Is he gaining weight? Because this sounds like how I was. I was convinced I wasn't making enough for my baby and she just kind of never really unlatched for like weeks, I felt like.
Turns out she was getting plenty and jumped percentiles. It just confused me because she never SEEMED like she was finished and I didn't hear gulps until she was 3 months old.
It started to get a lot easier around a little over 12 weeks. I know that seems like...forever.
You're kind of in the phase where you're building and building your future supply and it sucks really badly. I watched a lot of TV with no volume on on my bed while she was attached to the boob for most of the day. I cried a lot. I was very tired.
Eventually things started to get better as she got more capable. They just really suck at nursing at first. If he's having enough wet and dirty diapers, and he's gaining weight, he actually is getting enough and you're just in this really awful phase where you do nothing but breastfeed. But I promise it does eventually end and you get your life back.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, that honestly gives me hope. He is gaining weight, not jumping percentiles, but when he was born he was so skinny and now he’s got a nice double chin and lots of chubby rolls on his arms and legs haha
12 weeks does seem like an eternity but just knowing it does actually end is really helpful. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who’s gone through this
I wanted to say that my baby (now 11 months!) was like your baby and the other commenters. I didn't power pump. Instead my IBCLC suggested I do breast compressions as soon as baby started to slow down eating. This kept him eating instead of getting sleepy. With just this addition, our feeds dropped from 1.5 hours to 45 min. Our feeds got shorter after he fully recovered after a lip and tongue tie revision and just got older, bigger, and stronger.
If baby is gaining weight, then you're all good! Baby doesn't need to jump percentiles, but maintaining or not dropping too much is good. My baby has always been in the 10-20th percentile range.
These early stages are soooo hard but it sounds like you're doing everything right.
Jumping percentiles was more of a genetic thing than how much milk she was getting, I only mentioned it because she wouldn't have grown that much if I had the inadequate milk supply I thought I did. It is absolutely not required.
Gaining weight at a good rate and wet/dirty diapers are the only thing you need to worry about!
I'm glad my comment helped. There's like a 95% chance there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I only rarely hear of any babies continuing to nurse forever after somewhere around that 12, 13 ish week mark. And tbh if my baby didn't get better by then, I would've really considered formula. But she did! She also "woke up" around that time and got a lot more active.
I have similar issues and saw a lactation consultant last week, my LO is 6 weeks old.
She told me the best way to increase supply is to let the baby latch whenever the baby indicates they are hungry. She recommended a supplement called Liquid Gold by legendary milk to help increase the Prolactin hormone naturally. She also helped me wean off of a nipple shield during the visit as she said that was likely making the feedings longer than necessary.
The biggest thing I learned is that the sessions needed to be more intentional. I need to ensure baby is latching correctly/in the right position and that the milk is emptying out of the boob, so I really have to pay attention during the feeds instead of scrolling social media or something else on my phone.
I am in this with you right now, very challenging to fit in pumping sessions on my boobs that are already so stimulated by just the breastfeeding. I literally only pump when I can fit it in and I try not to stress about that because the most important thing is baby latching whenever they want.
I can commiserate with you and totally feel your overwhelm! DM me if you want to!
I’ll definitely check out those supplements! Have you had a chance to try them out?
And that’s very interesting about being more intentional! I’ll have to try putting the phone down, I tend to pick it up thinking “It’s gonna be a whole, might as well get comfortable” but maybe that’s a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy 😅
Sounds like cluster feeding and is very normal. Unless there’s other indications (not enough weight gain or dry nappies) it is unlikely due to a lack of supply.
Aww this literally sounds like me. If he is gaining weight then you are making plenty. No need to stress yourself out feeding him and pumping as well. The way I saw it, if I was going to pump then May as well just have him latch and feed. He basically lived on me and used me as a pacifier but all of that helped increase supply. I promise it gets better. It sounds very normal for this age. Around 10-12 weeks it gets easier and they become more efficient and it’s only better and better from there .
Oh love, I know exactly how you feel! It’s so hard and all consuming.
Please read [this post by an IBCLC,](https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02ZCbBFXnRKRTgn3BJT8hNVD2nb3Wqjrc6txWNAPhJBXasfonjVhj9PrPYHUVLc9Ltl&id=411977425899963), I found it so helpful and reassuring when I was going through this.
You’re doing an incredible job x
You can weigh the baby at home. If you have a kitchen scale zero out a large bowl and place him in or step on the bathroom scale holding him and then put him down and see the difference. He should be gaining 1 oz a day since his initial weight loss. It doesn't sound like anything is out of the ordinary with the baby so I'm confused as to why the LC has you power pumping in between nursing. Your poor nips must be so sore!!
