Support/tips/advice with bf 5 day old baby

[scuffer]

Hello All

My baby is 5 days old, he was quite big when born (9lb 14oz) and by day 3 he'd gone down to 9lb 3oz. The mw came out this morning and he's only gained an ounce so is now 9lb 4oz. She says he will need to be back at his birth weight before discharging me and doesn't seem to think it'll happen by 10 days.

I've been feeling OK about his feeding, he got the hang of it straight away and I've felt it's been going OK. Sometimes he'll feed constantly, other times it's every couple of hours and other times it'll be longer. He was a good birth weight and I wasn't worried until the mw came out!

One of the main issues is that he tends to feed for a few minutes and then fall alseep again (though during the night he had 4 really good long feeds). She was saying I should wake him to feed him more but he's just really sleepy and I thought this was pretty normal for a newborn.

I had the usual advice of making sure I was eating and sleeping enough (which I feel I am) but otherwise I'm at a loss as to what to do or think.

Anyway, sorry that was a bit long, any ideas would be gratefully received. She's made me worry which has annoyed me a bit as I was feeling really relaxed and OK about everything.

 

[0_o]

Honestly? Just keep doing what you are doing! You've had your baby weighed twice already by 5days old, of course the weight won't have gone up much. Your lo's feeding pattern sounds just like my dds was to start with. I'm sure its pretty normal. Midwives are more trouble than they're worth sometimes.xx

 

[scuffer]

Honestly? Just keep doing what you are doing! You've had your baby weighed twice already by 5days old, of course the weight won't have gone up much. Your lo's feeding pattern sounds just like my dds was to start with. I'm sure its pretty normal. Midwives are more trouble than they're worth sometimes.xx

Thank you!

He's been really sleepy this morning and has 2 really small feeds and I keep watching him and willing him to wake up and feed, I'm going to be a paranoid wreck if I continue like this.

Thanks again, it really helps x

 

[0_o]

No worries. Fay is nearly 6weeks and still has small feeds here and there. Your son would be crying for food if he wasn't getting enough. I just looked back at Fays feeds (i have a tracker on my phone) and she barely fed some days. Xx

 

[summer rain]

Perhaps your midwife is unaware of the new guidelines that they should ideally be back to their birthweight by 14 days, not 10? The new growth charts have even been changed to reflect this change in guideline (there is a blank bit on the chart between birth and 14 days). Just continue to do as you are doing; it may be inconvenient for the midwife to discharge you after 10 days but there is no law saying they have to discharge you by then and certainly don't feel pressured to offer top ups just so your LO regains his birthweight when they want. I have had two babies similar to your LOs size one of them never lost any weight but the other took nearly two weeks to regain his weight, its completely normal. xx

 

[scuffer]

Perhaps your midwife is unaware of the new guidelines that they should ideally be back to their birthweight by 14 days, not 10? The new growth charts have even been changed to reflect this change in guideline (there is a blank bit on the chart between birth and 14 days). Just continue to do as you are doing; it may be inconvenient for the midwife to discharge you after 10 days but there is no law saying they have to discharge you by then and certainly don't feel pressured to offer top ups just so your LO regains his birthweight when they want. I have had two babies similar to your LOs size one of them never lost any weight but the other took nearly two weeks to regain his weight, its completely normal. xx

Thank you, that's really good to know. It wasn't my usual midwife and she was a bit odd! I tried chatting to her and she just kind of blanked me, I wasn't feeling too comfortable with her.

We'll continue as we are, having not fed all morning but just slept, he then spent the afternoon doing nothing but feed!

 

[Mya209]

My LO is two weeks old. She did regain her birth weight but she had a similar patten to your LO. She feeds about every three hours. She doesn't suck much before falling asleep but it's only a light sleep or laziness, so I tap her on the cheek or bottom and she usually starts again. I wouldn't worry though, baby would be very distressed if he wasn't getting enough food!

 

[punk_pig]

Perhaps your midwife is unaware of the new guidelines that they should ideally be back to their birthweight by 14 days, not 10? The new growth charts have even been changed to reflect this change in guideline (there is a blank bit on the chart between birth and 14 days). Just continue to do as you are doing; it may be inconvenient for the midwife to discharge you after 10 days but there is no law saying they have to discharge you by then and certainly don't feel pressured to offer top ups just so your LO regains his birthweight when they want. I have had two babies similar to your LOs size one of them never lost any weight but the other took nearly two weeks to regain his weight, its completely normal. xx

Thank you, that's really good to know. It wasn't my usual midwife and she was a bit odd! I tried chatting to her and she just kind of blanked me, I wasn't feeling too comfortable with her.

We'll continue as we are, having not fed all morning but just slept, he then spent the afternoon doing nothing but feed!

I won't mince my words, the midwife who saw me after my release from hospital was a TOTAL BITCH. She made out like my happy, never jaundiced, alert baby was going to die if I didn't get her to feed more! Luckily a different one came after that but I would have demanded a replacement otherwise as I didn't want her in my house or anywhere near me.

 

[summer rain]

I've had two midwives who have said my baby will die of brain or liver damage, they were both jaundiced but one of them his jaundice was very mild and this was proven by tests; the other one who said this with my youngest said it when I said I'd take my LO to hospital for tests and was actually planning to do so anyway but had to wait for someone in the family to give me a lift. She seemed to think I was making excuses and thought that telling me my baby would pretty much be dead by tomorrow if I didn't so right then, would spur me into action. It just ended up making me very upset and when we went to the hospital; the paediatricians said they would expect this kind of level for his age at the time and they wouldn't have advised bringing him in unless he was still this bad at 10 days, but because his level was above the phototherapy line, they would have to admit him. In this area you see a different midwife every time and you do get some right cow-bags (as my mum calls them). xx

 

[nullaby]

It sounds like you are doing everything great and i would keep doing what your doing!

 

[scuffer]

Summer Rain that is completely shocking!

I won't mince my words, the midwife who saw me after my release from hospital was a TOTAL BITCH. She made out like my happy, never jaundiced, alert baby was going to die if I didn't get her to feed more! Luckily a different one came after that but I would have demanded a replacement otherwise as I didn't want her in my house or anywhere near me.

Everyone who's seen him has commented what a good colour he is and he fed straight after he was born. It's good to know I shouldn't worry as she really freaked me out just when I was feeling all calm and happy with things

Well the wee monster fed ALL night and we hardly got any sleep, so I'm a bit of a zombie this morning and he's sleeping off his hard night's feeding