MSE Parents Club Part 14

freebiequennie

Hello have posted this on parent thread also but just in case some people dont go on that section and may have some very useful advice - excuse long post....

Ok so my little boy was 7wks old on wednesday and for past 3 wks has had a cold so been very snuffly so feeding little and often but is starting to get over the cold now.

The issue I have is that he will not feed off the left side (this used to be his fav side), he latches on takes couple sucks and then comes off and screams - this has been for past 7-10 days admittley it does flow quite fast so he dribbles alot of it and I was expressing to try and ease the engorment from him not feeding but have stopped this now.

He will feed for couple mins off it last feed and during the night but literally max of 3-4mins, so right breast is not satisfying him as he empties it and then it never gets chance to produce enough before he wants more as he wants feeding every 2 hrs if not more in the day.

He wont take a bottle he just doesnt know how to suck the teat have tried tommee tippee closer to nature and also a brand called breastflow with no luck - husband has tried him as well (he did take at 2wks old and threw it up but didnt ever suck teat properly)


Health visitor didnt really have an answer she just said offer left side first which I have been doing and for past couple days he has prob taken a little more from left than he has been but when hes really hungry and tired he will only go on right and never has a full feed from left.

We currently have no routine with him other than a bedtime one of bath at 6.30pm (husband likes to do this he gets home at 5.50/6pm we eat first- otherwise wouldnt get another chance) then feed at 6.45pm and 50% of the time he is down at 7.45/8pm, then will wake around 10-11pm when he hasnt we have woken him but he doesnt take a huge amount at this feed (the other 50% of the time we can have a tired screaming baby who doesnt settle til 9pm and then wakes at around 12/1), at night he wakes 3hrly until 4/5am then he will wake hrly til we get him up at 7.15/7.30am then during the day he feeds whenever he wants roughly 2hrly but does just have it when he wants!

If go out for the day its a little more structured and he does sleep in between.

he doesnt settle to sleep without a feed - if put into crib he just cries and have tried leaving for upto 45mins but he becomes so distressed and we feel guilty - I have even gone outside just so cant hear him.

At night we only pick him up to feed when he really cries as well.

I stupidly read the Gina Ford book which made me feel like a failure so have stuck it back on ebay!!

we have a 3 storey house so he is in a large crib in our room as his nursery is on floor below.

Any advice very welcome.......

freebiequennie

Thanks everyone says from 6wks it starts to get easier but suppose where he has had a cold feel like we have gone backwards really as he was more settled before that hopefully in the next week we will see some improvement - he is a happy alert little baby and gives us lots of smiles just gets us down when he cries because he is tired or hungry and then wont feed from left side.

I do hold him down the body when on left side and have been putting him on when he is almost asleep or just woken so sleepy this is when he will take a few mins worth - until he notices then screams - health visitor was shocked how distressed he got then settled immediatly when moved to the right side.

tarajayne

Hi Freebie.x

Thanks Caz, she was sooo nervous. I just had a funny image of you jumping on a new waterbed with Erin sat on the side, as you came down she shot across the room, sorry!

Plans_all_plans

I feel for you, but at 7 weeks there is no such thing as routine. In fact, it took my DD until 7 months to properly get into a routine.

When b/f I found it easier to feed her freely and as often as she wanted. I didnt get too stressed about it, just was like a feeding machine.

At night she would feed as and when too. I dont think I would be letting my little one cry at such a young age through hunger or want of comfort. As my DD got older then I used controlled crying to get them into a routine, but at this age I'd try to be there for comfort/food for the baby.

Try expressing from your left breast and getting the baby to drink the milk from a small measuring beaker without a spout. They will learn to sip and this sipping motion is closer to b/f than using a teat so you can move between breast and formula if necessary. My midwife advised me to use the beaker which I did from when my DD was around 2/4 weeks as she had lost weight but I didn't want to use a bottle so she recommended the beaker thing which we used with success.

Dont stress about routine at 7 weeks old, you will just drive yourslef mad. I would let your baby take the lead.

tiamai_d

*sob* I fell while carrying Amber! And now I don't know if she is crying because she hurt her head (fell against the door) or if she just got a fright because I screamed (because it bloody hurt). I did keep a hold of her though. Managed to cut my elbow, bruise my knee (the one that hasn't been sore past few weeks) and pull a muscle in my neck.

And worse, I feel so bloody guilty for falling while I was carrying her!

cazscoob

PMSL! my friends husband came back to find the 2 of us lying on the bed when he came home one day! i just wanted to see what it was like OH not sure as he said its a lot of weight without strengthening
Erin is a madam and wont go in anyones bed but her own! Oh that reminds me ill need to get cotbed duvet now as cot one will be too small?

fernliebee

Have you tried feeding him in the 'rugby ball' position, to trick him into being on the right?

I have issues with fast letdown, so I use a muslin and just let it run out into that so we don't both end up drenched!

Other than the fast let down, it may be a positioning thing, as obv one arm is stronger so can hold them better, are you left handed? You could try cushions etc to hold him up, I found as DD1 got bigger I would have to change position very slightly to make room for her growing.

Just ideas off the top of my head (typed one handed while trying to feed my fussy DD2 who doesn't know the meaning of a settled feed) hope you get sorted soon.

Nicifer_noonoo

We used a book called 'How to Enjoy Year One' which was brilliant. It provides a routine but is MUCH more flexible than Gina Ford, allowing you to fit it around you rather than the other way round.

My_Fathers_Daughter

Hi Freebie!

I don't want to give you all the same advice again but I will second the fact that feeding him to sleep at this early stage should not (IMHO) be a problem at all. I fed Benjamin to sleep for ages, then he started to come off the boob before he fell asleep, then I started transferring him back to his own bed once he had finished his feed and we progressed to a reasonably well sleeping baby (until recently but that has nothing to do with me feeding him to sleep LOL!)

Do try to feed laying down - it makes life so much easier!! Also are you using a cushion to support his weight? You don't need anything fancy, we just used a feather pillow from the spare bed!

Give the BF cafe a call before you make the trek lots of them do close down for half term.


And finally - I have a RL mummy friend who successfully BF her son well past his first birthday using only one boob...so it can be done....



....she did used to walk in circles though :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:



(weighed down by one heavy boob for anyone who doesn't get my joke!!)

tarajayne

Omg Tia, hope you're ok, she's probably a bit in shock and a bit hurt too. Sit down and have some cuddles with her. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX