My 3 day old is constantly feeding?

[leigh5tom]

Hi ladies!
Since last night, my newborn has been on and off my breasts constantly! He feeds for between 20 & 40 minutes, then falls asleep, then when I move him he wakes up and roots again! He isn't crying, just rooting round, then crying if I don't feed him after 10-15 minutes!

MW came today & said latch is good, and my milk is now coming in.

What can I do? I'm really tired and my nipples are getting sore!! xxxx

 

[moomin_troll]

A good nipple cream will help, can't think what it's called. And constant feeding is normal, building ur supply.
So it's something u have to bare for now. It gets easier and this pain doesn't last forever

 

[Reidfidleir]

^wss yes use the lanolin cream it's good for that. Also putting your own milk on the nipples and letting them air dry can also help heal. It's the good for everything magic juice! Lol.
Glad to hear your newborn is doing this. Very normal and is helping bring in the milk they need.

 

[leigh5tom]

Thank you I'm worried he's hungry or not getting enough ! Surely he can't have any roomin his little tummy for all this milk ? xxxx

 

[Reidfidleir]

He's also helping to stretch his stomach as well. When Thorrin went to the hospital at 1 week old for jaundice they said he should be getting at least 2 oz every feeding. I couldn't fathom as he was usually only doing 1/2 oz at a time. It was hard to get him to nurse due to lethargy. He wasn't getting enough. their tummies will grow and yes he will have room!

 

[Popples1]

Hi ladies!
Since last night, my newborn has been on and off my breasts constantly! He feeds for between 20 & 40 minutes, then falls asleep, then when I move him he wakes up and roots again! He isn't crying, just rooting round, then crying if I don't feed him after 10-15 minutes!

MW came today & said latch is good, and my milk is now coming in.

What can I do? I'm really tired and my nipples are getting sore!! xxxx

My boy has been like this for the last two days and I'm really upset about it today. I feel like I just can't fill him up and am an absolute failure. DH has just topped him up with EBM and FF while I just sat and cried.

 

[the why bird]

You are NOT a failure, this is totally normal newborn behaviour. It is hard on mama. And baby is so young your hormones are still all over the place, making you feel even more tired and emotional. The way you feel is normal but you are NOT failing.

Tiny babies eat very very slowly, and milk digests very fast, which is why their tummies can take it. Your milk is only just coming in, and your baby instinctively knows to feed as much as possible, so that your breasts make enough for his growth. Their tiny tummies are also expanding quite rapidly, and most significantly of all, feeding is the only way he knows how to comfort himself right now. Mama and her boobies are very soothing to a newborn in this new bright world so he wants to be with you.

Whatever decisions you make about continuing feeding are entirely up to you - you can weigh up the baby's needs and your needs and everyone's comfort and you know best what your family needs. But whatever you end up doing PLEASE don't beat yourself up over it. It's no more your fault than it is your fault he cries, poos and sleeps all day. It's how babies work.

 

[Perplexed]

It's normal! So exhausting though. The early days are a blur of pure nursing and diaper changes. Things only looked up when I started watching series while feeding. Helped pass the time!

 

[the why bird]

^^ Good suggestion. Now is an awesome time to invest in Netflix or amazon prime.

 

[noon_child]

you are not a failure, this is totally normal newborn behaviour. It is hard on mama. And baby is so young your hormones are still all over the place, making you feel even more tired and emotional. The way you feel is normal but you are not failing.

Tiny babies eat very very slowly, and milk digests very fast, which is why their tummies can take it. Your milk is only just coming in, and your baby instinctively knows to feed as much as possible, so that your breasts make enough for his growth. Their tiny tummies are also expanding quite rapidly, and most significantly of all, feeding is the only way he knows how to comfort himself right now. Mama and her boobies are very soothing to a newborn in this new bright world so he wants to be with you.

Whatever decisions you make about continuing feeding are entirely up to you - you can weigh up the baby's needs and your needs and everyone's comfort and you know best what your family needs. But whatever you end up doing please don't beat yourself up over it. It's no more your fault than it is your fault he cries, poos and sleeps all day. It's how babies work.

this!!!

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

It's completely normal ladies as others have said. I was on the sofa for 8 hours continuously one day. Baby is cluster feeding and building your supply.

