New Born- BF and sick

[Lucy_lu_84]

Hi,

Joshua is ltching on really well, but he's only feeding for 10 mins at a time. He seems to suckle and then fall asleep where he is. He'll also happily sleep for more than hours sometimes between feeds. Yesterday i evening i woke him to change and feed. Then through night he'd feed for a short time n fall asleep so tried changing him mid feed and he would latch on again. However he's being sick after most feeds - quite a lot to. Not straight away usuallt after he's settled and sleeping again. Sometimes he'll want to feed again straight away but other times he will just sleep.

Am just a bit woried he's not getting enough. Any advice?

 

[charlieann]

have you tried winding him after every feed?
i didnt realise my lillun needed winding at first as i assumed only bottlefed babies got wind. he was sick less often when we discovered he needed winding!

 

[Samantha675]

It could be a combination of wind and how tiny his tummy is right now. I am assuming your LO is still pretty tiny, and his stomach in the first week is only about the size of a large marble. So he could just be over eating. Also the spincter that connects the stomach and throat can take a bit of time to tighten up, and it allows milk to come back up more easily.

As far as the sleeping, he is probably still recovering from the birth. You both are just starting out, be patient. As long as he is giving your plenty of wet diapers, then he is getting enough.

Here is a chart for newborn stomach size.
https://keluargasehat.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/infantstomach.jpg

 

[Shifter]

This sounds really normal. Their tummies are so small to begin with so they tend to feed little and often and also sleep loads in the first couple of weeks! Don't worry about waking him for a feed, if he's hungry he will wake himself. Enjoy the little bits of quiet time to yourself.

Sometimes babies will gorge themselves and bring up what can't fit in their tummies, give it some time and see if the sickness settles down.

You're doing great

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Thanks girls!

Spoke to Midwife when she came and she said the same! She weight him yesterday 5lb 12, so only lost 4oz so she is happy that he is getting enough and just being greedy!
He's not being sick after every feed now, but when he is...god you know about it. Projectiles everywhere! LOL

Feeling happier about the feeding now... seems to be going well.

 

[Mervs Mum]

4oz is really good - well done both of you

 

[AnnaBanana9]

That's really, really good - 4oz. Well done both of you!

 

[Samantha675]

My son lost 10 oz. so 4 is awesome!!!

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

thanks girls feel much more happy and confident now

 

[elm]

what a gorgeous little boy x

I'm so glad you're more happy and confident when you first posted, I don't want to make you all paranoid but just wanted to share this with you

https://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough-milk.html

We had feeding problems where Elliot was sleeping alot in the first week and I wish I'd known how heavy nappies were supposed to be as we were getting loads of dirty nappies but they were nowhere near as heavy as they were supposed to be. We had no problems with weight but things weren't right and although the dr and mw said he was fine he wasn't.

If you do feel things aren't right with your baby please ask for a urine sample to be checked for dehydration. Really don't want to worry you as I'm sure everything is absolutely fine it's just that when I think of what could have happend with Elliot it scares me xxx

(please ask if you want any more info about what happend with us - just didn't want to go into it all when it's probably completely irrelevant to you and might just make you worry again when you don't need to).

 

[elm]

This sounds really normal. Their tummies are so small to begin with so they tend to feed little and often and also sleep loads in the first couple of weeks! Don't worry about waking him for a feed, if he's hungry he will wake himself. Enjoy the little bits of quiet time to yourself.

Sometimes babies will gorge themselves and bring up what can't fit in their tummies, give it some time and see if the sickness settles down.

You're doing great

Sorry but that really concerns me - it's important to wake your baby to feed as there could be reasons for him not waking up on his own (when it's a newborn)

https://www.breastfeeding-basics.com/html/waking_a_sleepy_baby.shtml

Mothers are often told to wake their newborn for feedings every two hours, and there is a very good reason for this. Newborns are notorious for sleeping through feedings, and it is easy to assume that a sleepy baby is a full, satisfied baby. This is not always the case with newborns (I define newborns as babies two weeks old or younger). Demand feeding begins after the baby is a couple of weeks old, has regained his birth-weight, and your milk supply is well established. A healthy baby who is older than two weeks is not going to sleep through feedings –he will most definitely let you know when he is hungry! However, you can’t assume that a newborn will let you know when he needs to eat, and that’s why it is important to wake him for feedings. Many so called “good babies” who sleep long stretches at a time have ended up becoming dehydrated.

It was a link from the kellymom site so I've got absolute confidence in the info on it.
x

 

[Shifter]

That'll teach me for repeating advice given by others without checking it out for myself. I stand corrected. Jack didn't get dehydrated when he was newborn and he slept long stretches at night after cluster feeding for four hour stretches in the evenings, but I can see how people could get concerned about it.

 

[elm]

I'm sure it's true for older healthy babies - it's only something I learnt through experience - didn't know it when I needed to! x

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

thanks again girls!

I have taken to waking him every few hours in the day if he hasn't woken for a feed...but during the day he sometimes wants to feed every few hours! Night time though he is sleeping for around 5-6 hours...midwife said this is completely fine.

he's having sooooooooo many dirty nappies, and loves to pee everywhere as soon as the nappy comes off! Typical man!

he got weight again today and he is 6lb 1/2oz, so at a week old he is just about his birth weight YAY! so pleased with this, seems that he is doing really well

 

[elm]

That's fantastic xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

Wow almost back to birth weight in a week is great - good work.

Personally I never woke my LO but she didn't often sleep for more than 3/4 hours between feeds. I would carry on as you are. I wouldnt wake during the night. I think it's good that there body clock tunes in to it being night. My LO was sleeping from 11pm to 5am from 3 weeks old. That changed to 10pm to 8 or 9am quite quickly too.

Well done honey - these are the difficult days for new BFing mums and you are getting off to a great start

 

[massacubano]

Thanks girls!

Spoke to Midwife when she came and she said the same! She weight him yesterday 5lb 12, so only lost 4oz so she is happy that he is getting enough and just being greedy!
He's not being sick after every feed now, but when he is...god you know about it. Projectiles everywhere! LOL

Feeling happier about the feeding now... seems to be going well.

that is excellent Javi was 7 2 and 6 13

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Just a little update, joshua got weighed yesterday and was half ounce more than his birth weight!! Wooo... so looks like we're doing something right Will carry on as I am

Thanks for ure advice and support girls, so much to learn

 

[elm]

Well done you xxx

 

[flutterbylge]

we went through the same thing with Riley on his first week and the same thing hapened this afternoon as well. The midwife was saying babies have hungry days at this stage, and not to worry. i know it hurts your shoulders and it gets you down but knowing its normal helps.