6 day old DD not eating!

[sensfan]

Hello all! DD is now 6 days old and was born 3 weeks early (at 37 weeks). BF was going pretty well at the hospital, but the day we got home things just kind of went south. She doesn't wake up to eat at all!! Our first night home was a shocker because I actually got some sleep! She went most of a day without feeding on me at all. I wound up giving her some formula since she hadn't pooped all that day either and I was worried we might be looking at a problem with jaundice. Even then, she wasn't looking to eat but just taking what was given. That's what is making the breast feeding difficult. I can't get her to stay alert enough for what feels like a good feed. Even when I can get her to latch on, the feeding isn't very energetic (I can hear her swallowing though). It's not a supply problem, the milk is definitely in. I've pumped some milk as well when she's gone a while without feeding on me.

We've taken her to the doctor, and he isn't overly concerned, definitely not a case of jaundice getting worse or anything like that, and with the supplementing she has put some weight back on. He just said to keep supplementing for a few feeds a day and it should sort itself out. But she's still so dozy! Has anyone else experienced this with babies who arrive early? And does anyone have any advice for how I may be able to get her feeding a little better?

[Khalam's Mama]

You could try giving her the EBM in a bottle so you can be sure how much she is getting and also not lose you supply and it may be easier to get her to take when she is sleepy. . Do you wake her for feeds every 2-3hrs in the day? I wouldn't let her sleep too long even though it can be nice at this age maybe 5hrs max at night maybe even less. Blowing on the face used to help waken my LO when he slept on the job when he was NB. Also take her off the boob and sit her upright to wake her before putting her back on. Give lots of skin to skin contact - both nude if possible even under a blanket. so she starts looking for the breast more.
Good luck and congratulations.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Just wanted to offer some more encouragement.  Sounds like you're doing a great job.  I think she'll start to wake up a bit for you in these coming days.   Khalam's Mama has some great ideas - I was also going to suggest pumping and giving EBM so you keep your supply up (I'd try feeding her first every time) and sitting her up.  Also, being naked helps for sure!  Keep stimulating her little feet and rubbing her head to keep her up. 

Good luck and keep us posted!

[~ Vik ~]

Hi, (((hugs))), and congratulations on your new little girl!!

Newborns are oh so sleepy, and it's so warm and cozy nestled up to mama - no wonder it's hard for them to stay alert for a feed!  Here are some tips from http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63428.0 for how best to wake her for feeds, and helping to keep her alert for them:

If you need to wake your baby to feed:

Try arousing the baby when he's in a light sleep cycle e.g rapid eye movements under the eyelids, lip movements, changes in facial expression.

unwrap the baby down to his nappy/diaper as sucking activity decreases in temperatures above 80F (27C)

Talk to the baby, make eye contact.

Hold the baby in a more upright position

Increasing stimulation:

Rub or pat the baby's back or walk fingers up and down spine

Change the baby's diaper/nappy

Gently rub the baby's hands and feet

Increase skin-to-skin contact

Wipe forehead and cheeks with a cool damp cloth

Circle the baby's lips with a fingertip

Express milk onto the baby's lips

Keeping the baby interested:

Make sure the hand supporting the breasts keeps the weight of the breast off the baby's chin

Use breast compressions to keep the milk flowing
http://www.bfar.org/compression.shtml

Switch breasts as soon as the baby begins to lose interest

Burp the baby or change diaper between sides

Nurse using the football hold rather than the cradle hold

Massage the baby's crown in a circular motion while nursing.

If your baby is losing interest in feeding quickly it may be valuable to get advice about your latch e.g from a helpline or trained lactation consultant. A poor latch could mean the baby is poorly motivated at the breast or is not getting enough milk. Remember a newborn baby should be feeding at least 8-12 times in 24 hours. This means a sleepy baby may need to be woken for feeds.


hth, and let us know how things are going

[sensfan]

Thanks for the ideas! There's a few things there I haven't tried yet. She's been much better the last 24 hours though. She's actually woken up on her own to eat a few times, and I haven't felt the need to supplement at all today. She's also had her eyes open, looking around more after some of her feeds, just generally being a little less dozy. Hopefully this means she's turned a corner. We take her back to the Dr. to check her weight on Friday, so hopefully things continue to go well.

It's hard not to compare her to my son, who was 11 days late (so about a month older from the get-go) and ate like a pig from the beginning. He would be on me FOREVER, sometimes up to an hour, whereas a good feed for her seems to be about 30 min. Something to get used to I guess Fingers crossed that she wakes me up frequently tonight (boy, that sounds backwards!) 

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Great news!!  Keep on keeping on, sounds like she's getting the hang of this whole outside world business!