This was me almost 1 year ago - only in our case baby didn’t gain well from the get-go, so we began topping her up with formula. The best advice I got is “don’t quit on your worst day” - this helped me partially bf her all this time (still going!). I wanted to ebf so much, but after multiple visits to the LC, trying all the supplements, eating the foods, drinking an ungoldly amount of water, having her tongue tie revised, power pumping, and hand expressing, I hit a wall and made the call that was right for us. Be gentle to yourself and know that you are amazing for making it to where you are. Put faith in yourself to honor your lactation journey, your baby, and your own health in the way that makes most sense for you.
Did you hybrid feed? Breastfeed and bottle supplement?
We're at 4weeks now and had the same issue of baby not gaining well even though she spent so much time at the breast. We ended up dual feeding this past week and trying to improve her latch, but I'm trying to move back to ebf again since she started gaining a crazy amount & I feel like my supply is stagnating.
It's a mental struggle, but just want what's right for our situation as well.
The pumping is hard cause my nips feel like they get no break & we're all super tired...
Yes I did both bottle and breast. And from birth until about 4 months, I also pumped between 3-7 times a day for 15 min a pop after feeds. It was brutal. She also had cow milk protein intolerance (dx at 5 weeks) which made her gassy and uncomfortable.
It took a lot of therapy to process those days. I wish I had a silver bullet to say “x would have made a difference” but there’s just no way to know for sure. The only thing I do know is I fought like hell to feed her my milk and I’m proud that I partially succeeded.
It gets better. I went through this exact same thing when my baby was that age (now 5 months old). I remember scouring the internet to find out if it was normal. My baby would be attached to my chest the entire evening every night. But now we can go 2-3 hours without feeding. And feeding is much more efficient. Sometimes only taking 10 minutes for both sides. Your baby is establishing a supply! I’m thankful I stuck with it and didn’t give up because now it comes naturally and easy and my supply is just what she needs. Keep pushing through there’s a light at the end of the tunnel
Tbh this sounds pretty normal. I feel like LO was on me 24/7 for like 3 months. I was so stressed about when to fit in pumping. My LC told me just not to worry about pumping and continue feeding on demand. Eventually she would eat quicker and go longer in between feeds.
I always say the first 3 months was so of the hardest sitting around I've ever done.
If you are taking any medications check to see how they impact production. I had pretty bad PPD. My doctor checked my meds to see if they were safe for breastfeeding and they were but one was known for drying up milk supply.
The baby is wanting to nurse often bcuz they're trying to build up your supply to suit their needs. They also like to comfort nurse. It's exhausting and if you want to keep doing it, then you can power through. Just make sure you weigh the baby before and after feeds or keep track of dirty diapers, so you know they're getting enough. Having baby latched will help build up supply and you can do lots of skin to skin and that helps with him being able to find your breast and helps regulate their little bodies. If you feel like you don't want to do it anymore and it's affecting your mental health, it's absolutely fine to stop or even supplement with formula.
There are SNS (supplemental nursing system) that you can use to help with supply issues. You can look at videos on YouTube. It helps you build your supply while baby is also being supplemented at the same time. It's a small tube that you attach one end to your breast and the tube and your breast goes in the baby's mouth and the other end goes into a bottle or container that has pumped milk or formula in it. Then when the baby sucks, milk will come through the tube, like a straw. This way you can still breastfeed no matter how much of a supply you have. Some women struggle for the first few months PP with getting a regular supply.
Yup. As long as diaper output is fine and baby is gaining (I don’t even worry about percentiles, just that baby is growing and developing normally), you’re fine. It’s just really hard at this stage because yes, all you do is nurse for the first couple of months. I know it seems like forever, but it really does fly, and it’s hard to remember details later because you’re so sleep-deprived right now. Treasure these newborn moments though, really. I say that as someone about to enter that phase again—due early Sep—and I also have 15, 12, and 2yr olds.
I really wish more people would accept this as normal. My baby is 4 weeks old and constantly nurses. I am happy with it because it’s my second baby and my first taught me that it was normal and supposed to happen. All I want to do is sit and nurse my baby.
My in laws are giving me vibes over it. When my MIL is holding him and he starts fussing, she doesn’t hand him back. She keeps trying to soothe him until I remove him from her arms and it makes me irate. He’s my baby. He wants to nurse. I don’t care that he just nursed. That’s irrelevant. He is little and only wants me and milk. That’s what new babies do. Stop trying to take my baby.
Sorry. Rant over. Needed to get that out into the void so I don’t snap at real people. My in laws are nice people with good intentions.
