Nursing for three hours? (!) Need ideas for faster let down...
Baby E is 8 days old. We had a rough time with my milk coming in bc of my stress. Now that said stress is gone, my boobs seem to be getting heavier. He is rejecting the formula and choosing to stay at my breast. BUT... he stays at my breast for like 3-4 hours non stop. I switch breasts and he still goes at it.
I put him down and he cries. He's still hungry. He goes back on the breast. We did this last night from midnight to 7 a.m. He almost fights with my breasts, trying to get the in his mouth ad he gets frustrated.
When I squeeze I get milk, but I have (TMI) extremely large nipples (circumference larger than a quarter,) so perhaps he just can't get my nips in his mouth? I feel like I'm starving him. But after supplementing with formula, doc wants me to try exclusive BFing. My nips don't hurt or crack or anything. They're just enormous. (Breasts aren't big, JUST my nipples...)
Any ideas on how to help him get more milk? Or any ideas on whether it's normal to feed for 3 hours straight about twice a day?
Re: Nursing for three hours? (!) Need ideas for faster let down...
hugs feel that way too! its as if I never feed him enough
Thanks Amy. i"d stopped counting diapers actually, once LO got back to his birth weight. I'll go back to it. We've seen the pedi 3 times in the last 8 days. it's really been something else with his belly button being infected.. so trying to get back on track. good to know that i'm likely doing this right. no one around me has ever BFed, so they are no help at all. I'm also searching for a lactation consultant who will take my insurance.
re feeding every 3-4 hours.. i need to remember that at night. MIL keeps saying i'm disturbing the baby's sleep, but doc also said to wake him and feed him bc he's so lethargic and getting over a fever. Sigh. But I will persevere! thanks for the feedback.