I May Be a Little Neurotic

Unfortunately, I was not able to breastfeed beyond 3 weeks, so I can't offer any advice there. BUT, at 6 weeks old, she is probably cluster feeding. My lactation consultant said to expect it near 6 weeks and again near 10 weeks. It lasts for a few days (usually followed by a few days of good sleep). Good luck!

This is completley normal for a baby so young. keep up the good work. My daughter now 4 still speaks of breastfeeding fondly. We both loved it.

Don't worry, this is normal. =) Babies will develop a preference for one breast over the other, start with the one they DON'T care for first and end with the one they like best. Let hunger prevail. The reason she is nursing so much is because she gets slightly full and falls asleep, then gets hungry again, slightly full, rinse and repeat! This can become a habit and one that can exhaust you and make her crabby. Tickle her feet, rub her cheek, burp her so that she is good and awake again, try anything that is gentle to keep her awake long enough to get a full tummy. Don't worry if she takes a bottle, this gives Dad a chance to feed her and YOU a chance to sleep a bit. =) She is gaining weight, she is changing, that is good! One of the things we are not prepared for when we become moms is the fast changes in routines and the strong personalities of our babies. Be flexable, firm, loving and awed by this wonderful creature that has turned your life upside down! And most of all, trust your gut. Believe me, as a mom of 3 bio kids and 5 step kids I can tell you that they are ALL different and continue to keep me on my toes. =) Good luck!

Hi Serena-
I'm going to try to set your mind at ease!
Babies who are breastfed take what they need when they need it, which would explain the irregular pattern. They are not like bottle fed babies who eat 6 oz. every 4 hours, and that's the beauty (and the frustration sometimes if you're looking for a schedule...) of breastfeeding.
Your baby is gaining weight, which means she is eating enough, as far as the picky habits...I think babies just develop preferences. My daughter prefers the right breast as well, but it may have something to do with me being right handed so it's more comfortable for both of us? Who knows.
If baby wants a bottle at night (you can pump your own breastmilk...) then maybe you can have your partner feed her (that's what we do, Momma needs a break after breastfeeding all day and the bottle ensures that she gets a full belly before she goes down for the night.
We started a bedtime routine when my daughter was about 4 weeks old of bath, lotion massage, PJ's, bottle, bed. It's great, now that she's 4 months old it's like clockwork. You might start to really enjoy the break you get from her having the bottle at night.
Good luck and try not to worry, just relax and enjoy breastfeeding your baby. Your body will respond to her needs, it's such a beautiful thing!
A.

I totally get it, I am just as neurotic! What is really amazing about young children is that the have an incredible ability to intuit exactly what they need. The thing with breast feeding is that you never know exactly how much they are getting. when mine was about that age, she would projectile vomit a couple minutes after she ate at least twice a day, I was so worried about her until I realized that i was totally over feeding her! She would take it, then give it back! More recently, now that she is over two, I have cut down nursing from on demand to three times a day, then twice a day and now to only at bed time, and she has starting drinking a lot more liquid as I have nursed her less. I had no idea how much milk i had! Anyway, the point of this anecdote is that she may be getting a LOT of milk and her little tummy is telling her to stop so she won;t do the milk returning that mine did. Please don't worry about her, I am sure she is fine, she is gaining weight so well and that is the best measure of how much a baby is eating at this point in her life. Enjoy these early months with your child, they are some of the most precious moments of parenting, why waste them worrying so much, I wish I hadn't! Good luck, keep chugging along on the nursing, that is the best thing you can offer her!
-L.

Don't worry Serena it is perfectly normal! Your baby is only 6 weeks old and will have irregular eating and sleeping patterns for a while. Keep the breastfeeding up. At this point it will get more regular and more predictable every day (2 steps forward though and one step back). I breastfed all three of my kids for the year and really I promise come 3 months it's much, much easier. And come 6 months it's easy as can be. Just keep it up!
M.

Hi Serena. From my experience all babies nurse differently. My first would take each breast at all feedings and take 45-60 minutes to nurse. My second would only take one breast and take only 5-7 to nurse. My third goes back and forth, he's 7 weeks old. Some of your daughters nursing may just be for comfort, which is why it is a little shorter and more frequent. A lot of people will say not to do that, but personally I think that is fine especially at that age. As she gets older you will find other ways to comfort her. It sounds like she is sleeping and growing well. That's most important. Good luck and enjoy your little one.

