BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Breast Feeding => Topic started by: Kimberlina on November 30, 2014, 15:52:36 pm
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Mamas! Help!!!
DS2 is 3.5 wks old and we've been successfully bfing that whole time...this is 1wk longer than DS1 got!
He has a great latch, my milk production is good, etc... But he is CONSTANTLY feeding! Like, every 1.5 hrs day and night. He has silent reflux, so I think he sometimes comfort eats and his ped thinks it could be a growth spurt...
But girls! At this age, ff DS1 was only waking once between 10pm - 6am... DS2 woke 3-4 times last night between those hours!
I'm really considering ff, even just at night. Thoughts???
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My thoughts are that you need some help! Are you getting any support? Do you have his head elevated etc? A dummy/soother?
If having a carton of formula in the house gives you more options, then I would do it. Especially in the middle of the night, having something to fall back on might help. I know we had a single carton and it never got used!
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All LOs are so different there is no guarantee that he will start sleeping better on formula especially if it is to soothe the reflux. What are you doing to treat the reflux? Getting that sorted will probably cut the feeds down.
Where is he sleeping? Might he do some better naps in the sling or pushchair do you thing?
He is still really young and it won't be like this forever. Between 0-6wo they are really still establishing your supply so frequent feeds are important.
NFs are really important to BFing as the hormones responsible for production peak around 4am so you may find it hard to maintain your supply at all if you stop feeding at night.
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Hun, waking round te clock is just normal. It's hard I know but it's what babies do.
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Agree with Ali and Anna. NFs are very important and totally normal at this age. Substituting formula/aiming to have no bfs overnight could undermine your supply, bfing is all about supply and demand. As Ali says, baba knows what he's doing, he's working on building a good supply.
By all means do what you can to off load other jobs, like cooking, cleaning, laundry. Get yourself as much help as you can with that, prioritise eating well and resting when you can. Have you heard of laid-back bfing? Look it up on line, might help make NFs more restful for you, really did for me.
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And practical point of view, I personally think bf is the easiest way to feed a baby at night. Of course it has to be mama, but still you just take your boob out, feed quickly and go back to sleep - both of you. With formula, you have to get up in the middle of the night, rush to the kitchen, warm up water, use powder (I assume you will use powder formula) and sometimes your LO will be already so hungry that even with feed it won't be so easy to put him/her down.
Don't get me wrong Hon, if you think you need it just go and take it. It's just the same battles I had when DS was a tiny one but I frankly speaking was more into trying formula during day to have some free time sometimes.
No matter what you decide, keeping fingers crossed for you and less and less NF:).
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Sigh, thanks ladies. That's exactly what I needed to hear! Some science mixed with practicality and sympathy. You are all the best!
I had no idea that about nf and bf! And he always wakes at 4am (and 5am...and 6am...!) So interesting!!
And you're so right FF is a faff. But maybe Ill pick up a bottle of pre-made...for sanity's sake.
For his reflux, we have tried ranitidine but are now on a PPI... Omeprazole? Seems to be helping. He sleeps like a dream during the day, and isn't bad at night...but NWs/NFs are just the worst!
DH is flying back to the UK Tuesday (I'm living with my sis as we are currently homeless... :/ ) and I'm stressed about having 0 help at night. (not to mention the flight back to the UK at some point with a newborn and a 4yr old. Also alone.) *whinge whinge cry cry* ;)
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Oh, love. Many big ((hugs)).
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Big hugs from me as well! Hard to do it all alone! There is a 2/3 week growth spurt which may account for some of your wakings.
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That sounds tough ((HUGS))
TBH, I actually kicked DH out of the bedroom during the first months of LO2's life. It was much easier for me not to worry about waking him, just plug baby in and everyone doze, then back into the cot and all back to sleep. The mistake I made with LO1 was to really wake myself up for NFs, I had the lights on, sat bolt right up in the bed, even had the radio on or a bookd out sometimes. I lost lots of sleep that way. With LO2, I kept it super low-key, only a side-light, no big chats, no nappy changes unless absolutely necessary, literally just stood up, picked up baby, sat back down, plug in and snooze. If you can feed lying down, then do, but that was never comfortable for me, so I did laid-back breastfeeding by essentially building an armchair out of pillows in the bed - support back, both arms, support baby. Super comfortable, and really relaxing.