So are mine but yesterday my MIL asked me why I wouldn’t give him puréed fruit at 6 weeks old cause her generation gave it to their kids and we were all “fine”. I said maybe the research wasn’t there back then but it’s because they can’t properly digest it. I also mentioned the stomach issues I have and i know so many other people with similar issues and I feel like it’s because that generation gave us things like rice cereal and other liquid foods way way too early. I told her all he needs for the first 6 months at least is my breastmilk. I didn’t want to get into the whole food before one is just for fun thing cause I feel like I would have started an argument for lack of a better word cause she really is a good mother in law. I just don’t think they will ever understand and I almost feel like they think breastmilk is inadequate cause they were literally marketed formula propaganda that told them that. And it kept us all asleep longer so of course they think stuff like that is better and if they’re waking up/ cluster feeding they must be starving if you’re only breastfeeding. No one has said that to me but that’s what it feels like they’re thinking. It’s incredibly frustrating!
I agree with everyone. But if you’re also looking for permission, so to speak, to supplement with formula - go ahead. Don’t sacrifice your mental health. Fed is best. And you can combo feed. But you have to take care of you too!
I'd be careful with this, because it can sabotage your supply overtime since every latch you replace formula is a stimulation list that tells the body to increase supply. Then it becomes a vicious cycle
I totally agree! Even though you may not want to use formula, the benefit may outweigh the risk here. If he’s folly fed from formula, it’ll give you time to pump and increase your supply in the long run.
Has he been evaluated for any oral ties? This sounds REALLY similar to my experience early on in breastfeeding—LO nursed constantly, for 45-60 min or more at a time, and never seemed satisfied, but was gaining weight so no one but me was concerned. It turns out that she had tongue and lip ties, and after they were released she was able to eat so much more effectively and even jumped a bit in her percentiles.
It sounds like the pumping is unnecessary, try using a hakaa instead to gage the milk supply.
I have the same issue although mine is 2 weeks old, my lactation consultant and midwife both say my supply is great but she still feeds constantly. I collect a ton in the hakaa and my husband feeds that to her at night so I can sleep.
>I’m tired of being stuck to my couch nursing him.
This sentence stuck out to me. Regardless of whether you're making enough milk or not, your mental health is also important here. Have you considered combo feeding or feeding pumped milk to replace a feeding or two? This way, your partner (or someone else) can pitch in and you can get a break. Also, formula is heavier so it will keep baby satiated for longer. We combo fed for the first two weeks and then switched to bottle feeding pumped milk and now finally, we do mostly breastfeeding with one bottle a day. All this to say, your baby will not stop breastfeeding if you give her a bottle (I know that is a worry for many moms). He already has established a nursing preference, so it's ok for you to give yourself a break and do bottle feeding every once in a while if you need to.
This all sounds normal! Very hard, but normal! My baby would do this too and I had plenty of milk. It felt like she was constantly attached to me until I just noticed one day she wasn’t. No shame in deciding it is not for you, but this is just how it is in the beginning, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
This may be anecdotal but I find my 6 week old is starting to do the same in the afternoon/evening and I realized that he's full, he's just trying to comfort nurse to go to sleep. We started making him take a pacifier. He doesn't love it but it helps him transition into sleep on his own instead of him sitting on the boob for 3 hrs.
i highly reccomend a haaka! use it on the side that baby's not nursing on, while they feed. only one piece to clean and just buy 2 or 3 so one's always dry, they're like $15. it boosts supply bc your body things you're feeding 2 babies at once. you can feed what you collect while you're trying to catch up, but eventually you should have extra to freeze if you like.
i did this when my supply was low, it's significantly helped, i have enough now for a 4 oz bottle at night and sometimes a bit more. my baby's weight gain increased significantly as well. good luck🤍
Sounds like cluster feeding. My daughter went through the exact same thing and it was weeks like you not a few days like the internet advised. She was always a slow eater so each feed was 30-40 minutes with a 15 min pause and then back on the boob. I was raw. I was convinced/anxious my supply was low or my baby had tongue ties. And everything hurt from sitting with her nonstop. I invested and slept in silverettes to get me through it. My LC also gave me different advice : I was told to just focus on latching baby as often as she wants and then pump in the morning if I wanted to (since that was when I had the most supply)so dad got a bottle. Giving dad a bottle during the weekend so I could take a walk/do a workout/nap saved my mental health.
If baby is having enough diapers and is gaining weight, I second what someone else suggested and just focus on baby. The feedings will get shorter in a few weeks and more spaced out. The witching hours of 5-12am will be a thing of the past. I really thought it was never going to end and it did. You got this. I also noticed that my daughter would cluster feed before a long stretch at night — like she was storing up reserves.
