My son is 2 weeks old and when I feed him he'll fall asleep. I'll lay him on my chest and he'll sleep fine, but as soon as I put him down to get some of my own rest he'll wake up and start crying and acting like he's hungry again and the only way to comfort him is to put him to my breast again.. is my milk supply low? or is he just being fussy? I'm getting frustrated with him wanting to eat ALL the time, and I dont want to suppliment with formula.
2006-09-19 13:55:57 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
It is normal for babies around that age to cluster feed. It can seem like you're feeding every 1/2 hour or so. It's perfectly normal and your babys way of making sure your milk supply is up. Don't worry, you definately have enough. Even if you feel completely empty, your baby will still get enough. They trigger more milk letdowns every few minutes or so. The cluster feeding should slow down in a few weeks. Keep up the good work!!!
Pianist doesn't have a clue what she's talking about :) Natural ways to increase your milk are drinking fennel seed tea (healthfood stores) or eating oatmeal. But I"m sure the reason your baby is eating so much is not that your milk is low but rather that he's cluster feeding. Which is normal for 2 weeks.
2006-09-19 15:16:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
My son would do the same thing, I would have to undress him when I started to feed him and would only redress him when I would switch sides. Having to redress him also woke him up a little bit so he would eat more without falling asleep so quickly. They are warm enough from your body heat and skin, but cool enough to be awake enough to eat.
Nursing on your side is a life saver too..I remember falling asleep and waking up realizing he was done eating and got a little bit more shut eye.
There is also blankets you can buy that has the heartbeat, so when you lay him down he thinks he's still on your chest.
Try some breast compressions to stimulate the milk flow into his mouth so he realizes he has to swallow.
AND one last tidbit....he might just be a sucking kind of baby, so if you know you just fed him and he cries, to get some rest, have someone sit with him away (in another room) from you (the baby smells you and your milk amd automatically wants to nurse) with their clean pinky in their mouth so they can suck and sleep some more. (since the use of the pacifier is not recommended until breastfeeding is well established 4-6 weeks)
Good Luck, and God Bless you for breastfeeding ! Keep up the good work ~
2006-09-19 15:11:05 · answer #2 · answered by Liandrew00 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My daughter was exactly the same: fall asleep on the breast, but the minute you'd take her away, "ohmigod! need breast!" and she would be up and screaming for breast again.
Keep a (reasonably cold) wet cloth next to you when you nurse. That way you can give his little face a bit of a wipe (or tickle his toes, pinch his cheeks, any little action that might keep him awake) when he starts dozing. This should help him to stay awake and keep feeding until he is actually full, not just r e a l l y r e l a x e d.....
I would not say your supply is low just because of this. My supply was so plentiful it was possibly almost a nuisance (6 nursing pads per side, anyone?), but my daughter did this all the time. Gosh, I've been tempted to curl up and have a little nap during big banquet-style feasts! And remember, your milk supply has probably not even stabilised yet, so if you are in doubt, nurse nurse nurse (nursing helps increase milk supply)!!! (Like you're not doing enough of that already...)
Remember he is only 2 weeks old, babies are hungry little tackers at that age! Just think about how much he is growing, and he cannot rely on solids or anything else yet! He will develop a routine, with time. You will learn how often he NEEDS feeding, and when he is just yearning for a little mummy-cuddle (the BEST kind of cuddles!).
Try not to get too frustrated and/or stressed out, you have enough to worry about already with a newborn! Stress may actually decrease your milk supply, so stressing about your supply might actually negatively affect your supply! You just can't win!
This is very common, and however much I hate to say it (I am very pro-breastfeeding), it seems to be a common difficulty facing breastfeeding parents. Just take every day as it comes and rest where and whenever you can. Stuff the laundry, it can wait. Even just watching a bit of telly with bubby asleep on your chest, it all helps. Most importantly, enjoy this precious time with your newborn. It goes so fast, and it is just such a wonderful, warm time in both of your lives.
