Help! Baby Wants to Breastfeed 24/7! - Olathe,KS

I highly recommend contacting La Leche League, as others have mentioned. Their leaders are great at listening to your unique situation and helping you to find solutions that work for you. My daughter nursed for an hour at a time, every two hours for the first month or so. Really she spent an hour on the breast and an hour off, then wanted to nurse again. It was a lot of work, but things changed and she started nursing less frequently and it all got a lot easier. I found that going to LLL meetings really helped because it was a place that I could connect with other mothers who had been through what I was dealing with and it was somewhere that I was comfortable breastfeeding in front of others - nobody looks at you like you're crazy if you nurse your baby at a meeting, that's just what everyone does. As for making sure your daughter is getting enough, you can tell by counting wet and poopy diapers and weighing to see that she is gaining well. Talking with a LLL Leader may help you to feel more confident about your daughter thriving on your milk alone.

I hope that some of this helps. It's so great that you are breastfeeding your daughter. She will benefit from every drop she gets.

I agree with the other posters. Babies at that age are supposed to nurse all the time, they're growing very quickly.

I also think you should contact a lactation consultant. Either through Le Leche League, or through the hospital where you delivered, or your OB or daughter's pediatrician should be able to refer you to a lactation consultant

The first few months of nursing are the hardest, it DOES get easier. Like anything it takes practice (for both you and baby).

At this point you will know if your baby is getting enough milk if she is having plenty of wet and dirty diapers, and as long as she isn't losing weight.

I would suggest not supplementing with formula at this point. Breastmilk is created by supply and demand, so the more you breastfeed, the more you will produce for your baby. If you supplement this early you could effect your milk supply.

Your daughter could also have colic or reflux. If she seems uncomfortable or in pain while she's crying you should take her to her pediatrician. The switching back and forth between breastmilk and formula could also be bothering her stomach. If you want to keep using formula, you might want to switch brands and see if that helps.

Good luck, and congrats on your baby and breastfeeding! Don't give up yet, I promise it will get easier! Don't be afraid to ask for help!

Like the other response said, Kellymom is great. Another great source is you local La Leche League, you could go to a meeting or just call a leader. http://www.llli.org/Web/Kansas.html

Also, there is a book that I have heard is great (it isn't appropriate for me) about breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery. It's called Defining your own success by Diana West. Many LLL groups would have it in their free library.

Keep in mind your baby is only 4 weeks old. In a week she'll be 25% older... a lot can change quickly, so if she wants to nurse all the time, it WILL change! Keep doing what is best for both of you!

K.

PS. If you're "sore" from breastfeeding, you might ask your local LLL leader about that too! Breastfeeding shouldn't hurt, it should be EASIER than bottles!

It sounds like your baby is going through a growth spurt.

Output=input is a great thing to remember while breastfeeding. Is she having 6-8 wet diapers a day (cloth) or 5-6 disposable?? Is she having BMs?

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk.html

While I know you said you don't want to breastfeed exclusively, please remember the more breastmilk she gets- the greater her benefits!

At only 4 weeks old, she is still learning the whole process, including the bottle. Not all babies will take a bottle unfortunately. My oldest took one just fine whenever I couldn't nursery and would take a supplement bottle before bed every night. My second would not take a bottle for anything. She nursed every two hours for about 10-15 minutes on one side and then be done. Don't forget to get out those bubbles. A lot of times a baby (especially one that young) thinks that they are hungery because they have bubbles in there tummy. Get a bubble out everytime you switch sides and then if you have just fed her and you think she got enough, try to get out a bubble again. Breastfeeding is a new learning process for both Mommy and baby each time. Also try a pacifier in between feedings. She might just want something to suck on and not necessarily food. You might have to hold it in her mouth for her. Both of mine could not keep it in their mouth by themselves because they would push their tongues forward while sucking but if I held it in for them, it would help between feedings. That is also something that Dad can work with her on. Sometimes if a baby smells mom, they think mom should be feeding them.
As far as your milk supply goes, did you nurse your 2 year old? If you nursed him just fine then don't worry about whether or not you can do it with this one. If you didn't, then as long as she is growing and putting on weight, she is getting enough. I think all moms worry about this whether they have had previous problems or not. If you are producing milk, you should be able to give her enough. Just keep working at it and you will both get it all figured out.

