Posted by
Chrispy06
19 yrs ago
My LO is nearly 4 weeks old and she needs to be fed all the time. Tho most books say new born babies are required to feed everyone 1.5-3 hours but mine just want to be fed all the time! It's not like she's not getting milk from me as she normally spends 15 mins plus on each breast or 25 on one per feeding, and she's been passing a good number of poo-poo and wee-wee.
I used to give her formula for the 11pm and 3am feed but she seems to be very gassy and has very restless sleep during the night so I decided to switch to 100% BF to see if she will feel better. The result was the same as bottle-feeding as she was still very gassy and restless. I find it really hard to BF during the night as I was practically up all night feeding her - she woke up after an hour and I had to feed her and change her nappy - I was so tired this morning I was so frustrated that I thought about giving up BF....@_@ but I feel bad as BF is good for baby and I should not give up so easily..but getting no sleep is driving me nuts!
Does anyone have similiar expereince? Any advice is much appreciated!
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BF can be really exhausting, especially in the early days.
I have found that one thing that helped was bf in the laying down position, which can be a really restful position.
I know that some are afraid to co-sleep, so the advice would be to do it during day time, and if possible, have someone check from time to time to see if everything is okay.
During the night, the easiest would be to have baby crib just by your bed so you just have to reach your arms to take her up.
And don't hesitate to rest when baby is sleeping to, that really the most important point. I know that many mums feel guilty doing this, especially when there is just so many things to attend at home, but it is really just a basic need and not lazyness.
HTH
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I sleep with the baby in the nusery (I have big bed there and I put the moses basket on the bed so I am right next to the baby when we sleep) as I dont want to wait hubby up at night. But my baby makes so much noise in her sleep I just keep waking up. I wonder if it is colic behaviour but she only behaves like that in the middle of the night (while most books say it tends to happen aroung 5pm)?
I am thinking to get a breastpump so my helper or hubby can help to do some feeds and I can get some rest. Do u think its a good idea?
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crj
19 yrs ago
First of all- CONGRATULATIONS for deciding to breast feed.
Second, here are somt things I can share with you from my experience - others might disagree.
1. Do not sleep in same room as baby, her little noises are waking you up, and you need your sleep. You are not benefiting her, yourself or your husband if you are tired because her noises are preventing you from sleeping.
2. Your job is to breast feed. Let others burp the baby and change the nappy and sooth baby back to bed.
3. Ask your helper if she has any friends who want night time work. Our helper had friend who stayed on our sofa 11pm- 7am. I went to bed at 8. Helper got baby at 11, changed nappy, woke me up to feed. I fed baby, then gave baby back to helper to burp, change nappy and put back to bed. If baby cried, helper got baby, changed nappy, then woke me up, again I fed, then gave baby back.
At morning feed, our regular helper took over.
My job was to feed the baby, sleep, drink water and remember to eat.
Now for the good news....
After 6 weeks, the baby will poo less, sometimes just once a day.
After about 8 weeks, the baby will probably only wake up once between 11pm and 6:3am ish.
After about 3 or 4 months, the baby will sleep from 11pm to 6:30am ish.
After 6 months, baby just grabs your nipple and feeds without any required help or struggles - it is sooo easy.
I could not feed laying down the first few months as the boob size and baby head size and breast feeding skills just all didn't match - but since about 5 months I feed laying down and it is sooo easy. See when you are able to do this.
Hang in there, good luck, and take all the support and help you can.
Only YOU can breast feed your baby, other people can help with all the rest!!
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I always say - breastfeeding is NATURAL, but that sure doesn't mean it's easy. Don't worry - almost EVERYONE struggles with breastfeeding in the early days and it's normal to struggle. (if it were actually as easy as people made it out to be, why do so few mothers still breastfeed?) You are not alone in your struggles - and you will overcome the hard days as many others before you have.
