is my baby getting enough?

Question

i am breastfeeding my son and it seems like he eats anywhere from 30- 45 minutes on each breast. my first son never ate that much, which he didn't weigh as much either. my mom and her bf say hes starting to fill out,but i don't know.
another thing. he's been having problems opening his left eye and when he does open it he has this mucusy stuff in it. my husband says that its because he sleeps alot and thats why he has the mucusy stuff coming out of his eye. he doesn't go to the doctor until DEC 19TH. he's only a week old.

Answer 1

wash his face with a wet warm washcloth, and as far as the breastfeeding; count the wet, dirty diapers. babies feed for different lengths so the only way you'd know is if hes acting content, and he's maken soiled and wet diapers regularly. (about every 2-3 hours) good luck!! you may want to look up the LaLeche League on the internet as well; they are the breastfeeding experts. good luck

Answer 2

When my son was 4 hours old I was feeding him 30-60 minutes at a time. MY milk came in and he would nurse the same amount of time for the first month. Mostly he just suckled because it made him comfortable..kind of like a pacifier. As long as your milk came in and your breasts engorge then he's getting enough. Also the easiest way to know if he's getting enough is if he sleeps 1-4 hours after you feed him. Believe me if he was hungry he would be screaming his little head off. he should also be having a bowl movement with everyfeeding at this time. Minimum 6 wet and 6 dirty diapers a day.

You may want to try and pump milk 1-2 times a day and feed him from the bottle so that you know how much he is taking in at that particular time..and at a week old he should only be wanting 1-2 oz MAX. I know I went though doubts about how much my son was getting but he went from 5lb 2 oz to 19lbs in 5 months! We even went out and bought a digital scale with decimal points so we could weigh him and know if he was gaining or losing even a 10th of a lb. lol

I would call the doc. about his eye. You don't want him getting an infection and going blind! Until then use a baby soft wash cloth with warm water and wash his face.

Good luck! Keep it up!

Answer 3

1. He is only a week old!! It sounds like your doing everything right. Every baby is different when it comes to breastfeeding. Some babies don't suck as hard so it takes longer to get full. Also his weight will fluctuate during the first couple weeks, especially if he's breastfeeding.
2 For the eye problem, that is very normal and will likely go on for a while. His tear ducts haven't developed yet. Just clean it using warm water and a baby wash cloth and watch it closely. You should be fine! Congratulations!!!

Answer 4

As for the eye..I would have it looked at just to be sure. He is very young and you wouldn't want an undiagnosed infection in his eye. People on here can tell you this or that, but only your pediatrician can have a look and tell you what's going on.
Take him in for the eye. Have his weight checked while you are there ( which they should automatically do anyway). If he is a week old, he should be past the losing stage and be regaining. If there is a concern with his weight, your ped. will talk to you about it. The signs I was always told to look for to be sure your baby is getting enough ( I breastfed all 3 of mine) was 6 to 8 wet diapers a day and at least 1 poop a day. Wet mouth, wet eyes.
I wouldn't wait to have the eye looked at till the 19th. I would make an appt. today. :-) Good luck!

Answer 5

Call your Dr office and find out if there is a LaLache league in your area. They have support help for new mom's who are breast feeding. As far as how long try backing him off abut five minutes on each side and burping him more. See if that helps. As far as the mucus in the eye, is it clear or yellowish? Use a warm baby wash cloth with just water and clean his eye. If it's yellowish there could be something going on and the only way to find out would be to take him to the Dr. To relieve your mind call the Dr office and ask for his nurse. She will be able to answer your questions. Good luck!

Answer 6

well for the eye thing you should call his doctor or maybe there something in there a eyelash and its normal for a baby feeds that long cause your breast milk hasnt came throught yet your still might be as the doctors call it the gold milk stage.
The breasts first produce colostrum, followed by transitional milk after a few days. Mature breast milk usually is produced about 10 to 15 days after delivery. This milk contains about 50% fat calories, 45% carbohydrate calories, and 5% protein calories. Most of the carbohydrate is milk sugar (lactose), which helps babies absorb calcium.

Answer 7

For his eye just wipe it with a warm wash cloth it's his tear ducts not a big deal at this point as far as the feeding yes that is normal every baby eats differently. If you are concerned with his eating make a log of everytime he eats and take it in with you when you go to the Dr.

Answer 8

He is eating just fine. Let him eat on demand he gets what he needs from you. Do what is right for your baby and dont listen to what everyone is saying. Also about the eye thing. I would have that checked out. He might just have a cold in his eye, but have them check it out soon. Don;t wait until tuesday go now. Good luck and keep breastfeeding it is best for you and your baby.

Answer 9

You should make an appointment with your doctor to have a weigh in. There is a good chance that he's doing fine with feeding...but if it relieves your anxiety its worth it. You should make an appointment anyway. It sounds like he has an eye infection. You can just ask the doc at the weigh in.

Answer 10

He may have a plugged tearduct. It's pretty common. If it doesn't open on its own, later on the doctor can perform some very minor, in office surgery that will cure it fast.

30 - 45 minutes seems like a very long time to me.