I completely empathize with you!!!
From day one, my little boy was a "barracuda"... all he did was want to nurse (with quite a bit of enthusiasm) and sleep. When the nurses at the hospital came in they all commented, "he's STILL nursing!?!?" and many insisted on taking him to the nursery so that I could get sleep. I didn't let them because I'd read a lot about establishing milk supply depends on the frequency of nursing sessions, and if he was in the nursery instead of with me, my milk would take longer to come in. He nursed so much that my nipples cracked and bled and I could not nurse on one side it hurt so terribly bad. The lactation consultant made her visit the second day and gave me what saved our nursing relationship: a nipple shield.
His frequency of nursing continued for months... I remember feeling the same was as you. Needing a break! All I am is a milk machine... a breathing pacifier... I felt very used up and needing a "makeover". The worst part was that it was around the clock, even at night nursing was necessary atleast every 2 hours. I made due by sleeping with him throughout the day during those first couple of months. The only thing that I could think was, "It's ok... he's sucking away all my pregnancy weight!" and it really did help! I weighed less 3 months post partum than I did before getting pregnant.
We discovered that our son was allergic to milk, and later soy & egg. He screamed most of the day if he was not nursing or asleep (because of something I ate), and could only sleep if held, sometimes we could trick him after he fell asleep and put him in the swing on low. It took a long time to figure out everything... We couldnt even use vegetable oil for cooking (it's 100% soybean oil) or it would hurt him. Lunch meats had milk products in them. Butter & margarine is made with milk or soy. We made a lot of mistakes for many months trying to figure out what I could and couldn't eat. Our attempts with formula were met with very angry cries, and what he did get down hurt him worse than my milk when containing the allergens.
He didn't want a pacifier either. We spent a lot of time holding it and offering it around 2-3 months and he eventually accepted it if he wasn't hungry around 4 months.
Between the constant screaming, feeling used up, and not being able to eat much of anything that I "enjoyed", I was pretty exhausted and probably a good bit depressed.
I know that's a lot of background information but wanted you to see where my suggestions were coming from...
The first thing that I want to point out is that a lot of women get overwhelmed by the frequency of nursing in the beginning, and begin to supplement, and then their doctors tell them that they do not have enough milk supply to be sufficiently nursing exclusively. So then the mother, trying to do what every mother wants to do, ensure her baby gets enough to eat, ends up going 100% formula. I don't think people really communicate realistically how much and how often babies nurse in the beginning and this is why this cycle happens. There is nothing wrong with formula! However, in my opinion, after those first couple of months nursing is SOOOO much easier to breastfeed! No toting around bottles, no cleaning the bottles, no formula runs because you ran out, no worrying about wasting the formula because you're not supposed to keep it but for X amount of time once it's mixed... I'm sure you're already aware of all these things. The real kicker for me is the diapers too... Wow when my son started eating solids it was a turn for the worst in the stink department, I really miss when he didn't smell so bad! lol. So don't think that your baby is nursing too much at this point. She's only 4 weeks old, and she's trying to establish your milk supply. They go through SO many growth spurts very close together in the first few months, and EACH time they're going to nurse like there is no tomorrow. Take into consideration too when others try to tell you that she shouldn't be eating that much/often: some babies have higher metabolisms. Not all babies are the same, as we know, and this is no exception. I'd suspected that my son ate as frequently as he did because of hurting (soothing milk effects initially then the pain of allergens, seek soothing milk again, etc cycle) but later when we started on solids we discovered he was just a voracious eater. At 8 months he ate a plate of speghetti equivalent to what my husband ate and wanted more. He is still this way at 14months, and is thin as a rail though was FAT FAT FAT at 2-10 months (95th percentile weight)! If your baby is thriving through the 2 week and the 1 month check up at the doctor I don't think that your milk supply due to reduction surgery is a problem. I'm not a doctor though either! But the proof is in the baby and if the doctor didn't say... "she's underweight... dehydrated... not thriving..." etc, then I think you're doing a FANTASTIC job as a demanded, yet-to-be-appreciated "milk machine" :). Know that women who have not had that extra complication of worrying about a real reason they may not be producing enough milk, still worry about producing enough milk. You can't SEE or MEASURE it, it makes it hard to feel confidant when the baby is nursing 24/7. It doesn't help if you have friends asking how much your baby eats either, if they formula fed, haha :).
So I just wanted to tell you to hang in there, give it to 2 months, just 4 more weeks, if you can. I think you'll see a nice regulation in frequency that will give you more You Time. You chose to breast feed because you believe it to be a good thing, and I think you'll find that it's well worth it when your finish breast feeding relationship. My son still has not had a single cold or ear infection, and I'm sure it could be luck but perhaps it's due to all those good immunities he sucked away from me! If someone had told me that I would have a baby stuck to my breast for as long as I did before I started I probably would have began with formula off the bat, especially after knowing that I would have to limit my diet to no bread, chocolate, cheese... which meant NONE of my favorite foods. But no one told us that we'd be milk machines and here we are.
And I just re-read your post and found a really big sentence that I initially missed: "I honestly didn't want to breastfeed exclusively, but it appears I don't have a choice."
You certainly do! It's harder to manage both but what the other ladies posted about having someone else feed the bottle is great advice. With my son I felt the need to teach him to drink from a bottle in case I wasn't around, so we pumped and gave him the bottle. At first you had to bounce and walk him while feeding him, quite a sight and difficult to do with two hands. It takes a lot of patience from the feeder. I think it took 3 attempts of this circus act before he would drink more than a couple swallows.
You didn't say that they did, but if your breasts hurt, think about getting a nipple shield. I have read a lot of disapproval about them, regarding nipple confusion and such, but if it makes the difference between you being able to nurse or giving formula, then do it. At 2 1/2 months I took the shield away and had my son nurse without it. At first he was a little confused because it's not as easy to latch on without it, but it didnt take long for him to figure it out. They like their breastmilk :). Get atleast 2 of them, because they manage to disappear sometimes.
And you also didn't mention how your little girl acts during the times she's not nursing/sleeping... but keep your eyes open for possible allergic reactions to your milk. I wish someone had told me to consider it sooner!
Sorry the post is so long! I wish I could help and all I have are words. Let us know what happens in the next few weeks :).