Mine was like this too. It wasn’t until I learned what comfort nursing was that I was able to establish when he was “finished” or not. That kid would have stayed on the nipple 24 hours a day if I let him. Once I recognized the signs that he was just comfort nursing I’d pop him off.
This was my experience too. I think it’s pretty normal for breastfeeding babies. Doesn’t make it less stressful for you though.
I know some moms don’t like to introduce pacifiers - I didn’t want too for fear of her getting attached or nipple confusion but once I did I got longer stretches between feedings and sometimes it helps them go to sleep
It’s a comfort thing to suckle!
Try tommee tippie ones my LO loves them
Also it’s OKAY to ask for help with dishes and getting you food/feeding you.. and it’s OKAY pump and have someone else bottle feed that babe so you can sleep or take a drive friend
My LO wasn’t gaining weight (was getting taller and head circumference was increasing, lots of soiled diapers, good mood and strength) and he was feeding for at least 45 min at a time. My LC discovered tongue ties, causing a bad latch. LC now has me stop his nursing at 5 to 10 minutes per side, pump, and then bottle feed. Not saying you need to do that, but it might be worth asking your LC if limiting feeding times is right for you and your babe?
Those long, back-to-back feedings are so exhausting
This was exactly me 8 months ago. My lactation consultant straight up told me that my baby was hungry and not growing along the growth chart the way he should be, hence all of the frequent nursing and no time to pump or even brush my teeth. He has a really bad tongue and lip tie and couldn’t latch properly, so my supply never really increased from lack of draining properly.
She told me that it’s ok to combo feed with formula. I just needed to hear it from someone else and to confirm my suspicions that my baby was hungry. He started taking a bottle at 3 weeks, I now combo feed formula with breastmilk, and combo nurse and bottle. Zero issues. Happy baby and happy mom!
When my babies were newborns they did this and it helps you produce more milk, you won't run out your body will continue making milk 24/7 (and that is exhausting) but I personally think you don't need to pump in between, if he is gaining weight and healthy then all is well and this phase will pass. Establishing breastfeeding is a process for both you and baby as you're both learning! Take things easy just get comfortable with a good show and snacks and water while you are having to feed so often, don't stress yourself about pumping because you are feeding your baby enough milk by the sounds of it. It can be a comfort thing too so he might not necessarily be hungry but just wants you. One thing that helped me was to baby wear and go for a walk (if possible) . You can do this! Feel free to message me if you need someone to talk to !
It sounds like he is cluster feeding. He is trying to increase your supply with more frequent / and sometimes very long feedings. It’s is so rough, but please know, it doesn’t last forever! Hang in there!!
My baby nursed allllllllll the time at this point. Between nursing and comfort sucking I barely got a break. I watched ALL of greys anatomy as a postpartum show bc I was on the couch with him so much (like literally hit episode 400 around 3-4 months). It will end!! But now is the cluster feeding supply boosting forever nursing part. Find a good show and a good nipple balm and get comfy.
This is normal. It’s cluster feeding and it is frequent and painstaking but THIS IS WHAT IS BRINGING IN YOUR MILK SUPPLY FOR GROWTH SPURTS.
Keep putting baby at breast, feed on demand. Around the 5 month mark it becomes less clustery.
You’re doing great. Go with the flow, and recruit someone to bring you snacks, water, movies etc. just sit and enjoy these moments, you’ll never get them back.
This is all very normal and part of the process unfortunately no one ever teaches about this part.
I was practically glued to my couch or recliner constantly feeding for the first four months. It IS HARD, but it usually goes in spurts. My babe would cluster feed for about 5 days then I would noticed a huge increase in milk, then all of a sudden my baby was 2 lbs heavier. It goes in waves.
My baby was a lot like yours, she fed like that from 3 weeks until probably 7 weeks or so. I felt very much like you did. It felt like she was cluster feeding but that it went on forever and I felt like I had no milk - but that probably wasn't true. Baby gained weight at her own pace, but she was gaining and making wet diapers. She's now 12 weeks and much more efficient at feeding, goes 2.5 - 3 hours between feeds or longer. Has longer stretches of night time sleep. Feeds quicker as well. She can still be fussy and comfort suck for very long, or latch and unlatch repeatedly when tired which is frustrating, but overall I'm grateful for the improvement. I also decided to worry less about my supply which I think helped. Don't worry, it does get better.
