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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Is she really hungry *every* time she sticks her fingers in her mouth?
Geez Louise, I never thought that babies ate so much! OUr DD puts her fingers in her mouth a lot ... she's 4 days old, and we're currently on a feeding schedule with her of every 2 - 3 hours with a combination of breast 1st, and then supplemented with formula.
So, in between feedings, I noticed that DD was still sticking her fingers in her mouth. I thought she was just trying to pacify or something because she gets fed regularly and a lot. But it seems like she really does want to eat every time she does sticks her fingers in her mouth, whether or not it's on her feeding schedule. I started giving her a bottle of formula whenever she sticks her fingers in her mouth, and she eats almost the whole 2 oz every time.
Is this normal? Has anyone else also experienced this with their infant?
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Re: Is she really hungry *every* time she sticks her fingers in her mouth?
I do hear her swallow, but I know that she's still learning this, too, and I think that i still make more colustrum than actual breast milk at this point, which is why we supplement with formula. I've heard about the 'human pacifier' concept ... I'm fine with it because, eventually I will have breast milk, and want her to prefer that to a pacifier.
Gosh, now I feel bad for starving my baby! She's already SGA, and I'm just making it worse!
This is unrelated, but I would really really try to do as little formula as possible if your supply seems low and you plan to breastfeed. This may mean a few days of BFing 24 hours a day seemingly, but I did exactly what you're doing because my baby had jaundice, and it KILLED my supply. I've spent the last month trying to fix what the formula caused in the beginning. Every time you give her formula, you're telling your body that she doesn't need as much breast milk, and you make less.
I wouldn't say this to someone who had been BFing a long time, but since you're just starting out, you still have time to fix it. Your body knows how to feed your baby. It's only you that will mess it up somehow at the beginning. If your doing mostly colostrum, that's fine, that's what your baby needs. Find yourself a really GOOD lactation consultant (my first one totally sucked) and get the confidence you need to stop supplementing, because it's SO INCREDIBLY HARD to go back. With me, I was convinced she wasn't getting enough food, so I started giving her more formula, and then more, which meant that she went longer times between feedings. he was always hungry, and the formula was a quick fix for me not producing enough. Unfortunately it's a Catch 22. The more formula you feed, the less your body will produce. EVERY time that bottle goes in her mouth it's a message to your body telling it that you don't need to produce as much.
I liked the longer time between feedings and became more convinced that she needed the formula and got a little lazy about feeding her every 2 hours. If you're doing it right at the beginning, you will be breastfeeding about every hour and a half. I know it's hard, and time consuming, and seemingly impossible....but trust me, if you really want to BF, the time and frustration it takes to get back to even being able to supplement with breastmilk is exhausting. Do it right at the beginning. This is the MAIN reason so many of us suffer with supply issues and eventually stop breastfeeding.
Look at it this way--what if we lived in a time with no formula? Your body would figure it out, just like it has for millions of women in the past. Your body would produce enough, even if it didn't seem like it. The formula is a crutch and it devastates the work your body is doing. It's supply and demand, if your baby doesn't need it, your body won't supply it.
I've spent hours and days and weeks now with a seemingly starving baby. So much time crying over it and with her just sucking and playing at my breast, waiting for the bottle that she knows is easy and effortless and a quick fix. I am very lucky that my baby still likes to breastfeed even after the nipple confusion, but the tears and anxiety I feel every single day because she's sucking and getting nothing---it's awful. But after going to breastfeeding support group and getting an awesome LC, I've found the confidence to cut way back, BF every hour, and convince myself that she WILL get enough food from me if I stick it out.
I wish someone would have explained this to me when I was not confident and supplementing in the beginning, so I hope this helps!
When bryson was only a day or two old--everytime he would act hungry (fingers in the mouth or rooting) we would feed him. It's important to feed on demand when they're that little.
When LO is putting her hands in her mouth--try pulling them out and stroking her cheeks with your finger. If she goes after your finger, she's hungry. Also, sometimes we tap on LO's lips and he'll open his mouth and grab your hand if he's hungry.
At a couple of days old--it's trial and error :-) Good luck!
1/1 Spotting, 1/3 beta 36,000, 1/5 u/s empty sac measuring 7w (9w5d), 1/6 d&c
You will always be loved & missed our sweet angel.