C.,

I'm sure I'll get some flack for this - but I would be a little leary of contacting La Leche League given your circumstances and desire to put the baby on a bottle. They are a very hard core breast only group. I had a consultant in the hospital that told me I may not feel very supported there and might want to find another consultant that would be more along the lines of my thinking (my son had to have a bottle right away in the hospital for medical reasons)so we were doing both breast and formula. The good news is there are other lactation consultants out there. You could ask your pediatrician or call the hospital where you delivered to get suggestions. Best of luck to you - these early months are very tiring.

J.

My daughter was the same way, with the exception she would occasionally take a bottle. She would nurse on each side for 20 minutes, then an hour and half later (around the clock) want to nurse again. She was only content when she was sleeping or nursing. I was sore, I was tired, but I stuck with it. She did not latch on good until after she was about 7 weeks old. I would cry because it hurt so bad every time she would nurse, one side was way worse than the other. We saw the lactation specialist at the hospital and she helped some. I was determined that this was what I was going to do and I stuck with it. It did turn out that she had a mild case of reflux and the doc put her on zantac for 3 months and it worked wonders, we could stretch feedings out a bit and she did not cry all the time.

However, my daughter, and it might be the case with yours, is very "mommy" oriented. Always has been. When she is awake and happy and playing, there is no one like Daddy. But let her get tired or not feel well and it is totally mommy. I work 4 days a week and she is constantly asking where mommy is. At night, I get maybe 4 to 6 hours sleep, I am up with her. She wants to be with Mommy. I try not to get annoyed and just enjoy it. I know it will not last forever.