Gina Ford says that during the night, keep all stimulation down to a minimum. If you are waking up to feed/change/burp her, do it with the minimum of fuss, light and stimulation. In other words, if you can, try not to do it with too much bright light and if possible, make it very quiet. When I woke up in the middle of the night, my mom and I used a very dim light to change her and then feed her. I also didn't change anything but the poopy nappies - I left the wet ones alone - it didn't seem to bother her too much.
now - to address your gassy problem - it sounds to me like your baby may be getting to much foremilk - are you sure you're getting to your hind milk before switching breasts? It's hard to tell, for sure, but you can start learning about your breastmilk. the initial part is sort of clearish blueish - this is your foremilk - mostly carbs and proteins. Then your hind milk will come in - that's going to be creamier and more opaque. When my daughter would take a break in the middle of the feed, I would squeeze my nipple and take a good look at what was coming out - creamy or clear. If it was not creamy, I would put her back on and massage my breast to help her with the flow and get her to consume more of the hindmilk. If your baby gets more of the hindmilk it will help her go longer between feeds and also be less gassy. Another question - does your baby sort of have explosive poops? Like a shot of air and then poop? could be too much foremilk. A midwife can probably give you more expert advice than I on this, but i do know that getting to the hindmilk is important and it definitely helped my babies. (some people say that greenish poop is an indication of too much foremilk, but i've heard varying opinions on this.)
I definitely agree with CRJ about getting other people to chip in and to sleep when you could. you are your baby's bottle, food supply and key to life. Given the importance of that role, conk out when you need to, eat, and rest. I would wake up for the feed while my mother rested in bed, and then I would hand the baby to her and I would just go to sleep.
Also - if every little sound prevents you from getting rest - it may be a good idea to not sleep next to your baby. Those grunts, snorts, squeeks are all part of your baby - wait for the cries before running over to see what is wrong.
You're doing great. Getting help and advice is important. If you're still in doubt and still need help, Annerly Midwives has awesome support.
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What really helps me is feeding in the lying down position as some of the people here have suggested. I think it is the best advice you can get. Of course if you co-sleep it is so much easier but as someone mentioned you could try it in the day time. Sometimes I don't even realize when my baby has finished feeding. He just feeds himself and turns away when he's full. I don't have to do a thing. don't worry it'll soon get better. as for gassiness, I used to massage my baby every day. It really helps. I can teach you some gentle strokes if you wish.
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I only feed lying down - sitting up is too tiring on my shoulders. The bubbs is a darling, but he will not sleep through the night. At almost 5 months he still wakes at about 3, but for the last few days he's been waking at 2 and then 5. I'm going to start him on baby rice this saturday. I really wanted to hold off till 6 months, but he's showing all the signs he's ready. I hope that will help him (and me!!) sleep through. Sigh.
I'm a very very tired bunny... LOL
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Kimmi
19 yrs ago
Dear Chrispy06
Keep up the good work with the breastfeeding you are doing well. Its only the early days and they are always the hardest, hang in there it does get better. My bub is almost 6 mths now and Im breastfeeding and co-sleeping. I co-sleep with my bub because I find it much easier and less tiring with the night feeds lying down. As you and your bub gets used to this like cygnet says your bubby will turn and latch themselves almost and pulls off when finished and you will proberly be sleeping by then. Its such a lovely natural thing. Mabe you could try this. GOOD LUCK
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Gassy and restless: Make sure she is burping good. Get some very experienced moms to show you their special techniques for burping. Some moms thump, some just rub, all keep head higher than abdomen and a tiny bit of gentle pressure on tummy helps (e.g. one hold is with her tummy along the firm surface of your arm, like an American football player holds the ball). Keeping baby slightly upright as she feeds will help bubbles stay near top of stomach and come up easier. Some babies take so much milk that they actually need to get rid of some of that, too! Also, did formula make baby MORE gassy or just the same? My oldest was so allergic to dairy that I couldn't eat milk products while I was BF. So, it took me a bit of detective work to figure out what I was eating that made her gassy. Some other foods that are reputed to cause gassiness are cabbage, beans, corn. (You may want to go to a very bland diet and see if that helps, then gradually add back one food at a time into your own diet.) Honestly, my daughter was (and is) so allergic that I hardly dare to think what life would have been like if I hadn't breastfed her and so had to confront all those issues earlier and