My oldest daughter was a "five minute feeder." As mentioned before, I'd just feed her from one breast during a feeding. Because she wouldn't nurse long, she wouldn't always wait 2-3 between feedings. I think some of it was quenching thirst rather than hunger. As long as she's gaining and growing, I wouldn't be worried. :)

Nope, you are doing GREAT! Keep up the good work!

I think the 2lbs should be reassurance :)

The weight gain is great. The ONLY thing I would watch is if the short feedings continue. She will need to have longer nursing sessions to get the hind, fatty milk that comes after getting the fore milk. Other than that I think it is fine. If you get more concerned see a lactation consultant. I was able to bill mine to insurance under my son when he was a newborn. Lactation consultants are vital if you want to continue nursing long term. They will help you, praise you, and give great advice. I am still nursing my son at 14 months and would not have made it through the first 6 weeks without a L.C.

Serena:

If you are really concerned it may be worth it for you to have a consultation with a lactation consultant... you can ask all of your questions/ have feedings watched and then you have someone who knows you two that you can call and check in on whenever you need.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www. lactationsupportgroup.com

I had this problem too... One mom suggested that your right breast may let down slower and that's why she's refusing... It could also be the opposite (which was my problem) my breasts let down too fast and my son would refuse. I documented my son's feedings until he was 6 months.. ha! I kept the charts and look at them when I get worried now and realize how unnecessary it was! Keep it up, it will get easier but your daughter seems like she's doing just fine!! Good luck.

Hi Serena,
i just wanted to add that your little girl may be going thru a growth spurt too! I have a 7 week old son and he eats all the time, when he was 6 weeks it seemed like he wanted to eat every hour! But things have slowed down a little for me now that he's a whole seven weeks! Hope I helped! C.

DON'T WORRY. Everything you describe sounds totally normal. Babies might change their habits several times as far as nursing goes. We never had a "routine". I nursed totally on demand, and that was fine for us.

I would forget the bottle, unless you are doing that to give hubby a chance to feed her, or just to get a little break. You are right at the 6 week mark which is usually when things start to get a little easier, at least they did for us. Just be patient, and don't stress. She'll eat when she needs to, and will let you know. Trust your instinct and don't worry so much about counting feedings. I know that's easier said than done, especially the first baby. But you'll get there. Breastfeeding is so much more than just feeding, it's so wonderful to bond with your baby that way. You don't need to time each session, either. :)

Something that helped me was to just let my son go as long as he wanted on each breast. That way, they get more hindmilk and it's mroe full of fat and nutrition. The foremilk is mostly water. So don't look at the clock. Do each feeding on one breast and alternate, is my advice. :)

I would not worry about this, but there are a few things I might change about how you nurse her...

You may have one breast (the left side, it sounds like) that produces more than the other. This is normal - I think my right side makes about 2x as much as my left (and it's about 2x as big!) It lets down faster, too. This may be why she doesn't like your right side - because it takes more work for her to get it going.

I would try giving her just one breast during a session, unless she really finishes it - in which case you can give her the other. That way she gets the good fatty hind milk. If she's frustrated with the right side you can have her nurse a little off the left side just until you let down - but then pop her off and let her drink from the left side - you'll let down on both sides at the same time - you can put some light pressure on your left side to stop it from leaking once she's off.

It sounds like you're doing great to me! Don't worry about her at all. Every baby has a different personality when it comes to eating. My son is a "hit and run" eater who rarely nurses for more than 10 minutes total, and my sister's son settles in for a leisurely 30-40 minute meal. They're both healthy babies who steadily gain weight (though my nephew is 3 months younger and outweighs my son by 4 lbs!)

Hi Serena,

You already have great advice from the others...I just wanted to add - RELAX! Babies sense everything...if you feel stressed, breathe deep and slow to relax yourself...this will help you, the baby and your milk supply. Keep up the good work!

Rather than watching the clock, you should watch your daughter for signs that she is atisfied. Does she swallow a lot? Ca you see milk at the corners of her mouth? do you feel a let-down? Women's milk flows at different rates so watching the clock is not necessarily going to tell you how much she is getting.

Most babies have a fussy time of day, and it seems to be in the evening for many. They will scream, cry, and refuse to be comforted for no apparent reason. This may be why she is fussy and refusing your breast in the evening.

