all satisfied and has the amazing drunk on milk look on her face, then 10 mins later she is crying and rooting again for more, I replaced her on the same boob again - milk still coming out.
So as she was so distressed I gave in and gave her a bottle again...

I just do t get why she is so hungry afterwards and should I swap her over to the other boob after her feeding on one side????
I'm going to express now and save what I have for her, as got a good 3floz last night...... my latch finally seems to be ok and I can see her sucking and swallowing ok throughout the boob feed.

Just so frustrated. I think I might have ductal thrush as I have all the symptoms for it - would this effect it? Can only get an appt with the drs on Wednesday for us both.

It seems that she might just like having the comfort of having the nipple in her mouth like a dummy....

Ahhhhh any advice would be appreciated as to what to do and why she seems so hungry after what I feel is a mammoth feed???

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

How old is your baby? She might be having a growth spurt and cluster feeding.

 

[pcsoph2890]

3w 2d....

Last night after being to see the LC she had 3 bottles of ff as my boobs were killing me.... So she pro ably is going through a cluster, growth spurt.

 

[jessicatunnel]

Have you been burping her?

 

[justkitty]

She is meant to feed all the time at that age. She is helping your milk supply and the formula will only make it worse eg supply and demand of boobie. My 1st was ff so I'm not anti. My 2nd is bf and at that age fed alllllllll day and allll night until I thought my boobs would shrivel up and fall off lol. But keep going, it may seem like she is unsatisfied but she just needs more milk. Swap boobs and repeat. Eventually she will spend less time feeding.

 

[pcsoph2890]

Ok will drain one boob then try the other afterwards, but seriously feeding for up to 2 hrs??? Is that normal??

 

[Peppermint25]

At that age my LO was stuck to my boob. Would cluster feed off and on all afternoon sometimes. It's was so tiring and restricting but as weeks went out she went longer between feeds and was more satisfied. She'll be trying to build up your supply x

 

[CupcakeBaby]

Feeding up to 18h is normal!!! 2 is lucky!!! Haha.

 

[Perplexed]

It's normal. I felt the early days consisted mostly of feeding and I couldn't help but doubt myself. But it's normal and my baby's weight gain was normal.

 

[pcsoph2890]

Well I'm pumping too as my nipples beginning to be crusty again, but think this may have to do with possibly having thrush too.
Trouble is my hubby seems to think he is the font of all knowledge on bf now. He claims that our daughter is not getting anything from feeding on the boob as she's still hungry afterwards, and when I said I would tryto feed her late last night as she wasn't settling and might just want comfort as she wasn't wanting a bottle either he snapped back all of the above.
I wanted to shout back when you have boobs that that been chomped on for the past three weeks then comeback to me with your expert opinion. But I didn't and she soon dropped off!!!

 

[liz1985]

On day 3 lo fed for about 15 hours straight with about a max of a 10min rest, I actually thought I was loosing my mind lol. That was the worst but up till about 3 weeks we had some huge feeding sessions. It's just lo building supply, its tiring and stressfull (for me it was) but it is normal and it gets better. About week 3 it started to calm down for me.

 

[pcsoph2890]

Brilliant no e to know that I'm not the only one. I'm expressing too, but ideally would.love to just put her on the boob and no bottles. It's a bit easier now hubby gone back to work so starting tomorrow I just want to bf her on the boob without expressing and just see how I go with no one around and I can just feed her with no pressure or hubby asking "is she still feeding?"

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

Sorry Hun. Feeding literally non stop for 12 hours is normal and it may be possibly for a few more weeks. This is where mummy's start thinking that they aren't making enough milk but baby is just cluster feeding and building your supply. It won't be everyday though.

If you want to exclusively breastfeed then ditch the bottles and let her feed as much and as frequently as she likes. If she's pooing and peeing and gaining weight then it's all good. It is hard going in the early days but definitely normal and it does get better and she will go longer between feeds. Good luck

 

[AL1986]

Same, roughly around 3 weeks my LO would have days of just feeding constantly(would still have the of day here and there where she seems to feed all the time) I remember my mil saying I should give a bottle of formula as she's perhaps not getting enough.. but I knew that this constant feeding was perfectly normal so just went with it. I find now my baby's starting to go longer between feeds but she still cluster feeds in an evening. Many a time my OH would ask ..." you're not feeding her again are you?!" I just bring up alot info online and relay it back to him... he's used to finding me perched on the end of the sofa now in an evening feeding the baba... good excuse for him to bring me brews and snacks

 

[pcsoph2890]

Okay..... it'll be easier to start tomorrow when hubby at work, not planning on doing anything so just going to camp on the sofa and ride it out (dependant on nipples bearing up). Hubby just thinks it's pointless going for ages with her - and I'm getting to a point where I'm gonna snap at him, so happier to just work it out alone with her and we'll figure it out together....

 

[Rachel_C]

If OH thinks she's not getting anything after feeding for an hour, offer him the boob to check for himself If he tries, I BET he gets some milk and then he's proven wrong. If he declines, he hasn't checked for himself so he will just have to trust you.

It sounds like you have a good plan - lots of skin to skin (get chocolate, water and DVDs for yourself), no top ups, no expressing and just let LO get on with it. It's hard at first but it's so worth it after the first month or two. You'll look back and be so proud of yourself and you'll be a pro by then

 

[pcsoph2890]

Yeah just getting a bit emotional about hubbys "opinion" tonight, that I'm feeling forced into e pressing when I want to bf her....
Will be glad tmrw to just be the two of us and I can just have a good go all day and see where we get!!!

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

Having formula fed my first apart from the 1st two weeks I've gotta say BF is much easier once you've gotten through the first hard weeks. Just do what makes you and baby happy

 

[melfy77]

You can do this

Bf'ing is a real nightmare the first weeks. I ended up combi-feeding my 1st for a few months before FF only (she just kept losing weight even 2-3 weeks after birth ) but DD2 is EBF and is thriving!!! I love how convenient it is, even though these days she's pretty much glued to me..my baby k-tan saved my sanity!!! My OH also doesn't care that much about BF'ing, so when I was having a hard time at the beginning, it was even harder because OH was like ''just give her formula, don't know what all that fuss about BF'ing is''. Obviously I've got nothing against FF, but I was so proud of myself for being able to BF this time around, and seeing DD2 gaining weight like crazy (she was 7lbs at birth, 8 lbs at 3 weeks and 10 lbs at 6 weeks) that I got really upset from his lack of support But then it got wayyyyyy easier and now he's happy...pffff men!!! We are now working on getting her to take a bottle, I'm taking fenugreek and will make some lactation cookies to increase my supply so I can express and freeze some milk so I can go out for more than 1 hour without having to worry about her trying to suck on DH's nipple

Sorry for the long post, but like I said, don't give up. YOU are the mother, it's your decision and not your DH's, so as long as you and your LO are healthy, keep trying! Long feedings are normal and when I thought I had no milk left in my boobs, I would squeeze them and milk would just pour out, right on DD's face And in a few days, your LO will be one month old, so make sure to get your 1 month BF'ing milestone, believe me, it's just a sticker but looking at it helps me a lot!!

 

[nyaonyaokat]

Oh gosh at that age my little girl didn't take herself off of my boob except to poop. She even slept latched on to my nipple and if I took it out she would wake up. I even gave her a few bottles of formula cause I thought she wasn't getting enough. In the first month alone she gained 3 pounds and the doctor said there was no reason to give her supplement bottles, cause she probably just liked le'boobie. Sigh... Don't worry hun, its stressful now but it won't be forever.