Help...losing it

ginamarie001

Hey ladies

My son is 2 weeks old. According to his pediatrician he is gaining weight beautifully. I exclusively pump and haven't had the need to supplement formula..but I'm thinking thats about to change.

Right now my son eats 3.5 oz every 3 hrs. But the past 2 days he has been demanding a bottle every 2 hrs...especially at night. For the sake of getting sleep, should I increase to 4 oz every 3 hrs? Or should I supplement with formula (is it considered to be more filling then breast milk)?

When he's "ready" to eat he not only cries, but his eyes are wide and he breathes very heavy... Like he hasn't eaten in days! When he takes the bottle he drinks it down so fast I'm afraid he's gonna choke! It's like he's famished and my milk isn't cutting it.

Any advice would be great  

acbfreire

He probably hit the 3wk growth spurt, he will eat more often, but I am not sure if you should increase the amounts. DD nursed every hour for a week! Now her feedings are back to normal.

HuskerBabyB

It's a growth spurt. You could increase the amount, and you could use formula, but that could also hurt your supply, cause gas pains for him by eating a larger amount and it being formula, he could over eat (with the formula), spit up more, yada yada yada...

 Keep at it with the pumping if you can, and pump more. For instance, do the Dry +5 pump... pump till dry, then pump for 5 more minutes after that. Add in another pump session or 2 if you can also because he's going through a growth spurt, so naturally babies use this time to stimulate the breasts to make more milk for their growing needs.

emberlee3

Formula will not help baby sleep longer.  I agree with PPs that it's probably a growth spurt. 

Use the slowest flow nipple.  It should take about 20 minutes for baby to take a bottle.  Look at kellymom for how to bottle feed a breastfed baby.  

Do you offer a pacifier after feedings, in case he just wants to suck?

The crying and rapid breathing are normal.  My DD does it when she is very hungry, especially when she's cluster feeding.

champ579

My little girl tanks up in the evening before bed, could your lo be cluster feeding?