Ok. First one: How do I keep her awake longer than 10 - 15mins so she feeds longer? This seems to be one of the reasons shes feeding so often (every 30 - 45mins) because she's not getting enough.
Second: Can I (or should I say) is it too early to maybe try expressing off the foremilk and trying to get her only having the hind milk? If so, how much should I be expressing off?
Will this help her to settle more during the night? I know shes little and we are still getting into routine but I don't want to get into the routine of feeding her to sleep and having her only go to sleep if shes cuddled up to me.
Can help with the first one, feed her in only a singlet and nappy so she is a bit cooler and not all snuggly and warm, she will learn that it's feeding not sleeping time. Also play while changing sides and burping, tickle and sing to wake her up again. This is what the hospital had me do with both my girls as they would always fall asleep too soon.
I think you just need to give her a little bit more time. A couple of weeks, maybe. She's already in the habit of feeding and cuddling to sleep - that's what she did for 9 months before being born. She'll grow out of it.
I don't think you need to express off foremilk - actually it's a good thing to get that first. It quenches thirst and gives babies a sugar hit to keep them going. I guess you do the usual things like taking clothes off, wet washers, burp and change sides?
Gently tickling/stroking their cheek or underneath the chin will help keep the sucking reflex going. Both foremilk and hindmilk are very important for such a new baby so I wouldn't recommend expressing. DS used to do the same falling asleep thing as a newborn I'd do my best to keep him awake as long as possible but found it didn't really work, he'd still wake frequently regardless. I conceded defeat and just fed him whenever he woke (sometimes it felt like he was permanently attached!) and after a few months he settled into a pretty good routine with no pushing at all from me. Breastfeeding is bloody hard work but it'll pay off in the end
Last edited by allycat06; June 8th, 2010 at 09:12 PM.
While it's exhausting in those first few weeks, it's not unusual to need to feed a newborn baby so frequently. Their tummies are so tiny and empty so quickly that they're never really "full". All this feeding is establishing your supply, and teaching her how to feed. She's probably still exhausted and overwhelmed from her transition to the outside.
I second the pps' advice to try to encourage her to learn the difference between day and night, but this is a journey that won't be fixed with a quick solution, I'm afraid. Just make sure you are able to sleep when she sleeps. Have you considered co-sleeping at all? I could get quite a bit of sleep in the first few weeks of Tom's life particularly, because he would just stay on the boob and I'd just go to sleep.
I know how tiring it is breastfeeding round the clock at the start :hugs: but I also think that you need to just let things be at this stage and try and go with the flow (don't worry about expressing I mean).
She is still so tiny, and at this stage it's best for her and your supply if you can just let her do her thing. There's no guarentee that changing things up is going to make her settle longer at night anyway.
Down the track maybe experiment a bit more if you are concerned about always feeding/snuggling her to sleep, but at this stage she needs you and your delicious milkshakes x
A few questions. Never had these issues with DD1
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