Hello everyone,

Hoping someone can help me with some advice or your experiences. DS is three weeks old. He was born two and a half weeks early and the only way I could get him to latch was to use a nipple shield. Last Monday we started feeding with and without them, and now he can latch straight onto the nipple most of the time. I saw a lactation consultant and also started feeding from one breast per feed, only offering the second if he seemed like he wanted it. A number of times he was full from one breast only. Since birth, he has been almost like clockwork and up four-hourly for feeds. With the shields, feeding, changing and settling was take anywhere between 50 minutes and an hour and 15 minutes.

Over the last few days, our feeds and settling times have stretched out to an hour and a half to two hours each - he just sucks and rests at the nipple for ages, and take so long to settle to sleep. He has woken after just 45 minutes of sleep three times today, and looking over my diary from the last couple of days, he has had a few three-hourly feeds too. He wants to feed constantly, but doesn't seem satisfied and is pulling at my nipple very soon after latching. It's like he's starving but can't/won't suck, or like I don't have any milk for him.

I know this sounds like a growth spurt, but the fact that it coincides with the weaning off the nipple shields has me worried and confused. Why were our feeds so quick with the shields, and getting longer without? Why does he latch on, then pull away so distressed almost immediately? Why does he suck for over an hour, and not seem full?

Have to run... DS is asking for attention again!