Love your baby, enjoy this time with her and keep seeking help, call the hospital, Le Leche League, friends. Sleep alot when she is sleeping. Use lanonlin on your nipples, get the gel pads for them, they are awesome and are sold at most pharmacies.I think they are called lilly pads.

~K.~

C.,

I have had 5 grown children and nursed all of them, I know at first you do seem to feel that is all you get done! But take the time to bond with your baby and relax, relax, relax! As others have said if your baby is gaining weight then it is ok that she wants to nurse. If you are sore there are a couple of things to think about, one is are the nursing pads you are using keeping your nipples from being damp? And then think about the various creams that are out there to keep you from becoming sore.

I do not remember the brand name of the nursing pads and cream, however, Wal-Mart carries them and they are in a purple and green colored box. These worked great for my daughter and daughter-in-laws when they nursed!

My daughter did talk to a lactation specialist at her OB and it helped her a lot with one of her babies because he had colic and cried a lot. She wondered if he was getting enough milk too, so it is a common fear of nursing mothers!

Hang in there and do check with La Leche as they were great and have been around many years, even when I nursed my kids they were a big help as it was not the popular thing to do then. The support is great!

P.S. NONE of my children would take a bottle! Some babies don't like the difference in the plastic nipples. Try the tri-cut platex nipple it worked best for my daughter. Hang in there, it will get easier.

My son was just like when he was a newborn. I felt like all I did was nurse him constantly! Is your daughter drinking the milk or is she just using you as a pacifier? Maybe you should consider using a pacifier and see if she'll take it. She just may want to suck, rather than eat. If she takes the pacifier, then try the bottle next and you will probably have better luck. I agree with all the other responses, make sure she is having enough wet diapers and is gaining weight. Hang in there, I'm sure it will get better for you and your daughter soon! Take care, V.

I breastfed two of my four for 13 months. I am going to say that either she is using you for a pacifier or you are not making enough milk. At that age, if she is falling asleep and then you take her off and she is waking up upset its gone, the probability is she is using you for a pacifier. Try different pacifiers, its REALLY hard to find a good one when they are used to the breast. Call the hospital you had her at and ask for suggestions. If she has had blood work recently and they has come back normal, she is getting enough nutrition. She will wear you down if you don't find something. Mine did the same thing and its so tiring.

I understand. My second son nursed for 60 minutes every two hours for the first six months of his life. Then we stared the solid foods and he moved to nursing for 3o mintues every 3 hours. No bottles no matter what we tried.
This will get better!!! Talk to your peditrican. Is your daughter growing? Would solid foods help? When can you start them?
Good luck and try the LLL

Have you contacted your local la leche league??? I am sure they will have some wonderful advice for you. There are also creams and such out there to help with the soreness of your nipples. When you aren't nursing, try leaving the "flaps" of your nursing bra down...so that your nipples are more exposed to the air and have a chance to dry out and "toughen up". So many mothers who would love to nurse and have trouble with their baby not wanting to latch on would be jealous of your "problem"...lol. Just enjoy that precious little girl...my "baby" is 24 years old now and I still have wonderful wonderful memories of the quiet times that she and I had together as she nursed. My oldest daughter is nursing her 8 month old son right now and has done a lot of research into breast feeding...if you would like to get in contact with her...please contact me and I will be more than happy to arrange that. ____@____.com
R. Ann

Yes, that is what babies tend to do. She probably won't like the formula at first if you are breastfeeding because breastmilk tastes better. It has a much sweeter taste and it is warm. The other thing is the nipple, which someone already mentioned. My son would just play with it and it took him forever to finally drink from it because it just wasn't the same as the breast. If you are adimant on supplementing then you need to set aside a feeding that you are going to supplement and have your husband feed her. It could take several tries before she gets it. I would recommend supplementing more on a schedule so that your supply can stay on a regular schedule. Because if you skip breastfeedings your supply is going to regulate itself accordingly and then the next day you won't have enough to feed. So it is important that the feeding is done regularly. When she does go through growth spurts you will also want to breastfeed more so your supply will go up or you will end up having to supplement more and more and eventually you will be exclusively formula feeding. If you are okay with exclusively breastfeeding and are just worried about her getting enough nutrition you could try an herbal supplement called Goats Rue sold by Mothers Love. It is specially formulated for mothers that have had breast reductions by stimulating the mammary tissue so they can successfully breastfeed. http://www.motherlove.com/product_goats_rue.php