while her immune system was even more immature. (She is still allergic to both dairy and soy, heaven knows what I would have done if I had put her on formula!) I never heard before that foremilk causes gas, but hindmilk is very satisfying and will help baby sleep longer at a stretch. Just take advantage of natural letdown reflex and let the (foremilk) letdown soak a cloth diaper, then offer breast to baby after the letdown has stopped. And just like everyone says, these early weeks WILL PASS so quickly! Get rest, love and enjoy your baby, and take lots of pictures! :-) Even let others cook for you as much as possible. In terms of her being a slow nurser, make sure she is latched well and not having to struggle to get anything at all. You can keep her awake by gently wiping her forehead and tummy and feet with a warm wet cloth. By six weeks of age she will become much stronger, wakeful, and more efficient. Keep her on task while she's at the breast. My advice would be to never just let her sit there and suckle for sucking pleasure. If she is finished drinking (no longer swallowing, no longer eager and wakeful) gently undo the latch even if you continue to hold her, to keep her from learning to use you as a pacifier. As far as your sleep at night, how often she needs to eat at night is dependent on whether her total calorie intake is met during the day or not. If the little noises are waking you up, put her in a different room. (I also started out as a light sleeper, but by the third one it took a freight train to wake me up -- not good when one has teenagers!) You sound like a really good, attentive mom. Hang in there, it really gets easier. Later on, you will really appreciate the health benefits, attachment benefits, and convenience and portability! Switching to bottle wouldn't really solve the normal issues that come along with a tiny baby (sleepless, slow feeds etc) but honestly just add another layer of complication in the form of now hygiene and nutrition concerns, monetary expense, and (a big deal for me!) stinky poos! This time is so overwhelming for a new mom, but in hindsight you will think that the days of tiny babyhood passed so quickly! Enjoy them and savor them as best you can!
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Hi ladies,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me and also all the wonderful tips. I feel better already that I am not the only one finding it difficult and that things will gradually improve. I guess it's because it's my first time to be a mom so everything is a chanllenge!
I wonder if it is my diet effecting my LO too so I am going to cut out the gassy food and perhaps diary as well and see if her condition will improve.
With the comment on the foremilk, I did a check this morning after LO finished on my left breast for 20 mins and the milk came out was still foremilk! Perhaps this is one of the reason why she doesn't stay full for long? How come my hindmilk doesn't come even after 20 mins? @_@
Baby turned 4 weeks old yesterday and I am taking her to see the pediatrician today for a check up. I hope baby is well and perhaps the doctor can offer some help on the colic issue too.
Again, many thanks for your kind help, it's nice to know there are many caring people out there, your words give me strength! ^_^
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Hi Chrispy,
firstly, congrats on your new bub.
i won't comment on BF as i have very limited experience with that. i think the mums above have given you great advice which you can try out.
but on how to help you sleep better: co-sleeping is a wonderful feeling but from my personal experience, i feel it only works in the long run if you can actually sleep through all the little noises that babies make. my hubby could but i couldn't so after about 3 months, we moved him to another room. i slept better (and therefore could take care of this little catnapper better in the day) because i wasn't ready to pounce on him with milk with every sound he made at night. and because he slept alone, he probably had to learn how to settle himself so i only went to him when he was clearly in distress.
but i was absolutely paranoid about his safety when he was alone - i bought a grobag (instead of swaddling) and his cot was completely empty, i even removed his cot mobile just in case. and of course, we had a fabulous baby monitor.
being sleep deprived is unfortunately something new mums cannot avoid....but get lots of help and try to make up for the lack of sleep when baby naps in the day. and as tough as it is to imagine, IT WILL GET BETTER!
good luck!
i
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after 20 minutes should be hind milk.
When you baby drinks, does she seem to be taking big gulps? Long draws and then swallowing?
Perhaps consulting a lactation consultant may ensure your baby is latched on correctly.
you're doing great!
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I read that you are considering pumping. I wouldn't advise on that as I find expressing milk very tiring and stressful compare to bf... As others have been telling you, others can help you out in many other ways by taking charge of all the others things except nursing.
As for the co-sleeping, if you can't sleep when lo is making noises in her sleep, I would actually advise you not to sleep in the same room then. Maybe have her sleep with the helper if you have one ? So she can bring her to you when she need nursing.
