New mom to a newborn!

Fallon - posted on 09/21/2009

You could always pump and save your milk for her for later. That is what I did. My daughter was ALWAYS hungry when she was first born also. She would drink up to 4 oz. every two hours and sometimes more. She never really had a schedule for when she was hungry.

Ceri - posted on 09/20/2009

My son was the same and we used a dummy.Our health nurse suggested it as she said I would be worn out otherwise. It helped immediately.

Nicole - posted on 09/20/2009

Quoting Rebecca:

She has already had her first doc appt. She has gained 2 ounces since we left the hospital... she gained an ounce at the hospital. As far as the pumping thing... I had to pump because my breasts were so full and hurting. She feeds for what seems like HOURS... when I took her to her doc appt. I told him I felt like she was eating a lot and he said feed every couple of hours and let her feed as long as she wants. It is just difficult when I feel like she is strapped to my boob (lol). I have been supplementing with formula but she will only drink an ounce of it and want my milk instead. All of your posts are helping me quite a bit. I think I will call the lactation nurse I talked to at the hospital! Any other feedback on this is ALWAYS appreciated. Thank you ladies!

I was told to only let her nurse for 15 to 20 minutes max on each side... also You can buy the silicon nipple covers so you nipples dont crack and the baby with have an easier time sucking... its proven... i did it lol

Nicole - posted on 09/20/2009

She may not be getting enough from you... I say try pumping for the same length of time you feed her and see how much you produce... or you could always do formula and breastfeeding so you know she is getting food... and keep a log of everytime she eats and how long she eats... that is the only thing that saved me

Jane - posted on 09/20/2009

don't start pumping yet - let your milk come in first. she needs you now in a very primal way - food, comfort, warmth. try a pacifier while you are holding her or keeping her close and see if that cuts down her crying time. she's been warm and cozy for 9 months w/you and she just wants to keep that for as long as she can.

our 1st nursed constantly it was just the way she was, and our 2nd was more content and went longer b/w feedings. but i only nursed her for 3 weeks. you can always try to supplement w/formula if you want, that way you can see if she's hungry or just wants to be close to you. be sure she's getting burped as well, they can get very uncomfortable if they have gas. and burping is a very annoying thing to master when they're this little. nobody tells you that. "Breastfeeding Made Simple" is a great book. it's to the point and easy to get thru. nursing is very demanding, so don't be hard on yourself. be sure you are eating more than you did when you were pregnant, your body needs lots of food to nurse. if it turns out breastfeeding isn't for you, that's fine. do what's best for your family and your sanity. i worried about not nursing our 2nd for very long but once we were all sleeping thru the night, i got over the guilt very quickly.

p.s. pumping isn't for everyone so give things a chance, you may not need to pump once you and your girl get into the swing of things together. pumping certainly wasn't for me.

you're doing great!

Amanda - posted on 09/19/2009

you can try a pacifier, as long as your certain your baby is full, she may just be looking for somerthing to suck on

Mel - posted on 09/18/2009

I Rebecca

Its such an exciting time isnt it? But also one of the most stressful. Hang in there girl, im sure you are doing everything right. You said that you bubs is a week old. Has you milk 'come in' yet? Are your brats swelling with milk and when she is sucking do you feel your milk 'coming down'? That is can you feel a tingling sensation through your breast for a few moments as she first latches on? If not then perhaps she isnt rally attacthed properly. I had a terribly hard time for the first couple of weeks with my first boy. He seemed to cry and never stop. SOmetimes its not really to do with the feeding side of things. Its just a newborn adjusting to the world, trying to figure out what this boob thing is, and why is it so darn bright, and all the sounds etc. THey have been cocooned in your warm body for so long and it can be a traumatic shock for a new born!

But getting back to the feeding thing, i would def feed her for 15 -20 mins on each breast. Burp her half way through the feed, and make sure she doesnt fall asleep on the boob. keep touching her cheek or give her chin a bit of a nudge. At the end of the first boob when you take her check your milk supply.Just to ensure that you still have milk there.

Im sure someone would have told you about the thing of FEED PLAY SLEEP. So feed her, and then 'play with her' i know that sounds dumb, but just 3-5 mins of stimulation, weather it be holding her up while walking around the house and showing her the trees out your window, or singing to her her or laying her down and just talk to her. Then SLEEP. Even if she isnt crying. Once a babie gets over tired they will scream and scream and get so worked up.