You could also try a Lactation Aid. It is a way to supplement without using artificial nipples. This will get her to possibly take the formula and spread out her feedings but won't get her to take a bottle.

Hope this helped and wasn't too confusing.

Have you tried breastflow bottles? My daughter would only use them, while she was still breast feeding. It has a two nipple system that simulates a breast. They are only available at Babies r us around here, but you can also order them from target.com and walmart.com. Hope this helps.

I am nursing my 3rd baby now. She is turning a year old on Saturday and she has been exclusively breatfed. When I was at this point with my daughter I went to a lactation consultant I will never regret this. I was in so much pain during and after Stricklyn would nurse. I had a yeast infection in my breast which was past on to her (thrush), we were medicated and got better. The other thing is that where everyone says to breastfeed all the time..basically anytime their little mouths are open, I did not do this. I friend of mine told me to nursery every 2 1/2 hours. So I did. My milk flow regulated. Stricklyn became more content and she bonded with her pacifer (which she really didn't care for) Studies show that the paci is a SIDS reducer too. So you can't really go wrong. Unless you let them use it until they are 5!
Hope this helps. Breastfeeding is amazing.
Also to encourage you. I didn't nurse my oldest and to compare him with my girls, my girls really were healthier little babies.

Another thought--have you had her weighed recently? While I agree with the below posters that breast feeding is awesome, you do need to know that your breast reduction may be contributing to the amount of milk that you are producing. If your baby isn't growing well, then you might have to think about other options. Just a thought.

i read briefly through the advice you have gotten. i know so many women have gone through similar experiences and there can be so many different factors involved. i had a similar experience with my dtr (who is now 3) and for her the marathon nursing was because she had acid reflux. if your daughter is sleeping well on her back, not screaming or doesn't appear in pain (you didnt mention those symptom) or spitting up more then usual then most likely it isn't. but just thought it was info worth passing along.

I agree that if she is gaining weight, she is getting enough milk. And I also agree that when the baby is so young it does seem like all you do is nurse. Oh gosh, how I remember those days ! I was blessed enough to not have any pain ......... my doctor had clued me in early on in the pregnancy about how to condition my nipples by rubbing a dry wash cloth over them several times per day, and going without a bra when ever possible so the cloth from my shirt would rub them also, and it really helped to toughen them up. But, I do remember crying because I felt that all I did was sit around all day with my blouse open and a baby attached. I was so unhappy. It does pass quickly, though. Believe it or not, you will miss these days.
Now, that having been said ....... if you really want to make a success of getting your baby to take a bottle, here are two things that may help.
1. Find a bottle that uses nipples that are soft, and shaped similarly to your own so they feel more natural to her.
2. Someone else will have to feed her the bottle, and you must stay out of the room, and preferably out of the house while she is being fed.
When your daughter sees or hears you, she thinks it is time to be fed. You are what she wants, so she is not going to settle for anything else as long as she can see or even hear you. She has to feel there is no alternative but that bottle if she is going to get her empty tummy filled, otherwise she will hold out for you only.
Then, whomever is the one to give her the bottle just needs to have patience, and work with her. Tell them to not get upset at her cries. She is not hurting, she is only angry and frustrated.

I hope that helps.
If all that fails, all I can say is check with your doctor for something to sooth your sore nipples, and hang in there, because she will eventually get to where she nurses less frequently, and is a bit more scheduled. I know that seems like forever from now, but it really isn't.
I'm sorry this is so hard on you right now. I really do sympathize.