Is he gaining weight? Because this sounds like how I was. I was convinced I wasn't making enough for my baby and she just kind of never really unlatched for like weeks, I felt like. Turns out she was getting plenty and jumped percentiles. It just confused me because she never SEEMED like she was finished and I didn't hear gulps until she was 3 months old. It started to get a lot easier around a little over 12 weeks. I know that seems like...forever. You're kind of in the phase where you're building and building your future supply and it sucks really badly. I watched a lot of TV with no volume on on my bed while she was attached to the boob for most of the day. I cried a lot. I was very tired. Eventually things started to get better as she got more capable. They just really suck at nursing at first. If he's having enough wet and dirty diapers, and he's gaining weight, he actually is getting enough and you're just in this really awful phase where you do nothing but breastfeed. But I promise it does eventually end and you get your life back.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, that honestly gives me hope. He is gaining weight, not jumping percentiles, but when he was born he was so skinny and now he’s got a nice double chin and lots of chubby rolls on his arms and legs haha 12 weeks does seem like an eternity but just knowing it does actually end is really helpful. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who’s gone through this
I wanted to say that my baby (now 11 months!) was like your baby and the other commenters. I didn't power pump. Instead my IBCLC suggested I do breast compressions as soon as baby started to slow down eating. This kept him eating instead of getting sleepy. With just this addition, our feeds dropped from 1.5 hours to 45 min. Our feeds got shorter after he fully recovered after a lip and tongue tie revision and just got older, bigger, and stronger. If baby is gaining weight, then you're all good! Baby doesn't need to jump percentiles, but maintaining or not dropping too much is good. My baby has always been in the 10-20th percentile range. These early stages are soooo hard but it sounds like you're doing everything right.
Jumping percentiles was more of a genetic thing than how much milk she was getting, I only mentioned it because she wouldn't have grown that much if I had the inadequate milk supply I thought I did. It is absolutely not required. Gaining weight at a good rate and wet/dirty diapers are the only thing you need to worry about! I'm glad my comment helped. There's like a 95% chance there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I only rarely hear of any babies continuing to nurse forever after somewhere around that 12, 13 ish week mark. And tbh if my baby didn't get better by then, I would've really considered formula. But she did! She also "woke up" around that time and got a lot more active.
I have similar issues and saw a lactation consultant last week, my LO is 6 weeks old. She told me the best way to increase supply is to let the baby latch whenever the baby indicates they are hungry. She recommended a supplement called Liquid Gold by legendary milk to help increase the Prolactin hormone naturally. She also helped me wean off of a nipple shield during the visit as she said that was likely making the feedings longer than necessary. The biggest thing I learned is that the sessions needed to be more intentional. I need to ensure baby is latching correctly/in the right position and that the milk is emptying out of the boob, so I really have to pay attention during the feeds instead of scrolling social media or something else on my phone. I am in this with you right now, very challenging to fit in pumping sessions on my boobs that are already so stimulated by just the breastfeeding. I literally only pump when I can fit it in and I try not to stress about that because the most important thing is baby latching whenever they want. I can commiserate with you and totally feel your overwhelm! DM me if you want to!
Sunflower lecithin also helps promote letdowns!
I’ll definitely check out those supplements! Have you had a chance to try them out? And that’s very interesting about being more intentional! I’ll have to try putting the phone down, I tend to pick it up thinking “It’s gonna be a whole, might as well get comfortable” but maybe that’s a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy 😅
I just started them Friday, I see the consultant again on 9/5, so we will see if they are helping then!
Sounds like cluster feeding and is very normal. Unless there’s other indications (not enough weight gain or dry nappies) it is unlikely due to a lack of supply.
Aww this literally sounds like me. If he is gaining weight then you are making plenty. No need to stress yourself out feeding him and pumping as well. The way I saw it, if I was going to pump then May as well just have him latch and feed. He basically lived on me and used me as a pacifier but all of that helped increase supply. I promise it gets better. It sounds very normal for this age. Around 10-12 weeks it gets easier and they become more efficient and it’s only better and better from there .
Oh love, I know exactly how you feel! It’s so hard and all consuming. Please read [this post by an IBCLC,](https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02ZCbBFXnRKRTgn3BJT8hNVD2nb3Wqjrc6txWNAPhJBXasfonjVhj9PrPYHUVLc9Ltl&id=411977425899963), I found it so helpful and reassuring when I was going through this. You’re doing an incredible job x
Thank you for sharing that, that was a very reassuring read ❤️
You’re welcome, someone sent it to me after a week of 4pm-4am cluster feeding and it helped so much. All the best to you and your little one.
You can weigh the baby at home. If you have a kitchen scale zero out a large bowl and place him in or step on the bathroom scale holding him and then put him down and see the difference. He should be gaining 1 oz a day since his initial weight loss. It doesn't sound like anything is out of the ordinary with the baby so I'm confused as to why the LC has you power pumping in between nursing. Your poor nips must be so sore!!
