1st post New Mom BF ?

Hi all! My name is Kate and my son is 6 days old. He is a terrible eater! He refuses to eat at times. He hasn't eaten since midnight (nursed for 5 mins) and it's now 7:30! I'm panicing and walk around with knots in my stomach that he is not getting enough nourishment! He nurses a max of 6 times a day sometimes only for 5 mins. Any advise for this newbie? TIA

Message edited 5/18/2008 8:06:01 AM.

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

in the begiining, it is pretty tough and both baby and you need to get used to each other. Also, they are very tired from L&D, so they tend to not have as much energy to eat. Also, some are much faster suckers out of the gate than the usual 40 minute per feeding!

I went to a lactation consultant to make sure that my DD was getting enough. She wasn't gaining any weight and it was a real concern. They weigh them before and after they eat to make sure they take in enough. Maybe that would help you ease your concern?

Congrats on your new baby!!!!

Message edited 5/18/2008 8:24:03 AM.

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

BF is really hard at the beginning. I would seriously think about calling a lactation consultant. It sounds like your DC is having some difficulty. At the beginning my DS was eating every 2 hours sometimes even every hour and the feedings lasted about 40 min.

Good luck!

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

I had concerns in the beginning as well...I spoke with the pediatrician and they recommended a lactation consultant that took my insurance. I didn't need to call her as my daughter was gaining well and I felt that I got the hang of her needs, but I found that my daughter did not nurse as many times as the doctor told me she should and never for as long...I went for weekly weight checks because of this, but found she was getting what she needed anyway. If you are nervous, call the pediatrician. They will be able to refer you to a lactation consultant.

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

Do you have an appt with the dr. soon? I know my dr. wanted to see me 2 days after we came home, then again 4 days later to make sure she was gaining weight. I was so paranoid that she wasnt getting enough, but it turns out that she gained OVER what she was supposed to gain in those first few visits.
If you dont have an appt, I would make one or call a lactation consultant...sometimes babies can be tongue tied which makes it difficult for them to eat. Good Luck!

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

My DS is 9 days old. He had a lot of trouble nursing and still does not nurse. I have decided to just pump for each meal.

It makes it easier because I get to see exactly how much milk he is ingesting instead of just hoping that he is getting enough milk from the breast.

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

Have you seen the pediatrician yet? Does he have enough wet/poop diapers? You should get a weight check if you haven't already. What you're describing doesn't sound like he's feeding enough but sometimes its your perception and the baby is getting more than you think. Usually a BF baby at this point eats every 2-3 hrs or 8-12 feeding per day. Try meeting with a lactation consultant or go to a La Leche meeting to get some help. The early days are the hardest. It gets easier I promise.

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

BFing is VERY Hard in the beginning.. IT WILL get easier! Have you been to the dr?? If not make an appointment asap!! They should weight the baby and talk to you about feeding! Try to nurse as much as possible... try every hour if thats what it takes!

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

Thank you everyone for your advise. We went to the Dr. today and things are not going so well. He lost another 2 oz and his bilirubin (sp?) # went up to a 15 . So I've started offering him a bottle of BM right after he nurses and we go back to the Dr. tomorrow for another weight check. I feel awful. I thought breastfeeding was going to be the best thing I could do for him right now and I just feel like this is all my fault. I'm praying for better news tomorrow.

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

Posted by Kateplus1

Thank you everyone for your advise. We went to the Dr. today and things are not going so well. He lost another 2 oz and his bilirubin (sp?) # went up to a 15 . So I've started offering him a bottle of BM right after he nurses and we go back to the Dr. tomorrow for another weight check. I feel awful. I thought breastfeeding was going to be the best thing I could do for him right now and I just feel like this is all my fault. I'm praying for better news tomorrow.

Re: 1st post New Mom BF ?

Posted by 08BabySurprise

Posted by Kateplus1

Thank you everyone for your advise. We went to the Dr. today and things are not going so well. He lost another 2 oz and his bilirubin (sp?) # went up to a 15 . So I've started offering him a bottle of BM right after he nurses and we go back to the Dr. tomorrow for another weight check. I feel awful. I thought breastfeeding was going to be the best thing I could do for him right now and I just feel like this is all my fault. I'm praying for better news tomorrow.

It's not your fault!!! The same thing happened to us. My son lost a lot of his birth weight and his bilirubin went up. I had to supplement some formula to help combat the bilirubin. A week later his numbers went down and he gained weight. Needless to say, I kept giving him a bottle or two of formula after that... and I still do now that he is 8 weeks old. I also pump and feed him from a bottle - that way I know exactly how much he is getting. It gets better - believe me. And if you need - for some reason - to supplement with formula or pump and feed him from a bottle rather than a breast, IT'S OK!!!!!!!! Let us know what the pediatrician says at your next appointment!!!