Basically in the early weeks breastfeeding was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. For me it hurt until we got a perfect latch, my letdown stung, I got thrush, blocked ducts and mastitis. And those long hours of constant feeding were not enjoyable at all. However we came through it. Your babies will eventually space out feedings. Breastfeeding went from the hardest thing to the best thing I've ever done.

If you really want to exclusively breastfeed then ditch the formula and nurse as long as baby wants whenever baby wants. Trust in your own body. If baby is pooing and weeing and gaining weight then regardless of the constant feeding you are providing enough milk. Remember BM is digested a lot easier than formula too.

Everybody's situation is different and if you end up formula feeding then don't feel bad. I formula fed my first after two weeks. But the one thing I will say is please do not give formula because your baby is constantly on the boob and you're doubting that you are making enough milk. So many people give up because of the belief that they don't have enough milk when that's not usually the case. That was the reason I gave up with my first. This time we haven't used any formula and once those hard weeks are over it's a breeze. Not to mention saving me £10 a week in powder and the health benefits. And I agree about lansinoh, it's a god send for sore nipples.

Put your feet up, snack, chill out with DVDs and try to enjoy doing nothing but nursing. When you see how much your little treasures are growing all because of you it's totally worth it.

Good luck

 

[Popples1]

Thanks. This really does help. We're getting him weighed again tomorrow so hopefully we'll see an increase and that will build my confidence a bit. The good news is that I managed to do several feeds without nipple shields today so at least things are a little more comfortable.

 

[girlinyork]

My daughter would fall asleep during feeds and I would gently stroke her jawline to stimulate suckling so she would get her fill

 

[leigh5tom]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I've woken this morning to full rock hard breasts so I'm hoping now my milk is in he will start to go a bit longer! But I definateky think he was getting my supply in. With my daughter, it was about now that I started supplementing with formula, but I don't feel at all like I need to consider that at the moment so that's a positive. I'm very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive husband, he's basically my slave right now ;-) x x x

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I've woken this morning to full rock hard breasts so I'm hoping now my milk is in he will start to go a bit longer! But I definateky think he was getting my supply in. With my daughter, it was about now that I started supplementing with formula, but I don't feel at all like I need to consider that at the moment so that's a positive. I'm very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive husband, he's basically my slave right now ;-) x x x

It's all about hubby being your slave lol my husband had to do everything for me and the toddler when my little girl was a newborn. Poor man

 

[Bevziibubble]

This is totally normal. Babies have tiny stomachs and breastmilk is very easily digested, so he will need constantly feeding at first. I found Lansinoh nipple cream really helped with soreness for me. It does get better and he will settle down in the next few weeks

 

[sojourn]

I am so relieved to read this. My baby has been feeding almost non-stop for the last 18 hours. He is 8 days old and this just started. His first couple of days he fed every single hour for about 10 minutes on both sides. Then he started this amazing schedule of eating for about 20 minutes every two hours throughout the day, then he would nurse for about 40 minutes at 9pm, 30 minutes at 12am, 4am and 7am. He did that from day 3 to day 7.

Lately he's been on for hours at a time, both sides and only a couple of hours (at most) in between. I sat on the couch and fed him from 4am to 630am and just cried the whole time. I start to tear up every time he starts rooting because I know that I'll be trapped on the couch for another few hours.

I have to take bathroom breaks and have my husband change him. He screams the whole time. I have only been able to eat food that I can safely eat over him. I ate a bowl of chili over his head today.

I have my Kindle, netflix and my husband has the whole month off to wait on me. I still just want to cry. I feel like a feeding trough.

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

the newborn days are the hardest. It gets so much better

 

[Popples1]

I've been crying most of the afternoon because we got my boy weighed again and he hasn't put any on. We're now on a 3-hourly feeding plan of bf, EBM and ff as needed. My mum just came round and sent me to bed for a sleep whilst DH did a ff. I got up, expressed next to nothing and am now having a cuddle with my beautiful boy before it's time to start the whole process again. I feel like I'm not producing enough milk (especially after seeing the pitiful amount I just expressed) and am useless

 

[kazine]

I ate a bowl of chili over his head today.

I'm sorry I know you're having a hard time but I really giggled at this!

I hope it gets easier! Enjoy it while you can because he won't be that little for long!