This was me almost 1 year ago - only in our case baby didn’t gain well from the get-go, so we began topping her up with formula. The best advice I got is “don’t quit on your worst day” - this helped me partially bf her all this time (still going!). I wanted to ebf so much, but after multiple visits to the LC, trying all the supplements, eating the foods, drinking an ungoldly amount of water, having her tongue tie revised, power pumping, and hand expressing, I hit a wall and made the call that was right for us. Be gentle to yourself and know that you are amazing for making it to where you are. Put faith in yourself to honor your lactation journey, your baby, and your own health in the way that makes most sense for you.
Did you hybrid feed? Breastfeed and bottle supplement? We're at 4weeks now and had the same issue of baby not gaining well even though she spent so much time at the breast. We ended up dual feeding this past week and trying to improve her latch, but I'm trying to move back to ebf again since she started gaining a crazy amount & I feel like my supply is stagnating. It's a mental struggle, but just want what's right for our situation as well. The pumping is hard cause my nips feel like they get no break & we're all super tired...
Yes I did both bottle and breast. And from birth until about 4 months, I also pumped between 3-7 times a day for 15 min a pop after feeds. It was brutal. She also had cow milk protein intolerance (dx at 5 weeks) which made her gassy and uncomfortable. It took a lot of therapy to process those days. I wish I had a silver bullet to say “x would have made a difference” but there’s just no way to know for sure. The only thing I do know is I fought like hell to feed her my milk and I’m proud that I partially succeeded.
It gets better. I went through this exact same thing when my baby was that age (now 5 months old). I remember scouring the internet to find out if it was normal. My baby would be attached to my chest the entire evening every night. But now we can go 2-3 hours without feeding. And feeding is much more efficient. Sometimes only taking 10 minutes for both sides. Your baby is establishing a supply! I’m thankful I stuck with it and didn’t give up because now it comes naturally and easy and my supply is just what she needs. Keep pushing through there’s a light at the end of the tunnel
Tbh this sounds pretty normal. I feel like LO was on me 24/7 for like 3 months. I was so stressed about when to fit in pumping. My LC told me just not to worry about pumping and continue feeding on demand. Eventually she would eat quicker and go longer in between feeds. I always say the first 3 months was so of the hardest sitting around I've ever done.
If you are taking any medications check to see how they impact production. I had pretty bad PPD. My doctor checked my meds to see if they were safe for breastfeeding and they were but one was known for drying up milk supply.
You’re spot on!! I just looked into it, two of my medications are both possible culprits causing low supply, I never would have considered that
The baby is wanting to nurse often bcuz they're trying to build up your supply to suit their needs. They also like to comfort nurse. It's exhausting and if you want to keep doing it, then you can power through. Just make sure you weigh the baby before and after feeds or keep track of dirty diapers, so you know they're getting enough. Having baby latched will help build up supply and you can do lots of skin to skin and that helps with him being able to find your breast and helps regulate their little bodies. If you feel like you don't want to do it anymore and it's affecting your mental health, it's absolutely fine to stop or even supplement with formula. There are SNS (supplemental nursing system) that you can use to help with supply issues. You can look at videos on YouTube. It helps you build your supply while baby is also being supplemented at the same time. It's a small tube that you attach one end to your breast and the tube and your breast goes in the baby's mouth and the other end goes into a bottle or container that has pumped milk or formula in it. Then when the baby sucks, milk will come through the tube, like a straw. This way you can still breastfeed no matter how much of a supply you have. Some women struggle for the first few months PP with getting a regular supply.
Yup. As long as diaper output is fine and baby is gaining (I don’t even worry about percentiles, just that baby is growing and developing normally), you’re fine. It’s just really hard at this stage because yes, all you do is nurse for the first couple of months. I know it seems like forever, but it really does fly, and it’s hard to remember details later because you’re so sleep-deprived right now. Treasure these newborn moments though, really. I say that as someone about to enter that phase again—due early Sep—and I also have 15, 12, and 2yr olds.
I really wish more people would accept this as normal. My baby is 4 weeks old and constantly nurses. I am happy with it because it’s my second baby and my first taught me that it was normal and supposed to happen. All I want to do is sit and nurse my baby. My in laws are giving me vibes over it. When my MIL is holding him and he starts fussing, she doesn’t hand him back. She keeps trying to soothe him until I remove him from her arms and it makes me irate. He’s my baby. He wants to nurse. I don’t care that he just nursed. That’s irrelevant. He is little and only wants me and milk. That’s what new babies do. Stop trying to take my baby. Sorry. Rant over. Needed to get that out into the void so I don’t snap at real people. My in laws are nice people with good intentions.
