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Infant feeding

this is what ds is feedibg - experts, is it enough,

49 replies

MostlyCake · 04/08/2013 06:56

Hi. DS is 2.5 weeks old snd this would be a typical feedibg session, I'm not sure if he's getting enough to eat, does it dound like he is?

Boob 1: feeds for around 12-16mins, has trouble staying awake without constant poking and proding from me.
Falls asleep for 10 or so mins. Woken by a nappy change.
Second feed of around 10 nuns or less. Again, struggles to stay awake.
Possible third try but rarely longer than a minute ir so.

He will do maybe 5 dirty nappies and 5 or so wet nappies over a day and night. Some days there are a lot more but never less. Most poops are yellow but there's sn occasional green one.

I offer the second boob and occasionally he will take it and go a similar pattern but more often than not he just goes to sleep.

I'm worried he's not getting enough - have posted previously about not being able to express (just don't get anything) and am getting pressure to top him up with formula. If supply is the issue then replacing a feed with formula is only going to make things worse.

Generally the latch is fine but the last few feeds have been painful and I'm constantly taking him off and relatching. It seens to me that he's not opening his mouth wide enough.
I can't get a bf support person to come to my house as I'm not in the town... next group is Wednesday but im going to struggle to get to it - dp back at work and only one car...

My firdt question is, does this sound as though he's getting enough to eat? Snd secondly how do I improve the latch - id there a way to get him to open his mouth more?

Thanks for all advice.

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MostlyCake · 04/08/2013 06:57

Sorry about typos! One handed on phone...

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SoupDragon · 04/08/2013 07:01

He will do maybe 5 dirty nappies and 5 or so wet nappies over a day and night.

He's fine. IMO - I'm not an expert but plenty of wet/dirty nappies is a good sign. The poo is green because sometimes it just is.

Is he gaining weight? Why do you think he's not getting enough?

None of my three ever opened their mouths wide in that "baby bird" way they're meant to.

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jennimoo · 04/08/2013 07:02

Is he back to birth weight / gaining? Is your only worry how long he's feeding for (in terms of getting enough)?

I think DD was a little lazy latching at that stage (i remember worrying about it) and if he's gaining weight and the discomforts fixed by relatching I reckon you're doing great.

But I don't claim to be an expert!

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SpottyTeacakes · 04/08/2013 07:04

Agree with Soup.

Ds never opened his mouth and I had to use my finger then quickly shove him on. He also never fed for more than ten minutes, usually only five apparently he had an efficient suck Smile

It sounds like you're both doing well and you're doing the right thing by re latching when it's painful. Hopefully you can get to the group and get some professional advice

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WeAll · 04/08/2013 07:38

Lots of wet dirty nappies indicates that things are probably Ok. Mine never did that wide open mouth thing either, if it hurt at all I stopped and restarted.

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tiktok · 04/08/2013 09:10

MostlyCake - why do you think he's not getting enough?

Time at the breast is irrelevant, really - you certainly can't judge by the no. of minutes at the breast.

By this age, weight is a helpful part of any assessment - what have his weights been?

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MostlyCake · 04/08/2013 21:15

He's not back at birth weight yet, 100g off at the last weigh in.

I don't know if he's a v efficient feeder so 10mins is sufficient to get the hind milk.

Just worrying in general really.....

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Meringue33 · 04/08/2013 21:21

What's 100g in % terms of his birth weight?

Who is pressuring you to top up?

My LO took 3 weeks to regain his birthweight. I know it is a stressful time.

I also know an ebf baby who took 10 weeks! Bad reflux, but she got there in the end.

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MostlyCake · 04/08/2013 21:30

That last post didn't make much sense! He feeds for 10mins at a time so I worry he is snacking rather than getting a decent feed and reached the hind milk.

He could be a v efficient feeder who gets tge hind milk quickly but how would you know that?

My concern is that he snacks rather than gets the good stuff - is there a way to get him to stay on for longer or is this just the way he will always feed?

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MostlyCake · 04/08/2013 21:35

He lost 13% in total. Hes about 3% off birth weight. MW suggested topping him up with formula which we did for two nights s (two bottles of around 50mls). My mumis wworried and is subtlety pushing formula - she fed my brother and I on exclusively in formula fir various reasons and likes that the volume he eats can be measured.

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maja00 · 04/08/2013 21:36

So long as he is feeding frequently it doesn't matter - frequent, short feeders will get the hindmilk as much as infrequent, long feeders.

If he's done it 10 minutes, then there's no point trying to get him to stay on to get the good stuff - he knows better than you if he's finished with that side!

Could you offer feeds more often if you are worried? At least every two hours, and some in the night too?

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maja00 · 04/08/2013 21:37

3% off birthweight at 2.5 weeks doesn't sound like a concern, especially as he lost more than expected at the start. Presumably whatever issues caused the initial weight loss have been rectified and he is gaining weight now?

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CakesAreNotTheAnswer · 04/08/2013 21:42

Someone once described the fore milk/hind milk thing to me in terms of a McDonald's milkshake. If you stuck gently you get the watery thin milky stuff if you give a really good strong slurpyou get the fatty thick creamy stuff. And with babies and boobs.

He's pooing. He's peeing. Is he alert and happy when he's awake? Does he seem content and not gnaw his hands overly much? If yes then he's probably getting what he needs. Please try and relax. If he was hungry he'd make it very very clear to you x

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jennimoo · 04/08/2013 21:49

I worried about my DD 'snacking' as everyone seemed to act like feeding every 2h was wrong, but it was what she needed. If I overfed she'd just not settle well and bring it back up anyway.

It sounds to me like you're doing great and shouldnt worry, although having been there I know how hard it is to believe that!

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MostlyCake · 04/08/2013 22:53

Thanks very much for the advice and reassurance everyone I feel much better about everything.

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tiktok · 04/08/2013 23:26

Cake, it sounds as if he is on his way out of the difficulty, whatever it was...he prob needs to feed very frequently and it's this that is the key, rather than the no. minutes each time.

"Snacking' ie short, frequent feeds is normal for young babies.

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 04/08/2013 23:38

Totally agree with tiktok my dd would only ever feed for 10 minutes but for her tht was normal. She liked short feeds and often.

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MostlyCake · 05/08/2013 00:09

It was a poor latch in the early stages which meant my milk was slow to come in. We didn't realise so continued to feed in the same way leading to him losing so much weight.

He seems to be putting the weight on now though, will be weighed again tmro I think so we can be sure

Tiktok you're nt wrong when you say frequent feeds! Make that round the clock feeds and you're nearer the mark! Exhausting though....

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MostlyCake · 06/08/2013 01:25

Had a HV today. He still isn't putting on weight - 10g increase since Friday which isn't good enough.

New advice is to feed every 2 hourly to cut down on the snacking and to encourage a proper feed with a nightly top up of 60ml or so. Is going to be hard to get ds into the new routine but am very hopeful that it will work and he'll soon be a plump little thing.

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jennimoo · 06/08/2013 04:43

How often was he feeding? Are you going to have to make him go longer between feeds to do 2h?

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 06/08/2013 21:48

Poor you, it sounds like you are having a really rough start. Has he been checked for tongue tie? It could explain the slow weight gain. If its 10g, was he weighed on the same scales by the same person? Were the scales calibrated and are you confident in the person who weighed him?

There is some info here on increasing weight gain.

If Lo wants to feed before the 2 hours is up, did the HV suggest you let him cry? Feeding every 2 hours is good but if a baby wants to feed, they should be allowed to, especially if they have slow weight gain.

What did she suggest you top up with? Ideally the best way to increase weight gain is to feed more often. If you do top up the first choice should really be ebm. Have you tried expressing? Can appreciate this might be difficult though. If you do top up has she discussed alternatives to bottles?

Are you getting any other help than that you are receiving from your HV? Is there a Bfing Support Group near to you? Ideally they should be able to observe a complete feed and check for tongue tie and adjust your latch, if needed.

Have you tried one of the Bfing Helplines too?. I think the NCT one is open until 10pm.

Oh and have a look on youtube at the Dr Jack Newman videos. They are good for seeing what a good latch looks like and how to do breast compressions Smile

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MostlyCake · 07/08/2013 02:56

I asked them to check in hospital before we were discharged for tt and they said he was fine.

He does want to feed before the 2 hour window but we're trying to hold out as he feeds do much better if we wait - he ststs awake for longer and sucks harder. If he is really upset tho I do feed - was about 1.5hrs between feeds today for example. I pick him up and carry him about to try and take his mind off feeding, we don't just leave him crying until the 2hrs are up.

I've spoken to the local bf support group but they won't come out to see me and I just can't get to them at the moment. HV thinks latch is fine and it generally feels ok, I think I can tell if he isn't latched on properly now snd unlatch him. It is worse at night when we're both tired.

We've had do much conflicting advice - have hsd 4 different midwifes in the 10 days after birth plus about 10 different ones while we were in hospital all with slightly different advice and opinions so we're keen to stick with the hv advice and not see anyone else or change tack unless it isn't working!

I've tried expressing and just don't get anything worth keeping - a teaspoon full after 10 mins only. It was just getting too much to express as well as the original on demand feeding so was told to stop as it wasn't doing much. Because of this we're giving around 60-100mls formula at night after a bf session rather than replacing one to keep my milk coming.

He is so keen to feed but struggles to stay awake - it's a vicious circle whereby he falls asleep on the boob so doesn't eat enough so doesn't have the energy to stay awake at the next feed so doesn't eat enough....

Aaaaaah!

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BusyCee · 07/08/2013 03:19

Hi Mostly. Don't forget also that babies may want different amounts at different times of day, so may want to snack more in the afternoons but have good hearty feeds at night (when your producing most prolactin and therefore your milk is at its most tasty and delicious!). And he's still very little and getting used to feeding - his needs and routines will be changing quite quickly still at this age.

If its any consolation my DS2 is 3 wks, and although he's #2 I'm still watchful of how his milk needs are changing. Just this weekend we had a 12hr period of regular snacking, then about 12hrs when he only fed twice and now he's back to about 4hrs between feeds. As others have said, regular nappies, general contentment are good signs whole he works out for himself what he needs/wants. Try to relax and trust both your and your baby's judgement.

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BusyCee · 07/08/2013 03:21

Ooh, also, applying a little pressure in a circular motion, to the palms or soles of feet can help keep them awake during feeds. Also feeding them undressed except for nappy (him, not you...). Good luck!

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jennimoo · 07/08/2013 07:11

I was told that I need to 'stretch' the gap between feeds as DD was snacking, although not the weight issues, and I wish I'd ignored the 'advice' as for DD it just meant both of us upset as she was having to wait when actually her little tummy just needed frequent feeds. I still resent what I believe to be totally made up 'advice' from the HV.

I hope it works for you but if you don't feel right about it just do what you feel is right.

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