Hi,

What great advice you have already gotten on this forum. There's no doubt, being a new mum is a REALLY tough gig. I work all day, every day with new mums, either in a paid capacity or a volunteer one. What I see is mums struggling to do the best they possibly can for their child. No-one makes the decision lightly to stop breastfeeding. In my experience, women who do stop feel that they are doing the best thing they can for their baby. Who could ask more of any woman? If that is the decision you ultimately make, please don't feel guilty about the decision.

But, as others have said, it is early days. Is she back to her birthweight yet? What have her wet and dirty nappies like? These things will tell you if she is getting enough. Babies are hardwired to suck. They love it. They suck when they are hungry, they suck when they are tired. Even the littlest baby knows that if mamma's nipple is in her mouth, she aint goin no-where, and heaven for a baby is hanging out in mamma's arms. Though I'm not much into clock watching, research shows that babies get the biggest quantity in the first 10 mins or so after letdown. So she probably doesn't NEED to be feeding for 1-2 hrs straight at a time.. If it's driving you nuts, you are quite within your rights to limit feeds. Mums often notice that the baby seems asleep at the breast, and then when you go to take them off they make a grap for it and suck as though their life depends on it! But, if she has been on for a while, take her off, burp her and give her the other side. Sometimes babies need to be cuddled and snuggled to go to sleep.

Please get some help, as others have suggested, from ABA or an LC. It is worth while. In our society the bottle is often held out as the answer to all a mothers' problems. And it is so tempting! But babies are babies and the bottle does not change them. Often a baby who feeds poorly on the breast will feed poorly on a bottle. They often still wake, and then the mother regrets that she didn't recieve more help in the first place.

If you really feel like the bottle is the only otion left, many mothers find that giving some bottle, esp at night when everyone is a bit tired and over it changes things. Breastfeeding becomes more manageable and less of a burden. Others can do it sometimes. Then, when you get a break and consider everything again, you can still build up your supply and continue to breasteed. So many people think baby feeding has to be one thing or another - but it doesn't.

Warm Regards
Barb