At a lost Of what to do

adoringangeldmb

I'm looking for some advice and encouragement or answers. I don't truly don't know I'm all over the place. I've been trying to breastfeed and in the hospital we got my DS to latch mostly with a nipple shield because his sugar was low and we needed to feed him quickly. Well that wasn't enough so they took him in the hospital to get IV to bring his sugar up plus they let me come and breastfeed. After finally stabilizing his sugar he came back to our room but still seemed to be struggling with keep his sugar good so they had me try to pump but didn't get much and made me supplement with formula around 10ml. However feeding him every 2-3 hours sometimes is hard with his jaundice. Plus the 10ml never seemed enough because he just wants to keep eating. Finally my milk is in but he won't always latch on the nipple shield now too or feed sometimes less than 10 mins and sometimes more than 5 mins. So I decided to start pumping every 2-3 hours to keep my milk up and feeding him that way with a bottle. So every 2-3 hours he eating like 4 ounces of expressed milk in a bottle. However still seems like he never has enough. What do you think? I'm like going crazy here and I see the pediatrician on Monday again but I even told her about his constant hunger and she didn't seem worried. I mean he is very active, hungry, pooping lots, and peeing lots so I know he should be getting enough. He sleeps but lately has been more alert and awake. I even gave him a pacifier to try to stop his need for the nipple and overeating too much even though the pediatrician wanted me to wait since I was trying to get him to wean off the bottles and nipple shield to go to breast only because he tries to latch on my boob sometimes but can't and I think he might have nipple confusion now too. I'm struggling here. I know you all can help support me with some FTM advice... Ps his weigh seems okay too: his birth weight was 7lbs9ounces on December 10 then when I went to the doctor on Monday he only lost 1 ounce then I had to go back on Wednesday to check his bilirubin levels and he weighed 7lbs9ounces. Any advice, answers, and such will do. Just don't know...

LunaBug924

First, deep breaths mama!

I understand how confusing and stressful those first few weeks are, and especially after dealing with the low sugar/jaundice issues. It's great that he's already back up to his birth weight. And seemingly "constant hunger" is pretty normal newborn behavior. However, 4 oz in one feeding is WAY too much milk. Correct me if I'm wrong, but your LO is 10 days old? My DD is 7 months and still only takes a 4 oz bottle, and didn't start needing that amount until about 4 months old. 

LO's stomach is still tiny, about the size of a walnut. By giving such a large feeding, you are stretching his stomach and probably causing some discomfort in the process. Babies don't know the difference between pain/hunger/nausea/gas, so they will show signs of being hungry and will continue to eat, even if that's not what they really need. 

Feeding directly from the breast is going to be the best way to avoid overeating and establishing your supply. A normal feeding can be anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. And it's likely that you're hitting a growth spurt (of which there are several in the first few months). So if LO wants to eat every hour, or even immediately after finishing a side, it's all normal. Just give in to it, get comfy on the couch with some water and snacks and ride it out. 

I wouldn't supplement with pumped milk at this point, unless weight gain was an issue (which it doesn't seem to be). If for some reason you do, though, make sure you are doing paced feeding. Check out this video on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH4T70OSzGs Sorry I don't know how to make it clicky. Be sure that you are using the slowest flow nipple, hold the bottle parallel to the floor, and stop to burp every 1/2 oz. Also stop and switch sides holding LO, same as you would for breastfeeding. The idea is that LO should be working for bottles just as hard as at the breast so that he doesn't develop a bottle preference. So if an average breastfeeding session is 20 minutes, that's how long a bottle should take. 

For his age and size, I would start with 1.5 oz supplement. You may have to start with more if he's already used to getting a big feeding, in which case you will need to gradually lessen the amount he's getting. 

Best advice, though, as I already stated, is just to try to get him to the breast as much and as often an possible right now. Put the pump and bottles away for a few weeks if you can. Have you seen a Lactation Consultant? I strongly recommend that you do, especially to get help weaning from the nipple shield and correcting any latch issues. Insurance will cover services in most cases, and the hospital that you delivered should have names available to you. 

I hope this helps you. I've learned so much from this board, so I'm just trying to pay it forward. Good luck! 

indianaalum

Also, I was worried that my newborn was only eating for 10 minutes. I felt horrible and that it wasn't working, but doctor told me that 10 minues for a newborn is just fine. Try to relax. As long as he is gaining, pooping, peeing and not jaundice, you are doing better than you think. Try to relax and know you are probably doing better than you think. I totally went through the same thing