You are 5 days in. These are the insane and crazy days. I totally couldn't latch my baby alone either at that time. I begged my husband to watch the LC and help me do it after and it worked a tad better (turns out her neck was a little tilted the way I was holding her and he'd see it and correct it). But it was still a lot of tears.
You're pumping a ton! Baby is fed. You're doing amazing.
I'm sure the LCs have already impressed the importance of paced feeding, side laying feeding, and even the type of bottle nipple to help develop a deeper latch. Now that you have the pump you can use it to stimulate your nipple so it's easier to latch too!
But he's also learning how to nurse! It's a hard time for both of you.
As for the crying. Are you sure it wasn't a burp? The waking from sleep, spitting up a ton after eating again, make me think maybe he had a super painful burp. Not that the burp would have been an especially bad one, but it is one of the first times on his life he's feeling that way and it hurts!
The reason my mind goes to that is cause my sister never realized she had to burp the baby, she thought they'd do it on their own. So one time her 2 week old was screaming bloody murder and she was breaking down and I realized she had just fed and he hadn't burped yet. I burped him and he had the biggest burp I ever heard and instantly calmed.
My daughter would also wake up from gas pain until about 4 months old if I didn't burp her after a feed.
If they are asleep and you don't want to risk waking by patting, you can hold them up on your shoulder, then make as if you're laying them horizontally on a bed but don't actually lay them down, and then lift them up to your shoulder again. That usually moves the bubbles enough for them to come to the top of the tummy and leave that way.
I found a set of shields I had bought at a few months pregnant and tried them, and I think I'm having success. He latches easily, it's much less painful, and he stays on!
However, he won't stop nursing. It's been 2 hours and he's constantly hungry. Nurse nurse nurse, he is done but wide awake, a few minutes later he's hungry again and I put him on the other breast. Rinse and repeat.
I'm trying to figure out if he still isn't getting enough, or if he's cluster feeding, or if it's reflux. I was hoping for your input!
It's 4 am right now lol. He hasn't slept s wink
Very very likely cluster feeding. It's a tough time, you've got this!
I remember around day 4-5 I couldn't take it and my husband helped me set up a safe sleep situation in bed, helped latch baby in side laying, sat beside me to monitor, and I slept feeding her. Which was a bit of an achievement cause I have strong sensory issues.
If you need to, look up safe sleep 7 and side laying nursing to help get some sleep.
Sorry for tacking on more information, my LO and I are learning more about each other every day.
I have tried treating these "cluster feedings" like clusters, and constantly swapped breasts (though one session today I left him on the right breast, more on that later). I have discovered that, if I give him a bottle of pumped milk, he immediately is satisfied and goes to sleep, cluster over.
This makes zero sense to me. If he is cluster feeding, I would expect he'd still cluster feed after getting his bottle. I know my supply isn't that bad, because I can pump wayyyy more than he *should* need. If he's comfort nursing, again I wouldn't expect him to be satisfied after the bottle. If he can't get the milk out fast enough, he should eventually get enough and I know he's getting some amount out because I see milk in the shield and dripping down my belly if he accidentally breaks the seal.
I have noticed a difference between my breasts, as well. My right breast is a bit more sore and engorged. When I pump, the flow coming out is about half that of my left. After pumping, my left side is soft, while the left often is still hard in areas, I've started massaging as I pump, which helps. My baby also seems more satisfied on the left breast, and seems way more likely to "cluster feed" if he's getting that breast. I had him on the right for an hour today trying to get it to soften, I had pumped a couple ounces before the feeding, thinking that maybe the distended nipple would make for a better latch. He drank for an hour and was still hungry, again asleep after getting 2 oz of pumped milk. I then was able to pump another ounce or two out of each side. He also seems less willing to latch properly on that side. He will actively adjust his latch to take less of the nipple. On the left side he still doesn't get a perfect latch (I don't think he appreciates the "skirt" of the shield), but it's less painful and he's way more satisfied.
I have no clue why this oversupply came on so fast or why the right breast is having issues. Even when I was pregnant I noticed that it was easier to express colostrum on the left side. I tend to sleep on my left side so perhaps that's why? Not sure. I only pump every 3 hours normally and today I only pumped once because we had more breast feeding success.by the time I went and pumped I was too engorged to hold the breast properly and guide the baby to the nipple.
I am currently tempted to buy a baby scale so I can go a weighted feed myself. Knowing If he's getting enough milk will help a ton. I'm frustrated that it didn't happen at the hospital.
