Breastfeeding Newborn

Ditto everything everyone else said!!!

If you're getting bored... grab a book :) I read a couple hundred books while nursing my son. The "awwwww" effect never really wears off, but it lasts for only a short period of time. My son took an hour to nurse on average... and ate every 2 hours on average. (Sometimes a 30min break, sometimes a couple hour break. We ALSO had to do "marathon burping". Aka burping for about 45-60 minutes. So 1 hour of nursing, 1 hour of burping, and that meant it was just about time to nurse again!)

Count this as "me" time for now. Sit with your feet up, nurse, and drink, and read.

Or make a phonecall
Or talk w/ hubby/mom/bestfriend/whomever

DON'T SUPPLEMENT UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO

Vicious cycle. Babies nurse more, to make your body make more. If they're not nursing more, your body makes less.

If you're really worried, a lactation consultant will weigh them on a super snazzzzzzy scale before and after nursing. ((Because mine was so "What???" -ahem, yes. Like most new moms I was worried!- I actually ended up part of a breastfeeding study. My son was drinking an average of 20oz PER feeding. But I could never pump more than an ounce or two. I could wetnurse -did, in fact- but my boobs are snobby. Mouths only. Sigh)).

But, yeah. Nurse. Nurse. Nurse. Nurse. If they poop and have just "made more room" and are hungry... nurse again.

It gets easier. EVERYONE (both you and they) gets more efficient.

His constant need to eat and suckle are absolutely normal behavior. It's not just eating - it's also comfort, learning how to maneuver suckling both with and without withdrawing milk and simple bonding/closeness to you. Try to do block feeding (one breast for at least 2 feedings in a row, maybe pumping from the opposite breast for frozen storage)... but don't give formula yet - because every feeding you miss, you are self sabotaging your supply and demand stimuli your child gives to the breasts every time he nurses.

welcome to motherhood. :) Whenever you get the fear that you're not producing enough (it will come often), always just continue to nurse. Your body will adust quickly.

Nurse, nurse, nurse. Output tells you about input. I think you're fine, you just have a newborn! They nurse between every hour to every 3 hours at first. That's what babies do - eat, sleep, poop and eat some more. Like Amanda W. said, you want your body to produce MORE, not less. Formula will make it produce less. Breastmilk is more quickly digested than formula, too, so baby may be hungrier sooner than you expect. It all sounds normal to me.

Kellymom.com is a good nursing resource. If he's gaining and has a lot of diapers, he's fine.

There is also "cluster feeding" and this is when a baby feeds every single hour, and they need to.
It is normal.
Thus, you need to feed baby, on-demand. Not according to a schedule.
Feeding on demand, makes sure that feeding and intake is according to the baby's needs.... not by a clock. When fed by a schedule... a baby may not be getting adequate intake.
Feeding every 2-3 hours is a GENERAL guideline. And every baby has different appetites, which vary all day every single day.

They have tiny tummies and the breastmilk metabolizes quickly.
If you start to feed baby Formula, then you will start to produce LESS milk... and it will not be according to the baby's needs.

Nursing/feeding baby, is on-demand, 24/7 day and night.
You need to know his cues for hunger.
And yes, after they poop, they get hungry again.
And yes, babies poop a lot.
Normal.

My kids as babies, had GINORMOUS appetites... and I breastfed... and they OFTEN nursed every single hour and I had TONS of milk. I always fed them, on-demand. And this is what a baby needs.... so that, intake keeps up WITH them and their developmental needs.
And my kids as babies... nursed on average for about 45 minutes. And I used BOTH breasts, each session... and they drank me dry.

Breastfeeding... is a lot of work. You will be nursing all day. And all night for a baby's wakings and hunger.
This is all, very normal.

Statistics show, that babies that are fed according to a "schedule" does not thrive as well nor do they get adequate intake... versus babies that are fed/nursed on-demand.
Do not nurse him, only according to a clock.
That will not be enough for him.

If your baby is gaining weight and has enough pee diapers... then he is probably getting enough from your breasts.
Babies.... feed ALL THE TIME and nurse ALL THE TIME.
Even if Formula fed.

Again, if you rely on Formula, your breastmilk will dry up and lessen.
And then, he may even start to reject, your breasts.
Breastfeeding and Bottle feeding, are 2 different things. Bottles are by gravity. Nursing is the baby has to work at getting the letdown and they have to use their tongue/throat/mouth... to suckle.
If anything, you can ask a Lactation Consultant for help.
And baby needs to latch on properly... to get adequate intake. The entire areola should be in the mouth... not just sucking at the tip of the nipple.

