Newborn Help please!!

[spicyorange]

I'm having challenges getting her to feed, she is only 4 days old and when she feeds well she has it totally sorted but often she either won't latch but instead just fusses and licks and spits out my nipple or she latches well sucks a couple of times then drops off (usually asleep) sometimes she crys as soon as she is laid back. Her weight is ok at the moment but I've had to top her up with expressed milk a few times because it's been 4-5hrs and she hasn't fed and I feel like she is being starved.
She seems like she has gas because often if I get a big fart then she will feed really well but I try and wind her sometimes for over an hour with no success. Is it colic? And tips? I want to ebf but I'm worried about her.

 

[noon_child]

They can be very sleep at that age but it sounds like you are doing a great job by offering feeds frequently (whether she takes them or not) and giving expressed milk to keep her going.

Its also very normal for them to fall asleep at the boob and then wake as soon as laid down. Sometimes it is less frustrating to give them a jiggle or a tickle to wake them back up when they are still at the breast rather than clip everything back up and put them down only to find they are still hungry.

At that age too there isn't really a clear defined difference between "this is a feed" and "this is a nap", as they can easily nap for up to 20mins mid feed (due to a sleepy hormone produced by the action of sucking). That's why just having your baby skin to skin on your chest pretty much all the time can be good because then it can be snack, sleep, snack at whatever intervals the baby wants and the smell of your milk/nipples is right there to stimulate her feeding reflexes.

Keep doing what you are doing. If her weight is OK then she is getting milk!

 

[spicyorange]

The problem is she often falls asleep before she's taken any milk!
Tried stripping her off for skin to skin during her feed today and she feed much better so thank you.

 

[LilFooshFoosh]

At the beginning their stomachs are tiny, they really can only take in very small amounts.

For the latching, that part is frustrating but she is learning and will get more consistent as the days pass.

I know that doesn't help much, but I wanted to also share that my DD was born a little early (37 wks), and had a touch of jaundice, so was super sleepy, and would go 4 hours between feeds no problem. I was worried though so I pumped and we would offer breast until she fell asleep then woke her and gave a bottle (20 or 30 ml) from 4 days old to 8 days old then everything fixed itself (jaundice cleared, was awake more frequently, latched consistently, gained weight) and we stopped the bottle as she was staying awake long enough to feed at the breast.

She didn't have trouble with transitioning and is still ebf now at almost 6 months.

Trust your gut momma, you are doing great!

(ETA: the bottles were filled 20 or 30 ml, but not drank untill emptied at first. As the days went on, we gave more if needed but always started with just that as I felt horrid pouring away breastmilk!)

 

[bundle4me]

Sounds exactly like my lo and she's still a bit fussy now at the nipple and she's 4 weeks but she eventually goes on and gets a good feed.
She also used to now and then go 4-5 hrs between feeds but she's gaining weight fine so I never felt the need to top her up with formula.
I'd say just relax about it and keep putting her to the nipple, i sometimes get Oh to hold lo that wakes her and makes her start rooting so often makes her latch better. She's also a big pumper and not easy to wind so we started infacol it helps bring wind up a little better. Xx

 

[coz]

Do you think you could try feeding before she gets so tired? Not sure if this would help or whether she would fall asleep anyway. My lo used to fall asleep alot but would get a good 5/10 mins feed before hand, i used to blow on his face to try keep him awake LOL! Keep going, your doing great x

If she seems a bit fussy could be colic, usually they cry alot with colic though and draw their legs up but for me with my first i could tell he has colic by 3 weeks and then we started using infacol but it could be a little early to tell right now x

 

[spicyorange]

Infacol has changed my child! She is so much happier and she feeds so well now! Poor wee mite was probably in pain