Starving Baby

Re: Starving Baby

• shevaCC member

  September 2014

  Most pedis aren't BFing experts so I'd start by ignoring that advice. It sounds like your LO may be nursing both for food and for comfort leading to those marathon sessions. I'd start with what the LC suggested. Let him nurse on one side until he slows way down. Listen for if he's swallowing or not and a few minutes after you stop hearing swallowing, unlatch him (insert your pinkie into the side of his mouth to break the seal). Then offer the other side to see if he's interested.
  
  I would consider finding a place you can do a weighed feeding to help ease your anxiety about his eating.

  

  

  Report7 Reply
• Loading the player...
• mislogis member

  September 2014 edited September 2014

  Your baby can be in a growth spurt! Mine is just over 4 weeks closer to 5, and nursing during the day every hour. At night slightly longer stretches (4-6) The constant feeding during the day, it's increasing my supply. It sucks bc, even though I feel I'm empty, each time I put her on, and offer both sides, I have a let down and she eats. Hang in there. The cluster feelings won't last, and don't look at the clock. I haven't written down a feeding since she was born. Babies eat when they are hungry, and assuming she's gaining weight, and the dr's aren't concerned, go with what the baby does

  

  
  

   
  

  
  

  Report1 Reply
• happylady07 member

  September 2014

  Great advice above! Sounds like a growth spurt to me. It won't last forever! And I wholeheartedly agree, a great deal of peds don't have a clue when it comes to breastfeeding, so take any of their advice with a grain of salt. A LC is a much more credible source of help.

  

  Report0 Reply
• Shiva14 member

  September 2014

  Good that you are listening to the LC! The timing on each breast/paci advice scares me because my poor cousin had her LC tell her the 10 minute in each side/pacifier thing and she followed it religiously. Baby only gained 1 lbs the first month and none at all his second - it turned out he was a very slow eater. He was so skinny it was scary and she had to EP and supplement to control his intake. And of course she felt horrible, like she had starved her child. He never wanted to nurse after that and she is now EPing at 6 months and is very sad about it. She told me her biggest mistake so far was hiring a LC and I think that is so, so sad.

  Report0 Reply
• Valancyy member

  September 2014

  Shiva14 said:

  Good that you are listening to the LC! The timing on each breast/paci advice scares me because my poor cousin had her LC tell her the 10 minute in each side/pacifier thing and she followed it religiously. Baby only gained 1 lbs the first month and none at all his second - it turned out he was a very slow eater. He was so skinny it was scary and she had to EP and supplement to control his intake. And of course she felt horrible, like she had starved her child. He never wanted to nurse after that and she is now EPing at 6 months and is very sad about it. She told me her biggest mistake so far was hiring a LC and I think that is so, so sad.

  What a horrible LC.  Everything I've ready says don't watch the clock.

  OP:  I agree it could be a growth spurt.  Is the baby gaining weight appropriately?  If yes, and it's not a growth spurt, then it also could just be comfort feeding.  I was joking with my DH that if my son isn't sleeping then he wants to be on my boob.  A lot of the time he's just nibbling.  I'm basically his pacifier a lot of the time. 
  

  

  son#1 born 6/2010

  son#2 born 4/2012

  son#3 born 7/2014

  Report1 Reply
• Jennicillin member

  September 2014

  Everything @ShevaCC said times a million

  
  

  
  

  Report0 Reply
• Raclla member

  September 2014

  I agree with seeing a LC for a feeding.
  They will weigh before and after. It's really helpful.

  
  

  Married April 12

  DD June 13

  #2 EDD 8/8/14 - DS July 14

  2 Furry Kids - 

  Rosco: The most awesome pug ever.

  Pumpkin: The most non-catlike cat ever.  

  Report0 Reply
• Erin0303 member

  September 2014

  The LC advice sounds in line with everything else that's written about BF. I went to a LC after having latch and mastitis issues and it was fantastic to find out the exact amount (weighing baby before and after) that baby was getting at each feed. I bet they might be able to help calm your woes and also help distinguish between comfort nursing and actual starvation. Likely they aren't eating more than 3 oz per feed but thats a goal.

  Report0 Reply
• tamarar5 member

  September 2014

  I'm not a clock follower either, I've always done a baby led feeding style. That said, I also have had three babies that would gladly nurse 24 hours a day. I can't be a human paci so, I do a baby led feeding modified thing. I nurse until baby pops off each side, burping in the middle, then offer a paci for an hour or so, unless the feeding was really short.
  
  It takes a couple weeks, but I've always found that I got to know each kid's feeding style. DD1 was a morning snacker. From about 5am until 2ish pm, she would snack nurse for 5 minutes or less, every half hour. Then in the evening she would get down to business and eat normal, 15-20 minutes each side.
  
  DS, on the other side, was a down to business easter from the get go. He would hunker down and just go to town, then go about his day.
  
  Is your lo still gaining weight? If so, I wouldn't stress so much about time. Babies will nurse longer or more frequently when they ate in a growth spurt, but that's how milk supply is built up to meet the added need as baby grows. Its a PITA, but it's necessary. Good luck!

                  We're Going to be a Family of 5!
  

   
  

                                
  

  
  

  Report0 Reply