HTH
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Sounds like baby is thriving. My baby wanted to suck all the time too. The BF specialist suggested a pacifier, not as a replacement to feeding, but just for comfort and to give me a break. I do realize, however, that not everyone wants their baby to have a pacifier, but it did work for me.
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I haven't BF for many years but I did sucessfully BF 4 children. I do remember what you must be going through and all the advice above is quite right it does get better with time. I remember that we rarely settled into a good routine until 6 weeks as my milk supply didn't really come in fully till then so persevere at least for another 2-4 weeks. Try not to give formula as that will decrease your own supply. All that sucking will help your supply but don't let your nipples get too sore!
I absolutely agree with using a pacifier.Some babies just like to suck for comfort, 2 of mine used a pacifier and 2 didn't. The first one especially was restless as I think he was sucking all the time and getting wind. The pacifier really did the trick. By the way they both gave up the pacifier quite easily so don't worry about getting him hooked.
Good luck and do contact La Leche League or there is a wonderful nurse called Yvonne Heavyside who will come to your home and give you advice.
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Most mothers can breastfeed, however, sometimes problems arise that benefit from early assessment and management. I suggest you see a lactation consultant for a breastfeeding assessment and practical advice. Often just a change or improvement in technique solves the problem.
Some LC's will do a home visit such as Yvonne Heavyside at 2544-3399 or Mrs. Chee at 9417-6366.
You can also have an individual one hour consultation with a lactation consultant at the Matilda Breastfeeding clinic on Monday afternoons. Call 2849-1500 to make an appointment.
Matlda Well Baby Clinic - 2849 1500
Matilda International Hospital
Hong Kong
http:www.matilda.org
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Kimmi
19 yrs ago
Yes seeing a lactation consultant is a great idea. It really helped me in the early days. They give you great advice and lots of ecouragement. I can highly recommend the LC at The Matilda. She is a lovely lady.
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Thanks ladies.
I took my antenatal class with Yvonne Heavyside and I also had her over to my home for a visit after I came home from the hospital. Yvonne was happy with my milk supply and the way I breastfeed my LO so I believe I am doing ok with BF. Anyway I took my LO to the doc yesterday and doc had confirmed LO is a classic COLIC case! O_O Everything is well with baby, excellent weight gain and growth in height and head size; just need time to make the colic to go away. Doc did give me some infacol drops to help baby to burp and some nasal spray to clear her nose, also suggested a Lactose-free formula in case I want to bottle-feed during the night; and that I should change my diet to avoid all gassy food and perhaps to avoid dairy for now. I am glad to know baby is well, and now I am just keeping my fingers crossed that her colic will go away soon!
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Kimmi
19 yrs ago
Both of mine had colic Chrispy06, it is a awful thing at times. I swaddled my boy in the evenings to help with the tummy pains. The swaddling always without fail settled him. I did baby massage too after his bath, Yvonne can help you with this. I found infacol and gripe water didnt really help much. Its one of those stages we have to get through, it does get easier by 3 months then is gone by 4 months. Then we get the teething, which Im going through with my bub at the moment. GOOD LUCK to you, try not to be tempted by using the formula, you have plenty of milk to give your baby the best.
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Yes having a colicky baby is really hard work! My LO doesn't really cry much, not like a typical colicy baby who may cry for hours; but when she's asleep in the middle of the night (usually after 3am) she started to struggle (probably due to the pain from passing gas) and she makes so much noise the whole house can hear her (snorting, grunting, shouting, screaming, whatever you call it). She doesn't like to be swaddled (very strange, from day one in Hospital she wanted to have her arms out) and I have tried patting her or putting pressure on her tummy but nothing really helped. Even when I pick her up and carry her around she will still be pulling her knees up and gone all red on her face and clenching her fists. I feel so bad when I see her suffer while there is nothing I can do to help, she's just a tiny little baby...>_<
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hi chrispy,
if swaddling helps with colic and your baby doesn't like arms covered, try a half swaddle (start from her armpits).
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Kimmi,
Did you find out the reason why your boys were gassy? I keep thinking if it is my diet or there is another reason for my girl to be so gassy. She farts so much esp. in the middle of the night and she whines and sometimes even screams when she passes gas...waking everyone up!
