Breast milk not as filling?

[rania]

I think I will ask the community nurse today about a lactation consultant. I did meet with one before the birth, but then her daughter had a baby at the same time as I did so she wasn't around. I've heard from a few people they have found it very useful.

I am very much looking forward to mothers group too, it will be great to get together with other new mums and see how they are going. It's not about comparing for me, as I am so filled with amazing happiness everytime I look at DS, I just like to make sure things are "normal" as I am sure every new mum does.

[Jellybean29]

How long does DS feed for? I found when my DS was 3 weeks I had to leave him on the boob for sometimes 45-1hr for him to really drain the breast and feel full and sleep. Community nurses and midwifes are okay, but in my situation they just gave me too much conflicting advice and most of it wasn't helpful or was outdated/incorrect. You are much better to either ring the ABA or see a lactation consultant

[rania]

He is hard to get latched on when he is hungry, a friend suggested giving him about 20ml of formula first to take the edge off so he is not so desperate when he wakes. This seems to work with the latching on, since he was fussing and crying and getting himself in such a state initially it was an ordeal for us both. Once he is on, he is generally feeding for maybe 20-30 mins. By that time he is usually fussing about and I *think* he is done.
I'll definitely get onto the lactation consultant idea, it sounds like a really good way to go. I do find I am hearing different things from every different professional I see (in hospital as well as the community nurse). It will be a relief to talk to someone who specialises in bf.

[Jellybean29]

Rania, my baby was very small by day 3, (2.4kg) and my boobs were enormous and he was very hungry because my milk was late coming in after my c/s. HOWEVER I EXPRESSED milk, about 20ml, and then he was much easier to latch on. This is also what the lactation consultant said to do. You are 100000% better off expressing out 20ml instead of giving DS 20ml of formula. The formula in a bottle is not helping DS learn to latch and its not helping your supply xo

Also, he may just need a good burp if he is 'fussing' about, try burping and then putting him back on the same side. When they are young (and even now) a feed for me 90% of the time resulted in a sleepy "milk drunk" baby after 40min

[rania]

Ohh I hadn't even thought of expressing and giving it to him in the bottle ! That's a great idea. He is due to wake soon so I might try that with him instead of forumla. I've only seen him mikl drunk after formula (and it is ohh so cute), but it might just be that it takes longer on the breast than on the bottle and I might not be letting him go for long enough.

[Jellybean29]

Ohh I hadn't even thought of expressing and giving it to him in the bottle ! That's a great idea. He is due to wake soon so I might try that with him instead of forumla. I've only seen him mikl drunk after formula (and it is ohh so cute), but it might just be that it takes longer on the breast than on the bottle and I might not be letting him go for long enough.

Also, when your boobs are really full, expressing off the watery foremilk will mean that when he latches on he gets more of the fatty, filling hindmilk. The more hindmilk, the fuller he'll be and the more 'milk drunk' and sleepy. If your boobs are heaps full he may just be gulping skinny foremilk then getting full of gas and fussing. Hence why he seems 'hungry' again quickly.
A lactation consultant can help explain the foremilk/hindmilk balance and how to work those boobies

AND expressing first means you get the milk flowing for him, so when he latches on its already ready to go, which really helps when you have an unsettled hungry baby. Express and then when you have a drop on your nipple, go to latch him on, giving him a 'taste'.

[DANNIIM]

I was also told by my LC with DS2 that you can expect to drop one top up bottle a week that way your supply has a chance to adjust. Depending on how many top up bottles your giving your baby of course.

[emc2]

Child Health gave me the most conflicting and incorrect advice on both kinds of feeding, they seem to be really clueless.