3 weeks is a growth-spurt in an infant. Then every 3 weeks, so then at 6 weeks too. Then at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and every 3 months is a growth-spurt.
At growth-spurt junctures, a baby will need more intake and they will get hungrier more often and need to have more in quantity, too.
Normal.

Do not give him Formula, instead of nursing or to replace nursing. Otherwise as well, your milk production will lessen. And your body will think it does not have to produce as much.

Don't start giving him formula - you'll sabatoge your efforts!
If he is gaining weight, then he is fine.
If he is pooping and having regular diapers, then he is fine.
Newborn babies take a long time to nurse - longer then if bottle feed because it takes more effort. And they eat often. It's just how it is. Sounds normal to me. You have to let him nurse often and this will encourage your body to make more milk - kind of a natural supply and demand thing. IF you suplement with formula, you're body WON'T step in up a notch in the milk production and you will continue to have to give the formula to meet his demands. My babies would normally nurse 20-30min each side.

It is frustrating but try to bear in mind that whenever your baby increases time at the breast, he/she is trying to stimulate your body to produce more milk. It is normal. It does not mean there is something wrong with you, it's just nature's way of increasing your supply to meet the demands of a growing baby. If you keep exclusively bf'ing your body will adjust to your baby's needs. In a few weeks or a few months it will probably happen again. Don't be surprised if your baby has a growth spurt soon.

Your body will adjust to his demands. Don't supplement because your milk will decrease making him even more likely to become unsatisfied. When he grows he'll go through periods where he'll demand more. Let him nurse longer and your body will adjust to his growing needs. Be sure to get your rest, drink lots and lots of water and eat healthy. Your body will make more milk.

What they said!
I remember panicking thinking I wasn't producing enough milk. How come no one told us about this part... it's like a conspiracy, right? Mine wanted to nurse on the hour. I had no idea it would entail this much time and effort. I honestly believe that having smallish boobs causes this. My friends with huge ones, their babes would drink until they were gorged and pass out for hours. Smaller boobs have less storage space, and so babies tend to eat more frequently. I've also heard that the longer milk is stored in the breast, the less fat it retains. So if your baby is eating more frequently, he'll be getting milk with a higher fat content. Ain't nature amazing?

In the beginning of your post you said your baby "seems" to be gaining weight. At this stage usually you are going to the doc every couple weeks, or monthly, so they will tell you if he's not gaining fast enough. No need to worry based on what you've said, sounds like all is well and you are both doing well. I agree that once in a blue moon a bottle of formula won't ruin everything, but also agree that should definitely not be a habit if you plan to continue exclusive breastfeeding. Good luck and congratulations!

If you don't think you are producing enough, you can pump after every feeding. I've been doing that and it's helped. I've also been feeding him a last feed at night and then I pump. While I pump my husband gives him 2 oz of my pumped milk from earlier. Since we did that he's sleeping 5 hours at night.

ETA - I should mention that my son is about 1 month older than yours.

Your lucky hes nursing every 2 hours. i nursed my little one every 30min for 40min each time. she did poop after each feeding too, sometimes on me...lol

Actually, it sounds like he's doing great! He might be "cluster feeding." It is very common for 3 week olds to hit a growth spurt. They feed and feed and feed, because they are preparing your body to make more milk because they are about to grow and will need more. It can be a challenging time for Momma, because you don't get a break, but it is totally normal.

I also gave our son a bottle of formual one night because he just fed and fed for almost 3 hours. I thought my nipples were going to fall off!!! My husband suggested I take a break, and he gave him a bottle of formula. He slept for a few hours and fed again, but I did feel better after that break.

Your supply is probably fine. LIke I said, he's just preparing your body for the fact that he's about to need more. Keep nursing him as much as possible, because that's what will ensure you have a good supply. Serioulsy though, who doesn't need to give their boobs a break once in a while. I bottle here or there isn't going to hurt anyone.

Keep doing what you're doing, and hang in there! You're doing great!