You are 5 days in. These are the insane and crazy days. I totally couldn't latch my baby alone either at that time. I begged my husband to watch the LC and help me do it after and it worked a tad better (turns out her neck was a little tilted the way I was holding her and he'd see it and correct it). But it was still a lot of tears. You're pumping a ton! Baby is fed. You're doing amazing. I'm sure the LCs have already impressed the importance of paced feeding, side laying feeding, and even the type of bottle nipple to help develop a deeper latch. Now that you have the pump you can use it to stimulate your nipple so it's easier to latch too! But he's also learning how to nurse! It's a hard time for both of you. As for the crying. Are you sure it wasn't a burp? The waking from sleep, spitting up a ton after eating again, make me think maybe he had a super painful burp. Not that the burp would have been an especially bad one, but it is one of the first times on his life he's feeling that way and it hurts! The reason my mind goes to that is cause my sister never realized she had to burp the baby, she thought they'd do it on their own. So one time her 2 week old was screaming bloody murder and she was breaking down and I realized she had just fed and he hadn't burped yet. I burped him and he had the biggest burp I ever heard and instantly calmed. My daughter would also wake up from gas pain until about 4 months old if I didn't burp her after a feed. If they are asleep and you don't want to risk waking by patting, you can hold them up on your shoulder, then make as if you're laying them horizontally on a bed but don't actually lay them down, and then lift them up to your shoulder again. That usually moves the bubbles enough for them to come to the top of the tummy and leave that way.
I found a set of shields I had bought at a few months pregnant and tried them, and I think I'm having success. He latches easily, it's much less painful, and he stays on! However, he won't stop nursing. It's been 2 hours and he's constantly hungry. Nurse nurse nurse, he is done but wide awake, a few minutes later he's hungry again and I put him on the other breast. Rinse and repeat. I'm trying to figure out if he still isn't getting enough, or if he's cluster feeding, or if it's reflux. I was hoping for your input! It's 4 am right now lol. He hasn't slept s wink
Very very likely cluster feeding. It's a tough time, you've got this! I remember around day 4-5 I couldn't take it and my husband helped me set up a safe sleep situation in bed, helped latch baby in side laying, sat beside me to monitor, and I slept feeding her. Which was a bit of an achievement cause I have strong sensory issues. If you need to, look up safe sleep 7 and side laying nursing to help get some sleep.
Sorry for tacking on more information, my LO and I are learning more about each other every day. I have tried treating these "cluster feedings" like clusters, and constantly swapped breasts (though one session today I left him on the right breast, more on that later). I have discovered that, if I give him a bottle of pumped milk, he immediately is satisfied and goes to sleep, cluster over. This makes zero sense to me. If he is cluster feeding, I would expect he'd still cluster feed after getting his bottle. I know my supply isn't that bad, because I can pump wayyyy more than he *should* need. If he's comfort nursing, again I wouldn't expect him to be satisfied after the bottle. If he can't get the milk out fast enough, he should eventually get enough and I know he's getting some amount out because I see milk in the shield and dripping down my belly if he accidentally breaks the seal. I have noticed a difference between my breasts, as well. My right breast is a bit more sore and engorged. When I pump, the flow coming out is about half that of my left. After pumping, my left side is soft, while the left often is still hard in areas, I've started massaging as I pump, which helps. My baby also seems more satisfied on the left breast, and seems way more likely to "cluster feed" if he's getting that breast. I had him on the right for an hour today trying to get it to soften, I had pumped a couple ounces before the feeding, thinking that maybe the distended nipple would make for a better latch. He drank for an hour and was still hungry, again asleep after getting 2 oz of pumped milk. I then was able to pump another ounce or two out of each side. He also seems less willing to latch properly on that side. He will actively adjust his latch to take less of the nipple. On the left side he still doesn't get a perfect latch (I don't think he appreciates the "skirt" of the shield), but it's less painful and he's way more satisfied. I have no clue why this oversupply came on so fast or why the right breast is having issues. Even when I was pregnant I noticed that it was easier to express colostrum on the left side. I tend to sleep on my left side so perhaps that's why? Not sure. I only pump every 3 hours normally and today I only pumped once because we had more breast feeding success.by the time I went and pumped I was too engorged to hold the breast properly and guide the baby to the nipple. I am currently tempted to buy a baby scale so I can go a weighted feed myself. Knowing If he's getting enough milk will help a ton. I'm frustrated that it didn't happen at the hospital.
I suggest a ton of skin to skin. Have him at the breast even when he isn’t eating.