New mom with BFing issue (long)
My DS is 5 days old. We have been having the same issue since day 1. He is a real lazy feeder. He sucks 3-4 times and then stops. I stimulate him by rubbing chin, back, foot, etc. Usually, I have to pull him off which is not hard bc he has usually mostly detached himself, and relatch. I massage my breast to try to get him interested but sometimes he gets very upset and then is difficult to console. In 20 minutes, I would say he only gets maybe about 30 sucks.
In the hospital he would do this and I would request the LC and she would come and he would do stellar. Like a poster child for BFing. So, I would get excited and hopeful for the next feed and then he would fall off again.
I "had to" pump and bottle feed in the hospital bc he had a 7% drop in BW and now I am worried that the bottle nipple created confusion. I have been pumping alot and bottle feeding at home too because otherwise, he would never get enough. I keep trying it at the breast, but I am now frustrated which is not good for either of us! Oh, and he never has a problem with falling asleep at the bottle! Just me! I just really wanted this to be successful.
So, I need advice! Do I keep trying the breast and then go to the bottle after he gets upset at the breast? Do I try to completley stop all bottle feeds? Should I just stop pushing the breast?
TIA
Re: New mom with BFing issue (long)
Sounds like a similar story. I pumped at the hospital and tried to bf also. He was doing good - until his circumsion, then he didn't eat most of that day - so I pumped and he was given that in a syring. They also gave him a pacifier in the nursery (I said it was okay - wrong move). I got home and he would not bf any more. I pumped and gave him bottles, but would keep trying the breast after he had a little of the bottle to calm him. We are now back to bf, but are having growing pains there too - he only likes one side.
Just keep trying - that's what I was told and I prepared myself for a long battle and lots of crying. It is hard to see a baby so upset and feeling like you need to feed him something. Just don't give up if you really want to make it work
Goodluck
Has your milk come in yet? If it has, try pumping before you feed him, just until you get to letdown. Babies have to work a LOT harder to get to the milk nursing at the breast than they do with a bottle - a bottle is instant gratification, so it's not unusual for them to gulp a bottle down quickly, and then take forever or fall asleep at the breast. Pumping to letdown gets him by the boring stuff and will help while he's still tiny and sleepy.
Don't give up on putting him to the breast yet. Pump until you reach letdown, put him to breast and let him do his thing, and then after 15-20 minutes, if you're sure he's no longer eating, try a bottle (just until he's no longer fluctuating with his b/w).
Don't supplement with formula unless the pedi suggests it for weight loss, and be sure you're pumping every time you give him a bottle. If you don't send demand signals to your brain, your supply will never pick up.
GL!
Blog: Baby Mama's Drama
1st off, get back in touch with the LC and let them know that his model behaviour in front of them isn't normal. Or you can call LLL for some help.
2nd It is very normal for a baby to lose up to 10% of their birth weight. I am surprised they have you supplementing at 5 days, and with a bottle no less!
You could ditch the bottles and move to a less confusing method of supplementing like cup feeding, spoon feeding or SNS. I would NOT stop offering the breast, always offer first. When he gets frustrated let him suck on your finger until he's calm and them slip him on the breast. Once he's back up to his birth weigh, I would stop supplementing.
Although I know its frustrating just keep plugging away at it. When he falls asleep you can blow on his face or wipe his feet with a wash cloth. Also, try to feed according to his hunger cues and not the clock. A frustrated baby who isn't hungry really won't eat
Good Luck and please try and find some support.
I didn't necessarily have all the same things going on as you do, but I wanted to share how we helped our sleepy nurser in the early weeks. She would seem hungry, start to nurse, then immediately fall back asleep.
What we did was take off her clothes and change her diaper prior to each feeding, then leave her in a new diaper but naked otherwise for the nursing session. We had to do that for a good 3-4 weeks before we could leave her in a onesie for feedings, then eventually fully clothed. She sure didn't like having her diaper changed and being stripped down when she was hungry (poor daddy, he always got the unhappy baby, as that was his job), but it helped her to eat so that was important.
GL!
Thank you so much for your advice. I am going to try everything. Everyone seems so helpful! I don't give up easily but really feel so lost right now.
I was a little annoyed by the bottle thing too. It was one nurse on a midnight shift and I didn't like her one bit. She even brought formula in to "dribble" on my nipples to entice him. But, then after giving the bottle the first time, I was like what is the point in fighting it now? In retrospect, I should have fought harder.
Off to breastfeed! Wish me luck!