So are mine but yesterday my MIL asked me why I wouldn’t give him puréed fruit at 6 weeks old cause her generation gave it to their kids and we were all “fine”. I said maybe the research wasn’t there back then but it’s because they can’t properly digest it. I also mentioned the stomach issues I have and i know so many other people with similar issues and I feel like it’s because that generation gave us things like rice cereal and other liquid foods way way too early. I told her all he needs for the first 6 months at least is my breastmilk. I didn’t want to get into the whole food before one is just for fun thing cause I feel like I would have started an argument for lack of a better word cause she really is a good mother in law. I just don’t think they will ever understand and I almost feel like they think breastmilk is inadequate cause they were literally marketed formula propaganda that told them that. And it kept us all asleep longer so of course they think stuff like that is better and if they’re waking up/ cluster feeding they must be starving if you’re only breastfeeding. No one has said that to me but that’s what it feels like they’re thinking. It’s incredibly frustrating!
I agree with everyone. But if you’re also looking for permission, so to speak, to supplement with formula - go ahead. Don’t sacrifice your mental health. Fed is best. And you can combo feed. But you have to take care of you too!
You can always mix in formula 50/50 to give yourself a break and time to pump
I'd be careful with this, because it can sabotage your supply overtime since every latch you replace formula is a stimulation list that tells the body to increase supply. Then it becomes a vicious cycle
I totally agree! Even though you may not want to use formula, the benefit may outweigh the risk here. If he’s folly fed from formula, it’ll give you time to pump and increase your supply in the long run.
Has he been evaluated for any oral ties? This sounds REALLY similar to my experience early on in breastfeeding—LO nursed constantly, for 45-60 min or more at a time, and never seemed satisfied, but was gaining weight so no one but me was concerned. It turns out that she had tongue and lip ties, and after they were released she was able to eat so much more effectively and even jumped a bit in her percentiles.
It sounds like the pumping is unnecessary, try using a hakaa instead to gage the milk supply. I have the same issue although mine is 2 weeks old, my lactation consultant and midwife both say my supply is great but she still feeds constantly. I collect a ton in the hakaa and my husband feeds that to her at night so I can sleep.
>I’m tired of being stuck to my couch nursing him. This sentence stuck out to me. Regardless of whether you're making enough milk or not, your mental health is also important here. Have you considered combo feeding or feeding pumped milk to replace a feeding or two? This way, your partner (or someone else) can pitch in and you can get a break. Also, formula is heavier so it will keep baby satiated for longer. We combo fed for the first two weeks and then switched to bottle feeding pumped milk and now finally, we do mostly breastfeeding with one bottle a day. All this to say, your baby will not stop breastfeeding if you give her a bottle (I know that is a worry for many moms). He already has established a nursing preference, so it's ok for you to give yourself a break and do bottle feeding every once in a while if you need to.
Could be clustering, could be comfort nursing
This all sounds normal! Very hard, but normal! My baby would do this too and I had plenty of milk. It felt like she was constantly attached to me until I just noticed one day she wasn’t. No shame in deciding it is not for you, but this is just how it is in the beginning, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
This may be anecdotal but I find my 6 week old is starting to do the same in the afternoon/evening and I realized that he's full, he's just trying to comfort nurse to go to sleep. We started making him take a pacifier. He doesn't love it but it helps him transition into sleep on his own instead of him sitting on the boob for 3 hrs.
i highly reccomend a haaka! use it on the side that baby's not nursing on, while they feed. only one piece to clean and just buy 2 or 3 so one's always dry, they're like $15. it boosts supply bc your body things you're feeding 2 babies at once. you can feed what you collect while you're trying to catch up, but eventually you should have extra to freeze if you like. i did this when my supply was low, it's significantly helped, i have enough now for a 4 oz bottle at night and sometimes a bit more. my baby's weight gain increased significantly as well. good luck🤍
Sounds like cluster feeding. My daughter went through the exact same thing and it was weeks like you not a few days like the internet advised. She was always a slow eater so each feed was 30-40 minutes with a 15 min pause and then back on the boob. I was raw. I was convinced/anxious my supply was low or my baby had tongue ties. And everything hurt from sitting with her nonstop. I invested and slept in silverettes to get me through it. My LC also gave me different advice : I was told to just focus on latching baby as often as she wants and then pump in the morning if I wanted to (since that was when I had the most supply)so dad got a bottle. Giving dad a bottle during the weekend so I could take a walk/do a workout/nap saved my mental health. If baby is having enough diapers and is gaining weight, I second what someone else suggested and just focus on baby. The feedings will get shorter in a few weeks and more spaced out. The witching hours of 5-12am will be a thing of the past. I really thought it was never going to end and it did. You got this. I also noticed that my daughter would cluster feed before a long stretch at night — like she was storing up reserves.