Try the Feed Play Sleep routine and see how you go. I had such a hard time withboth of my kids, so if you ever need advice or wanna vent feel free to contact me anytime.,

She will get into a routine hon, but you do need to teach her. Its just a mothers instinct to want to feed her babie when she is crying, sometimes they dont need that, but you will get to know your little bubs, and then when that happens, it will be way easier, I promise!!!!! Good luck sweetie!!!



PS if I can give any advice, it would be make sure you get at least 20 mins (or more if you can) ALONE - give her to your partner and go outside and get fresh iar and revive - its really really hard work with a new baby, and its so normal to feel overwhelmed and frustrated and just feel like screaming. We havbe all been there!!! It does get better, the first 6 weeks are the hardest babe, then you will get over the hump.......xxx

Crystal - posted on 09/18/2009

I know the scream you are talking about. The first six weeks are hard on both of you. She is getting used to all the stimulation and you are recovering from having her and trying to figure out what she needs. Not to mention the hormone rollercoaster. Just keep trying different things. Try to put her in a swing or a baby bouncer. Try music or silence. Lights on or off. Just keep trying things. Make sure she is not too hot or cold. You will get it don't worry. Every baby is different and likes different things. If it gets too stressful just be a human pacifier for one more day and start the next day fresh. Try feeding her and then leaving her with your husband and take a short walk or run to the store or call someone on the phone. Something just for you. Good luck and I am here if you need to talk.

STEPHANIE - posted on 09/18/2009

Also just wondering is she feeding for long enough????

STEPHANIE - posted on 09/18/2009

Congratulations on your new baby. Mine was the same. I found that if i'd been feeding her for a while and she was still looking for more, i'd give her to my husband or someone else - therefore she couldn't smell the milk. I don't think your doing anything wrong after all it's trial and error until you find a way that works for you. Good luck x

Rebecca - posted on 09/18/2009

Yeah I have a breast pump... I just started using it yesterday but not much was coming out... I only got like an ounce and a half out. But, I am going to have to start pumping more because they are starting to hurt! lol

Amanda - posted on 09/18/2009

have you gotta breast pump? it really does help that way you know for sure how much shes getting outta the bottle. just in case the breast feeding doesnt work out dont feel bad at all hun your baby will be just fine out formula!

Rebecca - posted on 09/17/2009

  giving her both breasts and if she was still fussy i would give her some formula also. yes, they say that breast milk is best but u will soon realize that ur sanity is more important.

Yes, I have been giving her formula too but she will only eat an ounce of it and start screaming again wanting the breast milk.

Rebecca - posted on 09/17/2009

Crystal,

I have let her cry it out too... I let her cry for about 10-15 minutes just to make her get sleepy and then I put her back on "the boob" until she falls asleep... but I am getting overwhelmed, and also having some post postpartum which I hope goes away... my husband took her today and I went upstairs and cried, got myself together and came back down. I just can't stand the screaming... would be different if it was crying but it is mind numbing screaming!! lol

Crystal - posted on 09/17/2009

My son did this also. He was in the hospital the first three weeks and when we came home he was on me constantly. I also have a then two and half year old. Things were pretty crazy for a while. He was also on oxygen. Then the doctor told me it was okay to let him cry. I hated to do it but his brother needed attention, not to mention fed, potty trained, etc. So I let him cry in his bassinet while I took care of his brother. I felt terrible but to my amazement he fell asleep. So I kept at it. He eventually got to sleep without crying. He was just trying to sooth himself with me as his pacifier. She may just be tired. I am definitely not one of the believers in the "cry it out" method but when you find yourself sitting on the floor of your bathroom nursing a baby and begging your toddler to just hurry up and pee you realize that you cannot be a human pacifier. Unless you have a maid and a nanny in which case you can certainly give it a go. So just put her someplace safe after she has nursed on both sides and you know that she can't be hungry and go to the bathroom, or enjoy a snack without worrying about the crumbs falling on her head. Good luck.

Laura - posted on 09/17/2009

rebecca,

when my daughter was a newborn, i felt like i was always feeding her. she just couldnt get enough. it was to the point that i had her attached onto me even when i was on the toliet. what i started doing is giving her both breasts and if she was still fussy i would give her some formula also. yes, they say that breast milk is best but u will soon realize that ur sanity is more important. and if ur milk isnt fully in u need to feed ur child. dont feel bad about it. just think that u r doing the best that u can to provide for ur baby

Rebecca - posted on 09/17/2009

She has already had her first doc appt. She has gained 2 ounces since we left the hospital... she gained an ounce at the hospital. As far as the pumping thing... I had to pump because my breasts were so full and hurting. She feeds for what seems like HOURS... when I took her to her doc appt. I told him I felt like she was eating a lot and he said feed every couple of hours and let her feed as long as she wants. It is just difficult when I feel like she is strapped to my boob (lol). I have been supplementing with formula but she will only drink an ounce of it and want my milk instead. All of your posts are helping me quite a bit. I think I will call the lactation nurse I talked to at the hospital! Any other feedback on this is ALWAYS appreciated. Thank you ladies!

