breastfeeding concerns?

Question

im a new mom and my baby is a week old now.when i feed her, it takes about 3o min and she`ll fell asleep...after burping she wants more..so i give her more milk.sometimes i feed her with a milk from bottle feeding which we usually do when i was still in the hospital...my question is, how can i know she is already full?bcoz she always crave for more?is it ok to breastfeed her for oly 30 min?will she be satisfied?

thanks for all your answers!!!

Answer 1

Congrats for your little girl! I remember my first wk with my girl very clearly... it's an exciting but scary time. You'll be a pro at this in no time so dont worry!

I think just about all babies are the same; they would stay on their mother's breast all day if we let them. It's a survival instinct I am sure - if you take your breast away you are taking their food supply away! Also they smell you and know you are their caregiver so they want to be snuggled up warm against your skin. I nursed my girl for the first time about 20min after she had her umbilical cord cut (thus she still hadnt had time to be hungry. I've read most babies wont be for the first few DAYS even) and she did NOT want to let go. We had to pry her off me after a half hr. LOL Babies will want to nurse all the time, that is completely natural. There isnt anything wrong with that (unless you are getting sore, you can cut back on length of feedings if you need to) and you just need to be aware that nursing the first few weeks is very much a full time job. I counted how many hrs I nursed her a day in those first weeks... 8hrs/day!
Anyways, I'd probably suggest you reduce or cut out entirely giving bottles if you want to increase your chances at successfully breastfeeding your child. All breastfeeding books will tell you NOT to give bottles the first very important weeks of establishing your nursing routine. Why hospitals give bottles when they know you are breastfeeding I'm not sure, I dont think they are very versed in breastfeeding do's and don'ts. It typically takes 4 or 5 days for any milk to come in, and your baby is just fine with the colostrum until then. This is just transitional milk by the way, it isnt until at least day 10 or so for your 'final' milk. You might notice it changing in the next few days if you try to express any. I just finished reading how even one bottle of formula a day can reduce the advantages of breastmilk as it changes the natural pH balance of the stomach. I didnt realise this when I started or else would have been adamant about the maternity ward not giving bottles. They didnt give me a choice, they gave them without my knowledge for the first 3 days, then after that I let them continue as they wanted her to regain all her lost weight ASAP. Oh yeah, it's normal for babies to lose 5 - 10% of their birth weight in the first few days before your milk comes in, then it can take a few weeks for them to regain it all. My girl regained it in a matter of a few days, thanks to all those bottles! Then she ended up losing a little weight when we left the hospital because I didnt give her any. Dont give bottles, but do have her weighed every week or two to make sure she's been gaining.
Here's a link for you to follow that talks about how breasts make milk: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020900.asp
It's important for you to read that as you need to be confident you have enough milk to continue (this will help with eliminating bottles too). It's like economics - supply and demand is at work. As long as you are offering frequently, are taking healthy care of yourself (this too is very important so eat and drink right!), and your baby is properly latched on then you are doing great. On avg I think babies nurse around 15 min each side although my daughter was a little more the first and less the second. Try to always offer both sides, and remember to offer the second one first the following time you feed her. That way both get equal nursing time. Try to keep your little one awake while she's nursing, they do tend to fall asleep fast. Some say to keep a schedule of feedings, but I dont think that's best for the supply/demand system. If she's asking to be nursed an hr or two after you finished, I'd do it. I nursed my girl every 2 hrs during the day when she was a newborn, but then thankfully she slept in 4 or 5hr blocks at night even as a 1wk old.
Here's a great link to read all about breastfeeding your newborn. It would take me a week to write everything it says so I'll just let you follow the link. http://babies.sutterhealth.org/health/healthinfo/?A=C&type=info&hwid=hw91687§ion=hw91717

Good luck, be confident of yourself, and enjoy your little girl!

Answer 2

Usually all they need is ten minutes of milk.

Thats what the nurse in the nursery told me.And The doctor agreed. Ive been doing this now 21 months.

But with that said, go ahead and give it to her until she is content. The baby will let you know when she has had enough. Natural instinct. She will pull away when she is done. Burp her to get the air out and see if she wants more.

