Breastfeeding Question

Tiffiney - posted on 01/10/2010

well i am breast feeding also and my daughter dose the same thing i have found it a good idea to feed her a bottel after i breast feed or if your just doing breastfeeding pump out some milk cuz you dont really know how much she is eating when its comming out of your boob so just try to tickel her cheeks and when she falls asleep take her clothes off cuz they hate to be cold lol that will wake her up but if you take her clothes off b4 than she will get use to it being off and fall right asleep lol idk im a first time mom and my daughter is only 14 days old so im not sure if my advice will help but i took her to the ped and he said that my baby gurl is a chuncker lol hope it works for you

Sue - posted on 01/09/2010

Try rubbing their hands when they fall asleep, that's meant to wake them up without startling them (I have heard you shouldn't rub their feet or head for some reason).

I b/f for a few days but my baby girl wasn't gaining weight and was hungry. I had to have a c section and my milk was late coming in so I had to resort to a few bottle feeds. Now she won't take the breast at all so I express milk and bottle feed that (along with some formula feeds). I really wanted to b/f but unfortunately it hasn't turned out that way, so stick with it for as long as you can. I still feel guilty 3 weeks after I stopped trying but she would scream and refuse the breast which was making me upset and stressed out.

The more you feed/express the more milk your body will make so as someone has already said. Try expressing milk in between feeds, as this should increase your supply if you are worried you haven't got enough milk. And try not to worry too much about their weight. My daughter went from 6lbs 6oz at birth to 5lbs 13oz. She only weighs just over 7lbs now and is still having to wear tiny/premature baby clothes as newborn sized ones are still too big on her at 4 weeks old. My health visitor said as long as they are gaining some weight week on week, they are happy and have a few wet nappies each day then you should try not to worry. Each baby develops differently, just do your best as I'm sure they will be fine. Good luck!

Kristy - posted on 01/08/2010

I had the same problem with my daughter. I began pumping until my milk cam in better supply. Now, I exclusively bottle feed breast milk. I LOVED nursing my daughter, but I had to feed her constantly and she was fussy. I felt guilty at first for not exclusively nursing, but in the end I am doing what works best for both me and my daughter.

Lindsey - posted on 01/08/2010

My daughter often falls asleep after 10 minutes of nursing. One thing to keep in mind is that the initial milk your child gets when nursing is thin and watery. It is meant to satisfy his / her thirst. Later, the milk turns fattier, which helps with weight gain. Something I've had to do is to not switch breasts at each feeding. I'll nurse exclusively on one side for a 3 hour block, then switch. That way, even if she falls asleep for a bit, when she wants to nurse again she will be getting fattier milk. So far her weight gain has been good with this method. I could see the change in her poop too... It used to be watery, now it's not.

Latynsia - posted on 01/07/2010

when my daughter falls asleep i either massage her foot or stroke her jawline she doesnt l like it and it wakes her up. good luck

Cindy - posted on 01/07/2010

Try putting your finger under her chin and wiggle the chin up and down to simulate sucking - this was a tip given to me by the nurses when I had my son and it seems to work, reminds him of what he's supposed to be doing :)

Michelle - posted on 01/07/2010

If you are worried about how much your little one is getting from breast feeding - trying buying an infant scale and weighing before and after. We did and I am much calmer now with feeding - which I am sure helps my son.

Stephanie - posted on 01/07/2010

I have the same problem keeping my Evan awake for a decent feeding - we have done everything recommended - the sitting up, the tickling, the stripping down and the diaper change and sometimes it just doesn't work. Unfortunately, what that means is more frequent, shorter feedings. Very frustrating for me. Evan is now 4 weeks old and is doing a bit better at his feedings but we still struggle through some of the late night-early morning feedings. I also have to keep him upright after feedings or he will spit up every time - which makes for some really long nights. My only additional advice - other than trying all those tricks to keep him awake - is to talk to someone, a lactation consultant, your doctor, anyone else whose breast fed. Just talking about it helps so much and just be patient - it will get better. That's what I keep telling myself.

Theresa - posted on 01/07/2010

My first son would fall asleep all the time while feeding, I change his diaper between sides to get him up and tickle his cheek or chin while feeding to get him going again. Also pumping and adding some bottle feedings may help .

Mary - posted on 01/06/2010

My little one wakes up with a diaper change, so we'll change the diaper before feeding even if she doesn't need it (we're using cloth) and that wakes her up enough to get through the feeding. You may want to also gently stroke underneath her chin or around her ear, which can wake them up a little.

If there's a lactation consultant at the hospital, I'd also call them -- I was so frustrated when I got home and called one at our hospital, and she gave me some invaluable advice!

Yvonne - posted on 01/06/2010

Thanks so much for all your advice!

Krista - posted on 01/06/2010

Try the fenugeek pills, I have friends who say they work really good for supply. Try gently messaging/scratching the soft spot on top of your babys head, this stimulates babies and may be enough to keep your daughter awake to finish a good feed. Allow her to eat until she stops feeding then gently tickle/scratch her till she starts to feed again, that worked great with my sons.
I hope things turn around for you soon :)

Rachel - posted on 01/06/2010

if your daughter keeps falling asleep while feeding (which is normal) try to wake her back up and keep feeding her. when my son falls asleep, ill put him against my chest and burp him and usually by then he is awake and still hungry.

Sheri-Lee - posted on 01/06/2010

the thing with breast feeding is your baby can never over feed. So i would even try to feed every hour. although my little one feeds for about 5 mins and thenhas had enough.Sometimes after a burp him and change him he will have another 5 mins. babies always loose weight after being born, because the first milk (colastrum) does not really act as a food although it is so healthy for them. the more you feed baby the more your milk supply will get. its not easy having other children around but once baby is gaining weight quicker things will get better. also remember girls are sometimes betit and dont eat much. hope i have helped you in some way - good luck

Darlene - posted on 01/06/2010

How often had she been eating to begin with? I've not heard of those pills, but personally I would try pumping first, which should also help increase supply. Are you willing to give breastmilk in a bottle? That way you could be sure of how much she's getting. I can imagine it would be hard with 2 other kids at home. As for keeping her awake while feeding, I'm having the same issues. My son hardly drinks during the day. Every 2-3 hours, but more like snacking, then drinks every 3 hours really well overnight. My husband give him a bottle of breastmilk at the 10ish feeding and he's been downing 4 oz.

Good luck!