I know this is an old thread but I can really relate to what is talked about here. The conflicting advice is annoying. When I had DD we had skin to skin for a few hours and she had her first feed during that time so off to a good start. They would always ask me on the ward the times we fed and made notes. I would comment about her extended sleeping, she certainly never woke hourly or two hourly for a feed. No one commented I wasn't feeding her enough and the push was 'feed on demand' so whenever she woke up I would feed her. I went home and had two midwifes come to the home for the post natal care. Worrying about how often to feed and the fact my DD was a good sleeper from the outset (4hr blocks not uncommon), I kept a diary of start and finish times. Both midwives said it was fine. MCHN came for the first visit a week later and she said same thing. I 'fed on demand' which was every time she woke up but because she slept a lot we were only feeding about 6 times a day but for long times (40-60min). With each midwife, I was asked about dirty nappies and I told them every second day which was aparently fine (she had lots of poos the first few days but once the moconium passed things slowed down). So I continued to do what I did because so many people told me no probs. I even had a pregnancy LC visit at the hospital but in that time no one talked about how often and how long to feed a baby and how many wet or dirty nappies. I had a LC visit a week after she was born and because the visit was about attachment, how often to feed was never discussed.
So imagine my horror when 2-3 weeks later I was on the ABA web site reading how babies should feed 8-12 times a day (with 10+ being average!!!) with 3-4 dirty nappies. I rang the hotline and they said I hadn't been feeding enough and she had to have that many dirty nappies. So in a panic I rang MCHN for an extra appointment and ended up there in tears, guilty and worrying I had been under feeding and lack of pooh and was told and reassured again everything was fine (small weight gains but no losses). She suggested I wake 3 hourly during the day and let her go at night so now at 6w I'm still doing this. I STILL DONT KNOW what the right answer is. I feel like a fool and embarrassed. I am still confused. Even with waking 3hourly during the day when I put her down after last feed say 8-10pm she will wake around 2-4am for a feed and then not again until anywhere between 7-9am so taking those large blocks into account in the 24hr period, with daytime wakes we are still only averaging about 6-8 feeds. The MCHN said it is normal for a BF baby to not pooh for days but I had read in their first month they should pooh 3-4times/day and it was then normal for them not to after the first month but she disagreed with that. I have since had another appointment (with a different nurse) and showed her my feeding diary and she again says it all looks 'great'.
I still doubt myself and what I'm doing and my DD is 6w !!! I still dont know what the right answer is but based on everything I've read I'm not feeding her enough but based on everything I'm TOLD I am !!!??? I'm going to the Doctor this week and I'm sure I'll have another opinion again. I still feel guilty and wish I could go back in time 6w and start all over again with having read about feeding 8-12 times 3/4 dirty nappies then I could of discussed this with the LC. I'm trying to get another LC appointment so will yet again discuss it with someone else for their 2c.
Hi. The conflicting advice does make it difficult -what is a newmum to think? Te me, what has her growth rate been like? Usually babies don't thrive on just 6 feeds - some do but most need more feeds. And several poos a day is more common in a newborn.
She was born 3300 gms.
Lost 240gms day 3.
Day 5 hadn't lost, hadn't gained.
Day 12 gained 60gms (3120 total weight).
Day 20 gained another 195gms (3315 total).
Day 27 gained 75gms (total 3390 gms).
5 weeks gained 140gms (total 3530 gms)
Now 6 weeks .. not due for weigh for 3 more weeks. Going to see if I can find a local Chemist to weigh her inbetween or see if the Doctors have scales.
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