I think BFing will definitely be your friend when travelling - BFing is the ultimate Secret Weapon in the APOP armoury if you ask me. We got stuck on the tarmac in a snowbound plane when I was travelling alone with 5 mo LO1. Not a bother on him, with a bit of thoughtful timing, I got him to feed to sleep and when he woke up, just plugged him back in.
Go easy on yourself, you're doing really well, but this is a mostly new thing for you, so cut yourself some slack. :)
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Thanks so much xx
I looked at laid-back bfing, and I remember my ped telling me about it... but what about latch!? My nipples are so sore from lazy NF latches (he will slide down or pull)... if Ileft him to latch himself, wouldn't it be a poor latch?
We do lying down feeding sometimes, usually 5am+, but it kills my back being laid on my side for so long! I try to keep it low-key. We have a salt lamp (totally recommend!) with a dimmer, so we can turn it only as bright as we need to see. (Also, Iwas reading online that white/blue light is a bad nightlight as it wakes you more. Red/orange is better for getting back to sleep easier, and that's just what my salt lamp is. Hoorah!)
I'm hoping that we are getting to the end of the growth spurt... but his first Wonder Week starts between this Wed and next... so looking forward to that!
And you're totally right. BF is going to be a godsend on the flight. No one wants to be frazzled about FF mid-flight, etc. BF is def more convenient!!
So grateful for your support. Thank you xx
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My nipples are so sore from lazy NF latches (he will slide down or pull)...
That's why it's important to use the pillows to support your arms and the baby, basically lifting him into a good position for feeding. I never could do lying-down feeding either, but supported sitting up was brilliant for me.
I can't say I had that problem with night latching and never really intervened much to help baby to latch but this might help:
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-WL
Have a look around that website, some great tutorial videos. But if your nipples are very sore it might be worth seeing someone about it.
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I found having an extra pillow up the length of my back when laying on my side to feed helped. As did a small cushion between my knees to better align my hips.
I have a widgey breast feeding pillow I use to support baby and arms while I feed sitting up reclined. Putting an extra cushion under the head end helped as well.
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I have formula fed 2 babies and breastfeed 1 baby. Formula bad points. Lots of spit up, lots of wind and colic for the first 3 months, you have to pay for it, turn the light on at night to make up/warm a bottle however, this only lasts 2-3 months then they sleep through.
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Formula did not equate sttn for any of my kids, and one of the most spitty/refluxy babies I have met was ebf until 7 months. No real guarantees either way unfortunately, just whatever works for you and your baby.
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Wow were they ff exclusively too?
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Wow were they ff exclusively too? I know giving formula at night or combi feeding dosent make them sttn but it is rare for an exclusively ff baby to not go at least 8 hours by 6 months. I tell you 8 hours I wouldn't know what to do with now lol my 6 month old bf baby gets me up bang on every 3 hours! Hoping this will get better after a year when her growth rate slows down...
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Hey Mrsb3, you might like to start a thread of your own on this board. Waking every 3 hours overnight isn't usual for bf babies, so maybe feeding routine needs a tweak or there's something else going on. Might be worth discussing it on a thread of your own.
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Actually it's very normal for a breastfed baby to wake every 3 hours 3-4 times a night if you breastfeed for nurture as well a nutrition. What happens is we are told to feed on demand when our babies are born and because your milk helps them sleep you then get in to comfort feeding/sucking and they wake up a lot to comfort feed and get back to sleep. It's only sleep training boards/books etc.. like here where we can get advice and change the patterns. Otherwise totally normal for a bf baby to wake often through the night. Personally I am just waiting for this 6 month growth spurt to end so I can start to feed her purely for neutrinon.
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I'm pretty sure I BF for nurture :) still am ;)
Sounded like you were asking for some assistance but fair enough if you feel you're making the right decision for you and your family. There are other ways of doing it tho, while BF babies might need NFs during a GS, waking every 3 hours would I think generally be considered a prop around here. Must be tiring! All my original message to you was meant to do was recommend that if you *do* want to discuss it, it's best to start your own thread. :)