I learnt very quickly that nothing ever goes 100% (and if someone tells you it does, they're LYING!). I stopped stressing about all the things that didn't work as well as I would have liked (unfortunately, sleeping was a big one), and just focused on all the really wonderful, positive aspects that DID work! It is so rewarding, and it is very reinforcing of your own abilities as well.
For example, instead of thinking"oh, my baby doesn't sleep well, I've done a terrible job", I try to think "oh, my baby is just so inquisitive she hardly wants to shut her eyes! I have sparked her passion for knowledge!" Or something corny to that effect... :-)
ps. I know the feeling of hating formula and everything to do with it, but I do suggest to try it if things don't get any better with time. My cousin struggled with breatfeeding for months before she gave up and switched to formula. Although she felt incredible guilt about this, at the end of the day you have to look after yourself as well as your baby. They were both getting virtually no sleep, and things were only getting worse.
I understand your desire to breastfeed, and I encourage it wholeheartedly, but I fear too many people make themselves into martyrs for no good reason: there are no prizes for struggling through breastfeeding against all odds!! At the end of the day, try and do what's best for both yourself and your precious bub.
good luck! xx
2006-09-19 14:32:41 · answer #3 · answered by Lucy Goosey 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
My son did the same thing. And I fed him when I thought he was hungry. He's might just be going through a growth spurt. Try to stick with it, no need to supplement, he'll work out a schedule and soon you'll be getting much more sleep! I'd be so tired at night, that I'd fall asleep while I was feeding him! But, now he's 3 mo. old and sleeps through the night. You're doing great!!
2006-09-19 15:54:44 · answer #4 · answered by melashell 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My son did the same thing. He would nurse, but then fall asleep during....I did the stimulation technique and it worked. He would nurse for about 10 min on each side (I knew then that he was getting enough to eat). But once I layed him down in his crib he would start squawling. What I finally started doing was taking a nightshirt from the night before (or T-shirt that I had worn that day) and layed it flat on his mattress. This way when I layed him down there wasn't a different scent. He started sleeping thru the night when I would do that.
Hope this helps.
2006-09-19 14:39:40 · answer #5 · answered by Just_me 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Breastfeed babies eat every 2-3 hours anyway. But your son is just got the can't live without my mommy syndrome. You need to stop putting him to sleep on your chest he hears your heart beat and the warmness of your body and that soothes him. After you feed him you need to put him in his bed. Make sure he is feed well and if he cries for a minute it's okay. Don't give in right away because you will never get any sleep. Breastfeeding is a hard task and you should keep up with it be prepared to feed often though. Good luck I will have my 2nd son in a couple of weeks and I am sure I will be going through it just like you. Stand your ground and stick with it. He will soon figure out he has to sleep on his own.
2006-09-19 14:02:28 · answer #6 · answered by Tyler&Noah's mommy 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My kids did the same thing. I used to tickle their feet to keep them awake a minimum of 10 minutes on each side, so I knew they were getting enough. In a few weeks I would start to pump also so you have a supply and then DADDY can help too! I learned that one pretty fast. But you don't want to give a bottle too soon or they lose the desire to breast feed because bottles are easier to get milk from. wait a few weeks to make sure their jaws are used to the breast.
2006-09-19 14:04:15 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
went thru the same thing. I just went with the flow and fed her. But what I found out was the difference in the way the baby cries. I thought that everytime she cried was because she was hungry, but that's just not the case
2006-09-19 15:22:47 · answer #8 · answered by Raina B 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
don't supplement w/ formula, breast milk is best. the first weeks are hard, i felt like all i did was breast feed. it gets easier. try laying on your side and feeding him, belly to belly, then if he falls asleep in bed, you can get some rest with him not on top of you.
congrats on your new son!
2006-09-19 14:20:58 · answer #9 · answered by juliabshull 1 · 3⤊ 1⤋
my daughter is 3 months old and she is da same way i half to breat feed her every 5 minutes and when i lay her down in her crib she starts cryin den i half to feed her again
if u need a friend email me at
quanmyboo4ever@yahoo.com
2006-09-19 14:05:51 · answer #10 · answered by ~L3_L3~ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