Sleep routine advice needed!!

[Pensta]

Forgive me if this topic has been covered in another thread and if it has I would apppreciate advice on the thread's location

I gave birth to little Blake 4 weeks ago. The poor cherub was quite jaundiced at birth and hence was a sleepy baby. Added to this was a poor milk supply on my part so I have been seeing the breast feeding clinic at King Edward Hospital for the past 4 weeks. The BFC advised 3 hourly routine feeding which I stuck to for the first 4 weeks. However, Blake's performance on the breast hasn't improved so the clinic suggested to switch to demand feeding, which I did yesterday and consequently Blake was awake from 11pm to 5am

So, I have decided to switch back to the daily routine of him sleeping no more than 2.5 hours between feeds with 3 hourly feeds and at night demand feed.

Does this seem sensible? Or am I about to plunge into something worse?

Any advice is muchly appreciated as my sleep deprivation is causing me to get up and try and open my alarm clock (?) and make coffee with no coffee

Thank you

Penny and little Blake

[GIDGET]

Hi Penny,

Sounds so familiar.

I had a sleepy baby for the first few weeks who would not wake for feeds and consequently had trouble establishing a supply.

At the time, I think my advice was to feed at least every 3 hours. I did this during the day and demand fed at night, so I think you are on the right track. Bubba woke up after 4 weeks so it was pure demand feeding after that!

I also expressed to try and establish a supply - good thing was that eventually I got enough for a feed so when I was so completely exhausted and just had to go to bed DH could take over and do a feed just so I could get a break!

Good luck with it all, and I hope you get some sleep.

GIDGET

[Pensta]

Thanks for that Gidget. Its good to know that despite lack of sleep my instincts to routine feed during the day and demand feed at night have been supported! I have to wake Blake up during the day to feed and I feel so guilty for doing it, but its the only way to establish a pattern where he will sleep at night.

I'm expressing like there is no tomorrow, my pump is my new best friend *lol* How sad am I?

Actually I saw Oprah yesterday and there was a lady on who gave birth to sextuplets. She breast fed (by ebm) all of the sextuplets until they were 6 months. She said she was expressing up to 50-60 bottles of milk per day. Astounding.

Penny

[GIDGET]

HI Penny

Yes, I remember the guilt and feeling really bad about waking bubs for feeds but because bubs was so sleepy I had to do it.

Has Blake woken up yet? It will happen!!!

I wish I could feed sextuplets - that's awesome. Imagine how much she must have eaten to keep up that supply! Did she lose the baby weight? Me, I am one of those unfortunate women who did not lose an ounce while breastfeeding!!!

GIDGET

[Barb Glare]

Hi, Pensta,

It sounds like you are doing a great job, though you've been having a challenging time. You aren't setting yourself up for anything, sounds like your little-one is not ready for demand feeding yet - he still needs a little help from mummy to sort out his feeding and sleep

Warm Regards
Barb

[Pensta]

Hi

Thought I would provide an update to what Master Blake has been up to. After another night of no sleep and with me getting quite distressed I rang the BFC at KEMH and spoke to one of the wonderful staff members there. We talked about how I bottle feed Blake almost 100% now using EBM. Once I told her her this she advised that I should be using a dummy as bottle fed babies need to suck on something Well, I thought I would be in for another training session for Blake but low and behold!!! He took to that dummy like a duck to water.

I have had two nights where he has slept until 12 midnight, then 3am then awake at 7am. He doesn't sleep much during the day now (understandably) but it was the nights I was concerned about.

I use the dummy when he is agitated and quite clearly needing to suck. When he is calm, there is no need to use the dummy.

Blake's dad is happy, I'm happy and Blake is happy.

I have set up a dummy shrine in the corner of my lounge room and pay regular homage to it!




Penny

[Pensta]

Yes, I remember the guilt and feeling really bad about waking bubs for feeds but because bubs was so sleepy I had to do it.

Has Blake woken up yet? It will happen!!!

I wish I could feed sextuplets - that's awesome. Imagine how much she must have eaten to keep up that supply! Did she lose the baby weight? Me, I am one of those unfortunate women who did not lose an ounce while breastfeeding!!!

Gidget

See my other reply, hopefully I think my problem may be resolved (fingers crossed)

I didn't think about how much that lady on Oprah must have been eating, but you're right! I was told that a breastfeeding session is equivalent to running 25kms - hence the reason why some women lose weight and why they advise women not to get solidly back into hard core exercise while still breast feeding. I'm with you - I haven't lost anything, despite being hooked up to my EBM machine 24/7.

Penny