Help with BF my 4mth old

Hi,

This is my 6th child that I have BF but I have only ever made it to 12weeks with the other kids or less. But with the other I normally had big bleeds at birth and my body was every run down.

But this time I was fine after birth and we have BF exclusive till this Tuesday. On Tuesday I took my son for his needles and to be weighed and measured he was 7.05kg and 67cm long. He is a big boy. But about 4 weeks ago he weighed 7.1kg. My doctor was a little concern that his stats had dropped off a bit.

I told her I feed him for 20-25mins a time (If her doesn't finish by then I take him off) I think he would stay there all day if I let him I occasionally let him go longer up to 37mins. He only feeds from one breast. And then he feeds every hour to hour and half. My doctor said that is not normal. And that I could top him up with formula bottles or offer him solids. I don't want to give him bottles if I can help it. So I offered him solids on Tuesday afternoon and every afternoon sense. And he is still feeding the same.

He was sleeping through the night but for the last few weeks he is waking 2 -3 times a night..

I really need some advice on what I should do.. Cause this is wearing me out.. Which can't be helping my supply if that is the problem..

Summah, has his length changed a lot since 4 weeks ago, maybe he just had a growth spurt? It is also very common to start waking through the night again in between 4 and 5 months of age. Does he have heaps of wet nappies? Is he happy? I am no expert on this but just wanted to give you a great big :hug:, it is so hard if you can't see how much they are getting, I hope that Barb pops in soon to give you some great advice.

:hug: hun, around this stage i found DD did feed more often.
Maybe rather than taking him off let him go aslong as he needs, sit him up, give him a burp and offer the 2nd side. Is feeding the whole time or just playing?

it's so hard to know what they want or need, just go with your gut it might be a growth spurt and he just needs that extra cuddle and feed time, could he be teething?

Sorry prob no help at all.. GL

If your baby is growing and doing well otherwise, then you are probably not far off here :hug: A few extra feeds might be all it takes to get the weight gains again and set you back on track.

I have to say, your doctor has given you some pretty crappy advice in regards to breastfeeding :hug:
How many times are you feeding in 24 hours generally? every 1.5 hours sounds very normal to me. How many wet & dirty nappies is your son doing? That is the best indication of how much milk is going in.
There's no reason to stop him feeding after any set length of time. One thing you might want to try is to take him off after 20 minutes or so, burp him, and put him on the other side. Then repeat and back to the first side again, till he's done.
It is very, very common for babies to 'regress' on sleep at this age. It has nothing to do with their milk intake and does not mean they need formula or solids. They tend to go through a developmental stage where they become more aware and and active and may be fussy at the breast. Taking them to a darkened, quiet room to feed may help. You might find they feed more often over night as they are not getting as much during the day (since they are so distracted). It's quite normal and just a phase that will pass.

Unfortunately many people interpret this behaviour as meaning they suddenly don't have enough milk. But that's not the way breastfeeding works. If you feed, you will make milk. Worrying about it also will not affect your supply.

The slow weight gain is always a worry for parents. Has he grown otherwise? More active perhaps? I would suggest first, calling a lactaction consultant for expert advice, and or the ABA (they also may be able to recommend an LC in your area).
Unfortunately many GPs, nurses etc know very little about breastfeeding and will often give quite bad advice. I think it's also important to know that solids at this age will not ensure the same nutrition and calorific intake for your baby as milk will, particularly because the sorts of things we tend to give young babies are very low calorie. More milk is a much better option.

I think all you need here is a little fine tuning and some help from someone with a some expertise, and you'll both be right :hug: You're doing well to follow your baby's cues and your instincts.
Good luck!

Hi,

It can be very worrying when you get that sort of advice from your doctor - especially if your were thinking things were going well (and basically they are)
In the early days many babies are content with one breast. But at some point they probably need both. As others have said, after 20 mins or so (there is no set time) take him off one breast, give him a burp and a nappy change and offer him the other breast at ever feed. You will be astonished at how much of a difference this makes to his weightgain and your milk supply. pretty soon he will be demanding both sides
Interestingly, your baby sounds pretty normal to me. Unfortunately the advice your doctor has given is advice that will lead to premature weaning of your baby.
Early solids are usually not the sort of food that puts meat on your bones - more like what you would eat if you were on a weightloss diet - not a weightgain diet - stewed fruit and rice cereal. He needs more breastmilk - and when he is older he can have normal family foods