BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Breast Feeding => Topic started by: Tessy on September 20, 2006, 19:53:17 pm
-
Hello everyone,
I am new to the site cause I am having some problems atm with my LO. He is 14 weeks old now and I am BF him. In the last few days (or is it already a week ???) I am worrying he is not getting enough anymore.
I have read some post here already that it is quite common with a 3 months old suddenly just needs some minutes to empty the breast but still confused.
My LO finishes both sites atm. Each site maybe 5 minutes. But then he still wants more. If I switch him to the other site again he just goes on and off and starts to fuss. It seems he doesn't want to work hard for it. If we stop then he is crying for a minute and then its okay. I think then he is still hungry and I haven't got enough milk. So I start drinking much more, using pump and so on to produce more milk. The strange thing is, even he act like that after every feed, he goes for 3 hours to the next feed. ??? ??? ??? So he is not hungry?!?!?!
I was at my Health Visitor and she is telling me to give him formula. :'( :'(
What should I do now??
Oh btw, he has got enough wet nappies. Every 2 - 3 days dirty ones. He gained weight fine. Just the last 2 weeks it was just 200 gramm (from 13.11 lbs to 14.7 lbs).
Thanks for helping!
-
Why on earth would you introduce formula? I am not sure why HV suggested it! You have a healthy LO who is strong with BF. I wonder if you are developing a hindmilk/foremilk imbalance and at a short feed- he's not receiving enough hindmilk (even though he is making it three hours). Maybe try single feedings? Although most moms with hindmilk issues also have oversupply issues. Here's some tips- http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/toomuchmilk.html. Is your LO frustrated by milk flow? I know my LO will start to "compress" my breast even at young age if it wasn't coming fast enough (and then he also would get upset if it came too fast!!). Here's some tips on flow rates- http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/fussy-while-nursing.html#flowpreference.
But if he is happy, sleeping well, producing wet nappies- then he is getting enough nutrition. Or there other variables- new developmental milestones, AF, teething, etc?
HTH.
-
Thanks for the fast reply. :-*
Over supply?? I wish I would have ;) Single feeding? Yeah I wished I had never switched to both-sides
-feeds but now I can't switch back cause THAT wouldnt be enough for sure. He would be finished in 5 minutes and still be very hungry. To produce more milk on that side he should continue suckling, right? But he doesn't. If the milk is not coming out easy anymore, he is off. I dont know if I might not producing hindmilk anymore cause he always went off.
If I would single-side feeding I would always have some in reserve for him if he needs more cause of a growthspurt or what so ever... but how can I switch to it now? I dont wanna starve him or make him upset.
Oh dear. So many questions. And I thought my HV would have giving me reasurance, but no. Formula was the advise :'(
-
Hi there
There could be lots of things going on...
None of which suggest formula use to me judging by his weight gain and nappies. I really need to hear someone tell me about a health visitor who is supportive of breastfeeding because it's starting to drive me nuts!! No wonder our breastfeeding rates in Europe are so low!!!
It could be that he is finished happily but when you try to get him to feed more he is saying 'No mum - I've finished. Stop hassling me!'
How confident are you that he is still hungry? I think if he was really hungry or if it was a supply problem then he would be upset for more than a minute and he wouldn't go 3 hours.
I would try and speak to someone if you can. Your doctor might be a person to talk to rather than the HV. Are you familiar with La leche Liga (German name). They may be a useful resource:
http://www.lalecheliga.de/index.htm
-
Yeah I was already on their site. (La Leche Liga). But havent got any news.
Yes he is still hungry cause I tried it yesterday. I've got some milk defrosted and after a feed in the afternoon I gave him the bottle and he drunk it all. It was about 80 ml/ 3 oz.
So I guess if it would have been more, he would have drunk it too.
And the DF tonight I gave him after the feed the milkd I expressed this morning (60 ml) and he although drunk it all. I tried to express after the feed to find out if I can get something out and he is just too lazy for the hindmilk, but no chance .. nothing to express. ::)