Alternate breasts often, to build up an even amount of milk on both sides. The more she eats the more milk you produce.

But, breastfeeding is more than just feeding time, its bonding time and comforting time for both Mom and baby.

So although she will get what she "needs" nutritionally from only 10 or 15 minutes of feeding. It is quite alright to do it for longer until she is satisfied. And she will let you know.

Oh, if she falls asleep too soon, try to nudge her awake, she may not open her eyes, but she will resume sucking. Too soon is before the ten minutes of contiuous feeding are up.

Good luck, and trust me, after a while ( actually before you know it) it will be like second nature. And what an experience. You'll love it.

Answer 3

First of all, congratulations on your new baby girl. I just finished my OB rotation for my nursing clinicals. I always taught the moms that the baby will let you know if she's had enough. Usually if they are content and/or fall asleep they have had enough. 30 minutes is fine and especially for a baby this young. Sometimes they don't even feed that long. It's really all up to the baby. Sometimes babies use sucking as a way to comfort themselves, and if they just got done nursing for a good amount of time and seemed content, maybe you should try a pacifier so you don't overfeed.

Answer 4

A baby will stop eating when they are full, overeating or under eating is not something children are born with. They do fall asleep during feedings and you can always try waking them up to finish by tapping their feet, but they are just as new to this as you are. When you are feeding newborns they just fall asleep and you usually nurse them every 2 hours anyways, so they are getting their fill. Unless you have a baby that has been diagnosed with a disorder, they are eating enough to survive as long as they are happy and if they aren't you just feed them or change their diaper. In the beginning, you are nursing all the time and they are falling asleep with that comfort and as long as they are healthy they let you know when they are hungry. Don't worry about it unless your baby is consistently unhappy or your pediatrician is concerned. Some babies just want to nurse more and as long as you have the milk or bottles, feed them. They don't overeat.

Answer 5

Congratulations!
That's great that you're breastfeeding-- keep it up, even though it can be hard.
If she wants more, give her more. It's really hard to tell how much they're getting. When I had mine I remember she was always latched on. After about a week is when your milk will start flowing in. Until now you've probably had just colostrum, which is thick and super-nutritious, but not much in quantity.
Do you hear your baby make "gulping" noises as if she's drinking something? (and you can see her throat swallowing) If she is, then you're fine because she is feeding. If not, it doesn't hurt to supplement her feedings with a bottle now and then. Good luck!

Answer 6

In about 2 weeks you will notice that it takes a lot less time to feed the baby. Right now she is still learning to get the milk properly. But after 30 minutes there is no way she is starving. As long as she is gaining weight I would not worry about her not eating enough

Answer 7

Hello hun...I had the same problem! When you are breast feeding and your little one starts nodding off, you can gently stroke her behind the ear...I know this sounds strange but I did it and it encouraged baby to keep sucking - almost like a reflex.

As for her being full - you cant know for sure unless you are feding from a bottle. It will take some time to be able to tell when she has had enough - yes, it is fine to feed for 30 minutes.

The sooner you try and get yourselves into a routine, the better it will be. Good luck hun xx

Answer 8

That is very typical behavior of a newborn. Most babies nurse for long periods and seem to want more even when they've just finished eating. It is helping to bring in your milk, and remember also that breastfeeding is more than just food. It's very comforting as well.

Remember that you can never nurse a baby too often!

Answer 9

It seems as if you are doing a superb job. Congratulations. First of all a baby will always want more. My paedetrician told me they might seem as if they are never full because they always want to suck. If your baby is gaining satisfactory weight then she is doing just fine. It is ample to feed her for 30 minutes. And they only need it every 3 - 4 hours although my baby sometimes wanted to suck sometimes every 2 hours. Good Luck with your new baby!

Answer 10

I had the same problem. I'd nurse, he'd fall asleep. Half an hour later he'd wake up again and I was horribly sleep deprived and had an unhappy baby the first month. If your baby isn't gaining enough weight, you may want to supplement with formula or expressed breastmilk. Someone told me to keep a damp cloth nearby when nursing and when he'd start to fall asleep, to lightly touch it to his face or forehead to wake him up.