Mandy - posted on 09/17/2009

my baby fed every half our to start with. it is normal and keep feeding to increase your supply.

Susanne - posted on 09/17/2009

Talk to a lactation consultant from the hospital and they can meet with you and see and discuss what is going on for you. I know from my experience with breastfeeding all three of my kids that somtimes they just want to be swaddle and suck on something I gave pacifier for my kids and it seem to work. I newborn (2 months) has times where she seems to want to eat more then I think she needs to like every hour. As long as you are trying to go 10-15 mintues per side during feedings she should be getting enough, and you should be having a dr appt for her weight check within your 1 week home and if she is not gaining her dr will tell you want needs to be done. Hope you make it though this. Good Luck :-)

Alicia - posted on 09/17/2009

If you have not already, you should think about joining the Breastfeeding Moms group, too. Lots of experienced breastfeeders out there. Can be a bit much sometimes, but really, I have learned a lot from that group.
I think it is best not to pump so early on. It will be hard for your body to figure out how much milk to make. I think waiting a at least a month is probably a better idea if you can.
I don't want to sound "preachy" just giving you another point of view: if you start supplementing with formula, you are going to be more likely to switch to it fully before long. Which is fine. Really. But if you want to try and stick out the breastfeeding longer, it is better not to have the "temptation" of formula. If you can hack it, which is hard when you are overwhelmed and worried and sleep deprived, just keep nursing on demand (feed her whenever you think she is hungry). At each feeding, let her empty one side and then if she still seems to want more, offer the other side. Also keep trying other things first like you are doing...swaddling, wrapping, pacifier...just to see if it might not be hunger. If those things don't work, really all you have left to do is feed! OR you could let someone else try those things...if she is smelling the milk on you, she might not want anything else from you but milk. Someone else might have more luck.

It is pretty common for it to take close to an hour to complete a feeding for a newborn, and they usually feed every two hours...that means two hours from when you START not when you finish, so if you feed at 8am until 9am, you will likely be feeding again at 10am. Yup, it is crazy but it gets better before long!!! I promise!
Hang in there. And if you can, get the # for a lactation consultant. There is probably one at the hospital where you delivered, or ask your pediatrician. It is always nice to have someone to call when you are not sure what to do. They can even meet with you and help you figure out specific things for your baby.

Carrie - posted on 09/17/2009

How long does she eat for at one serving?...if you dont think she is gettin enough i suggest switchin to formula or you goin to have so sore boobies...u have breastfed her for a week and that is better then none...i breastfed my 1st daughter (2nd child) for 2 weeks cus of the same problem she wasnt gettin enough ...and once i switched her to formula she seem like she was gettin fuller..with my 1st child (my son) i breastfed him for 6 weeks but when i return work he got bottles durin the day and breast at night till he weaned hisself from the breast altogether...but when i switched both to the bottle they seem to be more content and full...Good luck...

Rebecca - posted on 09/17/2009

Thanks for the feedback ladies... Jessica, she does make the sucking noises and I have tried using a pacifier but she still screams with that in her mouth too. Melissa, I have pumped... but since it is still "new" milk not much is coming out... I only get like 1/2 an ounce if that! I keep it though. I have found that wrapping her and bouncing her works sometimes but she still wants "the boob"!

Melissa - posted on 09/17/2009

Have you thought about pumping? You can do both or you can BF and FF. If you think she's had enough to eat for now, you can try swaddling her. Some babies/kids will fight sleep.

Jessica - posted on 09/17/2009

hiya my son is 6 weeks old nearly, his not breastfed but he was also like this to begin with, he was sometimes only going every hour between feeds and i found the prob with him is he wasnt always hungry he just wanted something to suck on ,as babies especially new ones like to suck on their hands,etc. does your baby make a sucking noise?? if so i would suggest a dummy. i did get bad feedback from people about giving a dummy but my son is fine,in fact it calms him down and gets him to sleep quicker and he will spit it out and not scream for it and just stays asleep. some babies r just very sucky babies, i would give it ago if your really going crazy. hope it works foru xxx