Comfort nursing

britb143 · September 2014

my lo is 2 weeks old today and I am ebf. He nurses really well but it seems like when he is awake he can't go more than like an hour between feedings. He literally screams like he is starving. The pedi said he should be able to go 2 hours between feedings and if he isn't he is only nursing for comfort. We have tried a paci in between but he hates it! The lc says to watch the baby not the clock but it seems like all he wants to do is nurse when he is awake. The strange thing is he can sleep up to 6 hours without wanting to nurse at all. He tends to only nurse on each side for like 15 min top and he doesn't always nurse on both because he falls asleep. I am so unsure who to listen to and whether I should feed on demand or try to hold him over the two hours? Anyone with similar experience, how did/do you handle it?

Everyusernameistaken · September 2014

There is a growth spurt around a week...could lo be going through that or has this been an ongoing thing?

britb143 · September 2014

It has been on going. He did go through a growth spurt around 10 days I noticed. He didn't sleep well that night and wanted to eat constantly. But this is something he has bee. Doing since he was like 2 days old.

Nootbar · September 2014

The two hours is from the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next, not two hours after he stops nursing. Your newborn sounds quite normal to me- he likely is hungry, esp if he's falling asleep fairly quickly after latching on. Getting them to stay awake and effectively sucking (you should hear/see a true swallow after every 2-3 sucks) can be quite challenging at this age but should get easier!

ETA: six hours is a really long stretch of sleep w/ no nursing- and it would be very typical for baby to cluster feed to tank up/refuel to compensate for sleeping that long. Personally, I'd follow the LC's advice. Not all pediatricians are equally educated on breastfeeding. Your ped's advice sounds more suited to an older baby, and one that is not sleeping for such long stretches, IMO.

amom2four · September 2014

I would wake him up again by changing him when he starts to fall asleep. It can be as simple as tickling his cheek or feet or he may need to be down to the diaper and in a blanket and then unwrapped a little when he falls asleep. Or changing him when he starts to fall asleep.

It sounds to me like he just isn't staying latched and awake long enough to get completely full. If you can wake him up and keep him on one side longer then he can get the hind milk that will help keep him full longer. I just saw my lc today and she reminded me that you don't have to switch sides every time. The hind milk is also important and it is ok to only bf on one side at each feeding.

kaileemariep · September 2014

I hear you! My daughter is 2 weeks and doing the same. She is not sleeping well either. I would try getting him to nurse longer by changing him in between breast. Nurse him as much as you can during the day.

hizah05 · September 2014

This all sounds normal to me. My first was like this for quite some time. I wouldn't worry about trying to make it 2 hours between feedings. Like others said, he could be cluster feeding or filling up to sleep a longer stretch. I realize it doesn't give you much of a break but it definitely gets better!

britb143 · September 2014

Thanks ladies. I was just so confused with getting different information about when he should be eating that I wasn't sure who to listen to. It sounds like he knows what he wants and needs so I'll listen to him.

Comfort nursing

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