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Kimmi
19 yrs ago
I believe there is many reasons why some babies are more gassy than others. Both of my kids had colic. My first was a girl and my second a boy. I struggled more with my first as I had'nt discovered swaddling. I thought it was my diet too for a while. But speaking to professionals they say only cut out dairy if your bub is REALLY badly colicky I mean the screaming for hours and hours type. My bubs sounded like your baby just really fussy, squirming, grunting and raising the legs etc. When you first try to swaddle your baby YES they will protest and fight against it and seem to hate having the arms swaddled. But if your learn to do it properly and once they are swaddled believe me they are like a different baby. I suppose its just like the comfort of being sqashed back in the womb. I research swaddling for my second baby as I didnt want to go through what I did with my first baby with colic. I breast feed too so I always checked the latching. Both my kids just seem to take in air. My boy even did the clicking as Ruth mentioned, I had to work on this to make him stop. The book that helped me was: BABY BLISS by DR HARVEY KARP. Hes big with the swaddling thing. Theres many websites that show you how to swaddle too. Its upto you if you try it or not. I know with me I try anything> Im going through awful teething at the moment with my boy, hes passed the swaddling stage now so Im hoping he's Amber necklase he's wearing will help along with homeopathic powders etc. Anyway Chrispy you could also try feeding with your bub on a angle too: Head raised alot higher than the legs. LLL can help with positions, Sarah from LLL showed me one upright position. GOOD LUCK
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Regarding the foremilk and hindmilk thing - I was told it's better to stick with one breast making sure bub is getting the hindmilk. But I guess it all depends on whether you've got sufficient milk supply too. My bub is 2 weeks old. He always dozes off after 15 min on one breast (usually just 10 min active sucking and for the rest 5 min, I reckon my nipple just serves as a pacifier as he no longer actively gulps). It's such a tough job waking him again to continue with the feed. Because he always dozes off, I seldom switch breasts as he won't take the other breast once he breaks off from one breast. So I am never sure if he's getting the hindmilk yet... is this normal??? Sometimes he can sleep for 4 hours between feeds, but like today, he wakes up every 1 hour or so crying for food. He's so unpredictable. Any advice?
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Yah, and if you wake him up every 2 hours during the day to feed, he'll meet more of his calorie needs during the day and so tend to go a little longer at night (when you would prefer to encourage the longer sleep and not wake him up)
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Kimmi
19 yrs ago
Nicher, dont worry you have plenty of milk for your baby. If you have concerns you can always have a chat with LLL. They will explain things to you, ease your mind and give you some helpful tips. GOOD LUCK
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Thank you ladies. I'll bear in mind that bub at 2 weeks are very unpredictable and doesn't really have a feeding pattern. Guess I'll have live with it for another few weeks. And it's good that I enjoy so much this unique intimacy with bub.
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hi nicher-
welcome to moms and dads! It's great that you're trying to bfeed, and it is hard. natural - not easy. just keep that in mind. It's a great benefit though - and EVENTUALLY (give it a month or so) you'll find it much easier than preparing bottles, sterlizing, heating up, carrying equipment around- the thought of all that work makes me shudder.
There are a number of techniques to try and wake your baby up - rolling fingers down the spine, tickling under the chin, poking the chin with the finger - a bunch of seeming annoying things that will maybe bother your baby. Don't worry - just keep trying and soon, he'll get the hang of it.
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wow... can see that what's happening to me is the same as with Chrispy06 and nicher - finding breastfeeding exhausting, not sure if baby is getting enough, baby falling asleep at breast...
he's three and ahalf weeks
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crj
19 yrs ago
The first 6 weeks with our baby, it was AWFUL... he was jaundiced and very very sleepy. It took me an hour to get him to eat 20 minutes total.. he would eat 2 minutes, sleep, nothing I could do would wake him up...
But I lasted 13 months! and I can honestly say all the pain and suffering in the beginning was TOTALLY WORTH IT... To travel and just pop out a boob on take off and landing... doing a morning feed by just waking up and feeding baby with my eyes closed (so much better than having to make a bottle!)...