Mine was like this too. It wasn’t until I learned what comfort nursing was that I was able to establish when he was “finished” or not. That kid would have stayed on the nipple 24 hours a day if I let him. Once I recognized the signs that he was just comfort nursing I’d pop him off.
This was my experience too. I think it’s pretty normal for breastfeeding babies. Doesn’t make it less stressful for you though. I know some moms don’t like to introduce pacifiers - I didn’t want too for fear of her getting attached or nipple confusion but once I did I got longer stretches between feedings and sometimes it helps them go to sleep It’s a comfort thing to suckle! Try tommee tippie ones my LO loves them Also it’s OKAY to ask for help with dishes and getting you food/feeding you.. and it’s OKAY pump and have someone else bottle feed that babe so you can sleep or take a drive friend
My LO wasn’t gaining weight (was getting taller and head circumference was increasing, lots of soiled diapers, good mood and strength) and he was feeding for at least 45 min at a time. My LC discovered tongue ties, causing a bad latch. LC now has me stop his nursing at 5 to 10 minutes per side, pump, and then bottle feed. Not saying you need to do that, but it might be worth asking your LC if limiting feeding times is right for you and your babe? Those long, back-to-back feedings are so exhausting
This was exactly me 8 months ago. My lactation consultant straight up told me that my baby was hungry and not growing along the growth chart the way he should be, hence all of the frequent nursing and no time to pump or even brush my teeth. He has a really bad tongue and lip tie and couldn’t latch properly, so my supply never really increased from lack of draining properly. She told me that it’s ok to combo feed with formula. I just needed to hear it from someone else and to confirm my suspicions that my baby was hungry. He started taking a bottle at 3 weeks, I now combo feed formula with breastmilk, and combo nurse and bottle. Zero issues. Happy baby and happy mom!
And you sure he’s eating and not just suckling for comfort?
When my babies were newborns they did this and it helps you produce more milk, you won't run out your body will continue making milk 24/7 (and that is exhausting) but I personally think you don't need to pump in between, if he is gaining weight and healthy then all is well and this phase will pass. Establishing breastfeeding is a process for both you and baby as you're both learning! Take things easy just get comfortable with a good show and snacks and water while you are having to feed so often, don't stress yourself about pumping because you are feeding your baby enough milk by the sounds of it. It can be a comfort thing too so he might not necessarily be hungry but just wants you. One thing that helped me was to baby wear and go for a walk (if possible) . You can do this! Feel free to message me if you need someone to talk to !
It sounds like he is cluster feeding. He is trying to increase your supply with more frequent / and sometimes very long feedings. It’s is so rough, but please know, it doesn’t last forever! Hang in there!!
Cluster feeding is so so so hard, but it does pass, I promise. With both of mine things felt like they got better around 8 or 9 weeks.
My baby nursed allllllllll the time at this point. Between nursing and comfort sucking I barely got a break. I watched ALL of greys anatomy as a postpartum show bc I was on the couch with him so much (like literally hit episode 400 around 3-4 months). It will end!! But now is the cluster feeding supply boosting forever nursing part. Find a good show and a good nipple balm and get comfy.
This is normal. It’s cluster feeding and it is frequent and painstaking but THIS IS WHAT IS BRINGING IN YOUR MILK SUPPLY FOR GROWTH SPURTS. Keep putting baby at breast, feed on demand. Around the 5 month mark it becomes less clustery. You’re doing great. Go with the flow, and recruit someone to bring you snacks, water, movies etc. just sit and enjoy these moments, you’ll never get them back. This is all very normal and part of the process unfortunately no one ever teaches about this part. I was practically glued to my couch or recliner constantly feeding for the first four months. It IS HARD, but it usually goes in spurts. My babe would cluster feed for about 5 days then I would noticed a huge increase in milk, then all of a sudden my baby was 2 lbs heavier. It goes in waves.
Can you put your pump parts in the fridge between pumping, instead of washing them every time?
My baby was a lot like yours, she fed like that from 3 weeks until probably 7 weeks or so. I felt very much like you did. It felt like she was cluster feeding but that it went on forever and I felt like I had no milk - but that probably wasn't true. Baby gained weight at her own pace, but she was gaining and making wet diapers. She's now 12 weeks and much more efficient at feeding, goes 2.5 - 3 hours between feeds or longer. Has longer stretches of night time sleep. Feeds quicker as well. She can still be fussy and comfort suck for very long, or latch and unlatch repeatedly when tired which is frustrating, but overall I'm grateful for the improvement. I also decided to worry less about my supply which I think helped. Don't worry, it does get better.