Concerned Mother of two week old

Shannon - posted on 02/22/2009

As long as he is eating every two hours not losing weight, and still has wet daipers... you are doing fine!! My son went for a good 20 to 30 minutes for the first probably week of his life, then when my milk came in steadier and my let downs became faster and furious... he went to only taking about 10 minutes total. Once my milk was regulated more and my let downs slowed down... he went back to 20 minute feedings... but that wasn't till he was about 2 months or so. Still if you are concerned for any reason, see a lactation specialist soon!

Jen - posted on 02/21/2009

as long as he is wetting his diapers and doing well weight wise he will be ok...remember too most babies lose some weight before they start gaining. go to your health unit if you are worried...they are the professionals and they will be more than happy to help!!!

Jen - posted on 02/21/2009

He sounds like hes doing ok...aslong as he keeps wetting those diapers...he will eat when hes hungry...and i totally agree on the co sleeping point Allison made, also the skin to skin. allbabies nurse for different lengthsof time...my sisters baby nurses for 20 minutes at a time and my baby nurses for 5 minutes at a time...just give him time...remember..he just arrived and he has a lot to figure out! bottom line in my opinion is he will eat when hes hungry.

Melanie - posted on 02/20/2009

As long as he's gaining weight and is having adequate wet and dirty diapers, I wouldn't worry too much about it. My little guy was the same way but was gaining weight like crazy so the pediatrician told me not to worry about it.

Krystal - posted on 02/20/2009

As your son gets older he's mastering how to nurse so he'll be able to feed for a shorter amount of time. My daughter was the same way. She started off taking 45 minutes at each feeding and then dropped to a total of only 12 minutes (i timed it) for each one. It sooo freaked me out! But it all worked out okay :)

Congrats and good luck with the nursing!

Shellie - posted on 02/20/2009

Thank you everyone for the advise.  My son is having both wet and dirty diapers everyday! He seems to be gaining weight. I just started to get nervous because this is the most he has slept since we came home from the hospital and the least amount he has eaten. I just want a happy healthy baby.

Amy - posted on 02/20/2009

It sounds like your son is doing alright. My son did the same thing when he was little. One thing I have noticed as he has gotten older, is that he has become more efficient at breastfeeding and therefore, doesn't spend as much time at the breast as he used to. As long as you are having plenty of wet/poopy diapers per day and he seems to be gaining weight, I would try not to worry. Another thing to remember that that babies typically will have a growth spurt at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months. During these weeks, you will feel like you do nothing but nurse all day. Then, suddenly, the spurt will be over and everything wIll be back to normal. Good luck Mommy, sounds like you're doing a great job!

Christine - posted on 02/20/2009

Eating every two hours is a good sign.  Is he having enough wet and dirty diapers?  Do you hear him swallow when he is eating?  Newborns do sleep alot.  Their job is to sleep, eat and pee/poo.   Speaking from my experience, my little guy the first couple of months slept alot, and would eat every 1 1/2 -2 hours.  He wouldn't always nurse on both sides, but he got his fill.  I'm sure he is fine Mama.  Keep doing what you are doing.  Cherish these beautifully bittersweet moments of motherhood...they pass so very quickly.  Remember to feed yourself, hydrate and get as much rest as you can (way easier said than done). 

Nicole - posted on 02/20/2009

Don't worry, my son did the same thing, it is perfectly normal.....even though it makes you worry. He will change his habits soon enough. you can also try stripping him down and laying him skin-to-skin when you nurse him.

Stephanie - posted on 02/20/2009

My friend would use a baby wipe on her baby's cheek to keep her awake. But I know when my baby was really small, she could nurse for 45 minutes or more. It only takes 10-15 minutes to empty the breast, so anything else is probably for comfort/pacifier. My baby then went down to 10-15 minutes at a time. As long as he has enough wet diapers and is gaining weight, you're fine. Try to relax and enjoy this time - pretty soon you'll realize that you spent all that teeny baby time worrying - that's what I did.

Karen - posted on 02/20/2009

Have you tried taking off his clothes to nurse? The cooler temp may keep him awake. Does he have a yellow tint to his skin? If so he's probably  has jaundice and that causes them to sleep alot and not be as interested in food. If you think jaundice could be an issue have his billirubin levels checked. My daughter had jaundice and had to spend 20 hours under a special light to help break up the billirubin, it's quite common and usually appears in the first week but it's woth checking out if your concerned.

Allison - posted on 02/20/2009

It sounds like he's nursing every 2 hours, so that's good. Does he take both sides? How is his weight gain? How is he nursing at night? If you're co-sleeping and he's able to nurse a lot at night, that will help compensate for his sleepiness during the day (hint: You should be napping while he's napping, too!). Most likely he's doing fine...just keep trying to feed him and keep him up as long as you can. Skin-to-skin contact is very important, too, to keep him interested in nursing.



If he's not gaining weight or losing weight, call a lactation consultant (preferably a IBCLC) or La Leche League.



Good luck!