Still battling to keep him awake for feeds!

[Katteh]

My 9 week old son still falls asleep within 5-10 minutes of feeding, I had sort of hoped I'd stop having to battle to keep him awake by now! He sleeps a lot, only managing about an hour and a half of awake time at any point. My daughter was the same (although she was on bottles) but I can't remember when it stopped.

Does anyone else have an exceptionally sleepy 9 week old?!

When he is awake he is very alert so I'm not concerned as such, it just means that it takes about 45 mins to an hour to get a full feed into him in amongst all the waking him up and nappy changes! X

 

[CandyDay]

what makes you think that he isn't getting a full feed in in 5-10mins? A 10 minute feed can be normal. They do get pretty efficient. If you are feeding when he is asking for it and he is happy and content in between then he could be getting a full feed in 10 minutes.

 

[optimistic1]

I agree. If his weight is well and he's making wet diapers and he's happy/content/or falling asleep after feeds then he's probably getting what he needs in 10 min.

 

[Katteh]

He basically only feeds through the initial letdown and then loses interest and falls asleep, and when I express, that initial letdown only gives about a 2oz, which wouldn't be enough for a feed given he feeds every 2.5-3 hours.

I guess it is definitely something I need to consider given that I am spending the time desperately trying to wake him up, doing breast compressions to get the milk flowing and to encourage him to suck, and I do get very frustrated! I just wish I could weigh him before and after those 5-10 minutes and see how much he is getting in comparison to how much he gets at the end of the 'full' feed, but I don't have an accurate enough scale.

The reason I try and get as much into him as possible is because his weight gain has slowed right down, last week it was only 5oz in the week, previously it had been nearer 9-10oz per week.

Perhaps I need to hunt me down a scale...

 

[Calif]

I don't know if this will help but I found a "magical" solution. There's these gas relief drops called "little remedies gas relief" which is basically simethicone. When I give baby 1 drop, he wakes and eagerly starts sucking. I think it's the flavor they put in it. I don't give the full dose, just a drop.

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Remedies-Tummys-Relief-Natural/dp/B001B2PU7Y

 

[CandyDay]

What you get when you express is no indication of how much your LO is getting. They are much more effiecient then expressing is. Just because you only express 2oz during letdown doesn't mean your LO is only getting that much.

if you can pump or express a lot of milk, you are producing a lot; however, if you cannot pump or express a lot, this does not mean your milk production is low or inadequate. Do not pump to find out how much you are producing.

https://www.nbci.ca/index.php?optio...ing-breast-milk&catid=5:information&Itemid=17

 

[Katteh]

I don't know if this will help but I found a "magical" solution. There's these gas relief drops called "little remedies gas relief" which is basically simethicone. When I give baby 1 drop, he wakes and eagerly starts sucking. I think it's the flavor they put in it. I don't give the full dose, just a drop.

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Remedies-Tummys-Relief-Natural/dp/B001B2PU7Y

We actually use infacol (which is simeticone) at each feed anyway and you have to give it at the beginning of a feed so can't use it again afterwards sadly!

 

[Katteh]

What you get when you express is no indication of how much your LO is getting. They are much more effiecient then expressing is. Just because you only express 2oz during letdown doesn't mean your LO is only getting that much.

if you can pump or express a lot of milk, you are producing a lot; however, if you cannot pump or express a lot, this does not mean your milk production is low or inadequate. Do not pump to find out how much you are producing.

https://www.nbci.ca/index.php?optio...ing-breast-milk&catid=5:information&Itemid=17

I realise that, but I am also very aware of how much milk is in my breasts at any given time because I know how they feel when they have had different amounts of milk expressed, as I express once a day, so I know when he hasn't had a proper feed as I can feel there is a lot of milk in them still.