In the beginning it is such a struggle - neither you nor baby know what you are doing, but later the baby just latches on without your help and you don't need to do anything, it is sooo easy. I am sure you don't believe me, as I recall not beleiving this in the first few weeks either.
Survive the first 6 weeks and it gets better... then after a few more weeks, even better, and it keeps getting easier every few weeks... then after 6 months it is soooo easy it is like a totally different experience.
In the meantime, DRINK WATER, EAT, SLEEP, AND LET EVERYONE ELSE DO EVERYTHING ELSE FOR THE BABY - YOUR JOB IS TO FEED FEED FEED....
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crj
19 yrs ago
I only fed fed fed, and I was still exhausted! It is very hard on the woman's body not to get sleep fr more than 2-3 hours in a row... I am about to have #2, and while many aspects of a newborn I am looking forward to, I am not looking forward to the lack of sleep and exhaustion that comes with it.
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crj
19 yrs ago
Hi Cara - that is good to hear! Our #1 sleeps from 6:30pm to 6:30 am, so I am not too worried about him at night, but the daytime is another matter...
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How do you do a feed every two hours? if i feed baby at 10am - should next feed be at 12am or 2hrs after the baby has finished?
so far i was feeding on demand - just fed him whenever he seemed to be hungry. But this way i don't have too mcuh control on the situation. sometimes the gaps were as short as an hour sometimes he slept for four hours - specially after 9 in the morning..
These two days i'm trying to time his feeds. waking him up even if he's sleeping trying to get him to eat every 2 - 2and a half hours. Also co-sleeping with baby at night. Getting a lot of flak from my mother-in-law who thinnks it's a really really bad idea - my mum on the other hand thinks it's the most natural thing to do *sigh*
AS for whatelse I do - have to coordinate husband, mother and helper(who's new and temporary) - they're all adults and they're always asking me what to do...
baby's up - got to go..
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Kali - guess every two hours means if you start feeding at 10, then the next feed should be 12.
Your baby is only less than a month old. He is unpredictable so feeding on demand is what I would do to maintain good milk supply. It's good that you are trying to keep track on the time of his feeds. That you will have a better picture of his feeding pattern e.g. if he wakes up for milk more often during night time than day time then he may have mixed up day and night.
If you are trying to wake up every 2 hours or so for feeds, he will gain enough calories during day time and will hopefully minimize the night feeds. Just beware that some babies do set up a pattern of waking up two hours for feed round the clock if they are used to being fed couple of hours during the day.
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Hi Kali-
don't be too hard on yourself. The age of the internet is such a blessing and also such a stress causer - we can get help but at the same time we read so much about what a baby is "supposed to do" and "should do" and "needs to do" and when your baby does NONE of it, it just makes you batty. Not to mention you're tired and sleep deprived and whatnot.
She's young, and you're just getting used to your boos and being a 24 hour milk bar. (It does take getting used to and you're well within the normal range for getting used to it.) I have a nice chart (if you'd like it PM - quick easy way to keep track of feeds, diaper soils and whatnot)to see if your baby has a pattern.
Every mother has a different personality and you have to do what works for you. I'm a self professed control freak (a teacher, so like things scheduled, on time, and bit regimented) so I have had a different approach with both of my girls in terms of how I wanted them on a schedule and how I wanted things to be pretty predictable for my day. So even at 1 month old, although I wasn't overboard with the schedule, I did try and gently adjust my babies to one. I definitely think I did a better job with #2 (just by default from having had experience) and trying to get her to feel the difference between day and night, and getting her to feed regularly. I took time and patience, but by 3 months, she was on a good predictable schedule and that helped me immensely. (Gina Ford in case you want to know.) I found that having a person tell me WHEN to feed, and do these things helped me feel more in control and confident. I didn't' always know what to do with the baby, but sort of having someone sort it out for you helped, and then I really learned my own babies cues for things.
motherhood definitely is a long journey with lots of stops, backtracks and crazy roads ahead...but that first doctor's appointment, when your baby has gained WEIGHT on YOUR milk and love alone (nothing from anyone else has done it) it is SUCH an amazing feeling. The first six months, in fact, each appointment, with your baby's growth and development which is from your body's' milk and your effort - is truly nothing short of miraculous.
You can do this - it's hard; you're tired, but you can.
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Also, while the internet is a blessing, there's no complete substitute for human help and contact, especially real mommy friends who have "been there done that" and those who are going through it themselves right now. I really highly recommend finding a local La Leche Group, attend a meeting once or twice even it's a bit hard to get out or if you find yourself late (everyone undertands!) and just see how you like it. One reason I recommend LLL is that they are breastfeeding moms facing exactly the same kinds of issues you have faced. (Bottle feeding moms face the same kinds of issues, but the solutions are different. All moms face issues of tiredness and scheduling and when to start solids, but the answers and even the issues are different for those who are bf. And bottle feeding babes have more issues, such as adequacy of nutrition, difficulty of digestion, and constipation.) IMO, BF is totally worth it for many, many reasons that will continue for years after you've weaned. Anyway, check to see if there's a LLL near you. If not, then try to find a lactation consultant, and then she will be able to put you in touch with other mothers. If you can't find that either, talk with hospital or pediatrician about where to find those mommies! Those moms with babies your own age will become some of your best friends!
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dear all thanks for all your answers. Baby is now 8 weeks old and things have gotten easier. He's being breastfed 100% for the past three weeks and we're getting better and better at it.
HKCC : motherhood is a crazy and amazing ride, and you and meiguoren are right - internet can be both a blessing and a curse.
A lot less tired these days as baby is sleeping better at night. I switch of all lights so he understands the difference between day and night.
WE still don't have set routine, but he's more relaxed, I am too and we're working on it.
Cara: I have a hard time expressing milk. Somehow get very little each time and this just makes me worry about milk supply - though i know both are unrelated.
Also mum was dead against milk being expressed, stored and fed to baby. She's gone home now, so might try again.
Thanks all for all your time and support. I'm haven't been on the net often, and have started to work from home so a little bit tight for time..
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crj
19 yrs ago
I just wanted to add to the above...
now we have #2, and even though she is a better eater and sleeper than #1 was (probably b/c not jaundiced and I am more relaxed)...
IT IS STILL TIRING AND EXHAUSTING... I just had to reread this thread for inspiration and encouragement!
I just keep telling myself... 6 weeks... 6 weeks... 6 weeks... and am trying to sleep whenever she does.
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Awww!! My 2nd baby did that around 4 weeks started the whole gassy thing wanted breast all the time and i didnt sleep. i ended up putting her in bed with me, us both in side laying position to BF. THis worked and i was able to sleep. I never rolled on her or anything she never fell off the bed i always had my arm around her and i slept just fine my body seemed to know when she was rdy to feed and i would wake up to her lil sounds only when she was rdy to nurse. The gassy thing does go away usually after a week or so depending on the child of course. If it doesnt talk to the babys doctor see if maybe she is having something going on.
You got tons of advice from lots of moms! Just try some of the suggestions see if they work for you.
Good luck!!
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Crj - When i wake up for the middle of the night feeds, I take comfort in the fact that i am not the only bleary eyed mom out there and there's others probably awake at the same time feeding their babies :))) Hope you stay inpsired. That the magical 6-8week period is on the way....
Cara - when is a good time to express? After the baby finishes feeding? or inbetween feeds?
Just got back from the Ped. He says baby's fine. Just a wee bit underweight, but long/tall enough for his age. So he's going to be long and skinny it seems, leaving the chubby thighs only to me :))
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Crj - When i wake up for the middle of the night feeds, I take comfort in the fact that i am not the only bleary eyed mom out there and there's others probably awake at the same time feeding their babies :))) Hope you stay inpsired. That the magical 6-8week period is on the way....
Cara - when is a good time to express? After the baby finishes feeding? or inbetween feeds?
Just got back from the Ped. He says baby's fine. Just a wee bit underweight, but long/tall enough for his age. So he's going to be long and skinny it seems, leaving the chubby thighs only to me :))
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goddess -
I always did two different times for expressing. Before her night time roll over feed (at around 10:15 - one side) and then before she fed in the morning - one side. My baby was also small and I wanted her to really get lots of hindmilk, and so I felt expressing helped her to suck harder and get to it. no matter how much you express, your baby can get more out of you - so don't worry.
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