So Close to Giving Up--Any advice

[ray7694]

Yesterday went like this:
7:30-15min
9-10 min
9:40-5 min
10:40-20 min
2-21 min
4-25 min
5:50 10 min-fussy after going down
6:20-10 min-fussy after going down
6:50-10 min-fussy after going down
7:30-11 min-fussy after going down
8-asleep for night
11:10-26 min
3:20-20 min
7:30-22 min-woke up to feed
I can't get her to feed any longer. I try changing diaper, burping, etc. She refuses to take anymore. She was 9.4 at birth. My dh has given bottle and she was satisified after that. Do you think I should pump? Any ideas? Thanks so much!

[LucyA]

How old is your DD?

[hemz80]

Hi...

Seems to me like your little one is a bit of a snacker, and as she's not that hungry might be only getting foremilk and not hind.  Couple of things... how old is your lo?  Does she ever have green poops?  Is she windy... lots of bottom burps, squirms when goes down??  Do you have any ideas what your milk supply's like??  Do you feel full and after a feed feel emptier??  Is she definatly hungry?  Have you seen the info on reading babies signs??

Firstly i'd try 3hourly feeding... e.g 7,10, 1, 4, 7, 10 then as she wakes at night.  Obviously if she screams for food in between please feed her.  The other thing to bear in mind is that they can get quite efficient at eating and be quite quick!

Hema  

[ray7694]

Just starting out. DD is 10 days old. She roots and I try to hold her off but nothing works.

[woopster]

Are you feeding her from both breasts?  It might be worth feeding her from one breast two or three times in a row, then feed from the next breast 2/3 times.  This will make sure the breast is empty and she is taking the hindmilk.

With newborns it is important to feed often to establish your milk supply.

From your post I can see she had a good feed at 10.40 and went through til 2, then another good feed and she went til 4.

It's also common for babies to cluster feed in the evening.

Pumping is hard work and you won't produce as much milk as when your baby feeds. And for every bottle you give your baby, whether it is breast milk or formula, you risk your breasts 'dropping a feed'.

She's feeding well through the night. She's obviously satisfied then.

[ray7694]

I pumped two time today and after nursing over and over gave her the bottles. She ate a 3 ounce and a 2 ounce and was finally content and went to sleep. She nursed off and on from 1 pm-5 pm today when I gave the bottle and she went to sleep. She does this every day and I can't spend any time with my ds which makes me want to quit.

Any ideas how to stop this cycle?

[LucyA]

Honestly, at 10 days old, that sounds like a totally normal feeding pattern. You could try putting her back on the same side 10 min or so after she finishes a feed.

I expect if you can hang in there another couple of weeks, things will settle down a lot. The first few weeks are tough, especially when you've got another child too. {{{hugs}}}

[Samuel's mum]

10 days is MEGA growth spurt terrority and what you are describing is very normal. At this age you don't often go a week without a growth spurt. Cluster feeding is very normal as are the 'fussy evenings' exactly as you describe (mine were all gone by about 2 months).
I know this seems like craziness now but in a few weeks when everything is settled and you have no bottles to wash and sterilize and instantly warm milk on tap you'll likely breathe a sigh of relief you didn't give up now.

Pumping is very hard and at this age can mean supply problems if you do it too much (as pumps don't stimulate lactation hormones as much as baby). By all means do it to give yourself a break (if latch is well established) but it might extend the growth spurt and can make some babies fussier when they return to the breast as it seems slower. Woopster pumped for several weeks so she knows her stuff.

Take it one day at a time. As Lucy says every week you can hang on - it will get easier.

I found using a sling/ carrier was a great way to continue to have lots of time with ds when dd was small (actually we still use it). I've even fed her while she's in the sling and I'm busy with ds.

[lisi's mum]

I just want to say the same as everybody else. 2 Weeks ago I felt like I had a baby permenantly attached to my boob - I was feeding when she woke, after she burped, a little snack before going back to sleep - the whole time. She was fussing for hours during the evenings and my poor dd1 was getting cross.

Now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, she's taking proper feeds, lasting 3 hours (or even longer if I let her) between feeds, still fussy in the evenings but much better.

Things change quickly at this age, set yourself a review date that seems managable, say 3 more weeks, keep going and see where you are then. I bet it'll be a whole different picture.

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

Dito to all the coments, and just wanted to say IT WILL get easier so hang in there.

At the 10 week stage i think you feel very tired and with bfing it is constant, so everything seems like theres no end. Its probably why you have to fill in that questionaire, you know the one when they ask if you are cry a lot and stuff.

Big hugs as i remember all too well feeling like that and my lo is now 15 weeks old and still bfing x

Kate

[hemz80]

Hang on in there... it took us at least 6-8 weeks to get the hang of things.  Big hugs to you both x