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H&W05
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BF-ing advice already
H&W05
member
I've been trying to feed every 2.5-3 hours. She'll latch on and feed for about 5 minutes, but then lose interest or fall asleep and no matter what I try she won't feed anymore. Or she will feed for maybe 10 minutes on one side, but then have no interest in the other. I have an appt with the lactation consultant on Wednesday, but I'm worrying she's not getting enough to eat.
Any advice?
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Re: BF-ing advice already
When Ben was that little I would feed him on one side and change his diaper and feed him on the other. I seem to remember having to keep him awake with a cold washcloth on his belly a few times.
It could also be that she's a really efficient eater. I know some babies that are just really good at sucking it all in under 10mins. Lalabee's Keira was like that. It took me 30-45 minutes to nurse Ben and I was astounded when I saw Keira nurse for less than 10 minutes, AND only on one side. I only knew what it was like with Ben and just assumed it was that way for everyone.
Is she making enough diapers? That's really the best mark of what she's getting.
This is very common with newborns. They are soo sleepy. I remember stressing about it those first few days. If your LO is peeing and pooping enough then she is getting enough. I would offer the breast a little more often, undress her, and massage her hand while trying to get her to eat. She will eventually wake up. Kellymom.com has great resources on BF.
Here are two links
https://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html
https://www.mother-2-mother.com/cc-baby-A.htm#SleepyBabies
HTH and hang in there the first few weeks are really hard.
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Ditto massaging her hand. I can't remember the advice exactly but I remember the lactation consultant at the hospital saying something about it being a feeding cue and it helped.
Yep! Keira was like a milk vacuum. 10 mins or less on one side and she was done. She was getting plenty and gaining weight. She was a little chunk back in the day! Just consult with your doc and LC to make sure she is gaining and making enough diapers like PP said. Good luck! You may have a super nurser on your hands!
J was a really quick nurser, usually 10min or less (like Lala's experience). However I do remember getting him undressed and trying to keep him awake if I felt like he was falling asleep immediately and no getting enough.
However, if she's not fussy or overly hungry, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Good luck & enjoy these newborn days. They pass TOO quickly!!
First off - CONGRATS, Heather!!!
Secondly, I haven't read the other replies but Will did the same thing. The Pedi recommended rubbing his spine and blowing in his face to keep him awake, as well as stripping him down to his diaper for feedings. Apparently, less clothes means they are more inclined to stay awake. However, few things worked for Will and he continued to eat fast and fall asleep, he NEVER ate from two boobs at one feeding. BUT he did gain weight. They figured I just had a really fast "let down", so he must have gotten a lot in those first few minutes.
Hang in there - you'll figure it out!!
Congrats on your LO!
I had a lot of trouble keeping Zoe awake during feedings initially (she was jaundice and sleepy). I stripped her down, used a cold washcloth and blew on her. It was hard. Zoe turned out to have an inefficient suck, so I switched to pumping and bottle feeding for a few weeks. She eventually learned to BF and we had no problems after that. She took forever to eat initially. Hopefully, you just have an efficient eater!
The most important thins is the number of wet diapers. If your LO isn't crying between feedings and has lots of wet diapers, they're satisfied with the amount of milk they're getting. GL and keep up the good work!