Having been through this, I'll share with you what helped me through it: THIS IS NORMAL. We don't see a lot of exclusively breastfed babies, so we think that this isn't normal and that it means we aren't producing enough milk. That is NOT what it means. Babies like to eat a lot and very frequently. Stick with it mama! I'd advise you to not to formula - it's a slippery slope because you'll start producing less and less the more you feed formula. Babies go through growth spurts every few weeks during those first couple of months, and during those times it can be very frustrating because it just feels like you aren't making enough. But you're making the perfect amount! Let baby nurse as much as he wants and as much as you can stand it. Use a baby carrier to hold baby close the rest of the time and that should help soothe him between feedings. I help match people with the correct baby carrier, so feel free to contact me through www.CarryMeBabyCarriers.com if you need any help. Good luck!

I second what Dawn said about emptying one breast before offering the second. I know that when I was in the hospital after having my second, the nurses all scolded me for not switching breasts after 15 minutes, and for not nursing on both sides each session. I nursed one side till there was nothing really there, then offered the other, usually he didn't want it, and we started with that second side the next time he was hungry. And boy was he hungry! Some days I just left my shirt off and bra open. :) As he gets older he may get more efficient at nursing, but for now, get comfy and feed him as much as he wants.

You make enough milk! I promise you do!
Drink enough & eat when you are hungry.

If you want to keep breastfeeding you should stop the formula, your body will get used to producing less & less.
Baby will get used to eating more & you have started a cycle that will lead to formula feeding more and breast less.
This is a good way to transition to formula, if that is your plan.

Great breastfeeding advice
http://kellymom.com

Are you giving him both breasts until they are totally empty? Perhaps what you are doing is letting him move to the second breast too soon. That has the front milk that is so easily digestible in it. If you don't let him get that hind milk by having him empty your breast, he misses out on the milk that will hold in his stomach for a while.

It would be better for you to let him finish one breast and then give him the other one at the next feeding, then to give him half one and then half the other.

The more you let him nurse, the more milk you will make. But... if you have another child to take care of, if you are trying to work, if you cannot sit for all these hours a day, don't feel bad for supplementing.

The other thing you can try to do is pump after the baby finishes so that you work up your supply that way. Then at some point you can supplement with breast milk instead of formula.

Good luck!
Dawn

I think he is normal. He is getting bigger an dneeding more milk, but you will adjust to him if you keep nursing (if you give formula, your supply will actually decline). If your supply is low, I am obviously all for formula, but for now I would just feed on demand and let your body adjust. This may happen every few weeks while he is really little. See a lactation consultant may help too sinc ethey will do a weigh-feed-weigh to see how many ounces he is consumning.

Congrats and enjoy your new baby. I nursed mine for 13 and 18 months respectively and miss it - even though they are 4 and 7 :)

Babies usually have a growth spurt around 3 weeks old, also 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and a year. This is to increase your milk supply. He may seem like he wants to nurse constantly during a growth spurt. Just keep nursing! Giving formula will take away from your body's ability to produce an adequate supply.

Hi there! Don't think that your body isn't producing enough milk. When your baby cries, even though you've just fed her, just put her back on the breast. She is building your milk supply and that's how they do it - essentially she's preparing you for the next growth spurt, for the quantity of milk she'll need then. Don't sabotage your supply with formula. You'll see it will take a few weeks to establish a good routine but right now your baby is growing faster than ever so it will seem as if you are constantly nursing. Don't worry, that will pass! Best of luck! You are doing a great job!!

Yes, newborns eat every 1.5-2 hours from the start of the last feeding, and when feedings can take 30-45 minutes, it may seem like you are always nursing. That is because you are literally feeding every 1.5 hours ;-) Perfectly normal. They should be able to go 3 hours by 3 months, 4 by 4 months, etc. This is during the day, they can easily go longer at night when they are sleeping.

Try eating oatmeal before bed and pumping in between feedings. I was able to breastfeed twins until they were almost 2 by doing that. Of and you can also get fenugreek supplements at your local health food store.

You are doing great! Stay away from formula if you want to continue to solely breast feed. If you feel that he is gaining weight and you see that he is having 8, I think, wet diapers a day then he is fine. As far as the poop goes, mine pooped all of the time when I was just breast feeding them. I tpasses through their systems much easier than formula. Oh, and the feeding time is just fine. These kiddos are so new that they are still trying to figure it out and they are just too little to vacuum you down in 10 minutes. Give that a few months and your kiddo will pick up speed!

AND , if you want a break and don't want to do formula, then pump a bottle so that DH can give you a break occasionally. The formula isn't bad if you plan on using both types but if you want to only BF you have to stay away from it, I think.