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advice please

Hello everyone im new to this forum and breastfeeding!



Just want some advice, my son is 2 weeks old and is doing quite well feeding but seems to be struggling with my flow!!! especially from the right side? He also feeds for ages coming on and off for upto 2 hours even though i have loads of milk.



Any advice would be great.



XXX Janet and baby James.

Replies

  • Hiya, congrats on your new bundle of joy! What do you mean by struggling with your flow?

    I found breastfeeding really hard to begin with. My son wouldn't latch on properly, and he was a big boy so kept pushing off all the time. He also seemed to prefer one side, and I got really sore on the 'bad' side due to the bad latch. However we persevered and at about 4 weeks something clicked and haven't had any problems since.

    He used to be on and off all the time at the beginning, especially in the evening, but now is very efficient and can feed in 10 mins, although he does sometimes carry on for comfort!

    The main thing is to make sure he empties one breast before you offer him the other, if you do at all. I used to switch back and forth because he just didn't seem to get satisfied even after feeding for ages on one side, but now I realise one side at each meal is plenty for him.

    Good luck and stick with it, because once you get it sorted you'll find it's just the best thing ever!

    xxx
  • hi janet and emy



    my ds is 4 and a half months, when i was at your stage i remember a similar problem - he'd glug down hungrily then cough and splutter and cry as if it had come at him too fast. I asked on here and found out its normal until your let down reflex (the message that tells your brain baby's on the boob) calms down. It mainly happened in the evenings so i started expressing a bit off to make it easier for him, with variable success.



    It passed quickly though. the feeding for ages sounds normal too. I have always had good supply, it came in early day 2 and my LO never lost weight. however, they still need to put the time in early on to get your supply going for the long run! They have to feed little and often due to a tiny tum and their suck is not as strong and efficient as it will be. like tigerlilly says hang in there cause when your over the difficult first bit breast feeding is the most amazing thing ever xx
  • agree with what alfie said about tiny tummy, and learning to suck harder etc. But at 2 weeks old it may still be a big part comfort too. They don't really realise that you and them are separate people yet, and he'll just be enjoying all the contact. It's good for your supply to have all the skin to skin contact, so I say let him snuggle in!
  • Hi, don't panic, it's still early days & LO is still adjusting to life in the outside world. It can be common for baby to prefer one side over the other (DD1 preferred my right, DD2 prefers the left) but do offer alternate boob for following meals (or end up lop-sided).



    Both my girls have had coughing splutters, pulled off & gotten sprayed by milk, but your body too is adjusting to having baby feed from this new position. Your body will learn when baby is feeding, how often they are feeding & how much they require. As it learns your milk production will change to suit.
  • have to say ive never really known what was comfort. Obviously the big sucks and glugs are for eating but have always let LO go on a lot and some of it must be for comfort. Have always breast fed with a shield and have had at the back of my mind the downside can be increased feeds so have never dare stop LO. I love the cuddles anyway lol, but he's always been pretty good at night and he's my first so ive gone with it.



    Theres a huge emotional part to bf for mum and baby, i think that part was hard to appreciate until i became a mummy. My LO is never happier than tuning out of the world to feed - sometimes i think he just fancies some time out and a snuggle! In the beginning it was so painful and time consuming i wondered how id ever even make a month. Now its so lovely i feel sad at the thought of starting solids and it being the beginning of the end, lol.



    I would never dream of saying anyone who didnt breast feed would not have a special bond with their child, and i know some people truelly cant breast feed, but i feel so lucky and blessed that i've experienced this part of motherhood. Was telling my OH i grew him for 9 months inside, and now growing him outside all by myself! Its a lovely feeling.xx
  • the ladies have offered great advice, feeding for long periods of time is completely normal esp int he early eveing as baby starts to stock up ready for night time. also if you milk is quite fast laying back may help slow things down a bit and as alfie said it does settle down with time when they get more efficient
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