Sounds very normal. Anything is normal as long as she is having enough diapers and gaining weight. :) You're a good mommy for worrying and keeping such a close eye on her! She will increase nursing significantly with each growth spurt. Some days I felt like I was literally glued to my baby, but then it would last for a week, she would gain some weight, and all was back to "normal."

Also, my daughter preferred one breast over the other and though I would still offer that one, we did end up just nursing from one breast after she was a year old and my supply decreased. Eventually I had milk in only my right breast, and I looked a little lopsided, but I was still able to produce enough to satisfy her!

There is a TERRIFIC breastfeeding forum where you can ask questions from experienced moms, LCs, etc at:
http://www.dapslyrics.com/friendly.php?sid=18447
I'm "Pixiesmommy" on the board if you join. It takes about 24 hrs to get approval to post, but you can read the other posts in the meantime.

If you have any other questions, feel free to send me a message. I'm studying to be a lactation consultant myself and love to research and answer people's questions!

Congrats on your new daughter! And congrats to you for feeding her the best stuff on earth! :)

Amanda
aspiring IBCLC

Breastfed babies go through many changes in eating habits and it is best to just roll with the punches. They know when they are hungry. I know it is easier said than done, cause I was exactly like you when my son was younger, but try to relax and not worry so much about when/how long she nurses. As long as she is gaining well, she is doing fine. They also go through a lot of growth spurts in these early days that can cause them to want to eat quite frequently. It is also common for babies to be more fussy at night. I am not sure that there is a reason behind it, buy my boy was extremely colicky at night. As she gets older her feeding patterns will become more predictable. It is very hard in the beginning, but things only get easier. ....and you will be happy you stuck it out. I know it seems neverending right now, but I promise it will get better :-)

Hi Serena,

Happy Mother's Day!

My advice is, relax...stop looking at the clock...just feed your little one when she acts hungry. It may be quite often, but that's okay. She will eat when she's hungry, stop when she's full, and her wet diapers will tell you she's okay.

You can drive yourself crazy documenting her feeding. Just watch her (her cues for hunger and her diapers) and everything will be fine.

I hope this helps...you're a great mom...just go with it!!

T.

Hey Serena:

Gained 2 lbs ... congratulations! It sounds like you're doing everything right. You shouldn't worry. Your baby is gaining weight and that's the most important measurement you have when nursing. I nursed my little one for 7 months and honestly no two weeks were the same. Just relax and enjoy - you're really lucky with a new baby and the ability/desire to nurse.

I wish you all the best!
Mags

I was the same way so we are both neurotic then :) It's all very normal. If you think about it yourself... sometimes you are more hungry at certain times. Sometimes you want just a little snack and sometimes you want a full meal. Sometimes you are in the mood for an item and sometimes you are not (for breast preference). And like other posts, she may be able to drain the breast better than she did before. As long as she is having 6-8 wet diapers a day you are fine. And ideally a bowel movement every 3-4 days (nursing babies can have a bowel movement less often because breastmilk is more easily absorbed). Keep it up. You are doing a great job. Breastfeeding, I found, was one of the hardest things but also the most rewarding. I nursed my twinkies for 10 months (just stopped 3 weeks ago) and really miss it! Congrats!

Serena-- It sounds like your little one is doing fine-- 2 lbs is great weight gain. their eating habits do change each month as their nutritional needs change to conicide with their growth. Often the fussiness or refusal you are talking about is actually inpatience--some babies just can't even wait for that letdown! So they get very upset waiting for the milk to come--hang in there it is the actual breastfeeding that will keep youR milk supply inline with what your daughter needs. If she acts like she wants to get off the breast, keep trying, once the milk flows she will be happy you kept offering it to her. She is the boss--she will tell you when she needs to eat-- which, by the way is usually pretty much around the clock--especially at her young age. I breastfed both my kids exclusively for the first year of their lives (and did so while working fulltime and pumping milk for them to eat while at daycare). I am still nursing my 15month-old. If you want to do it and be successful at it, you will be. Just stick with it! Good luck! Another note about breastmilk-- both my kids had very few colds during their first year of life, and now since I haven't been nursing my son as much he seems to catch all kinds of bugs here and there-- I tell ya, that breast milk is good stuff... helps to keep them well! :-)

Yep, totally normal. As long as she is growing well, and you can see signs that she is getting milk(swallowing, milk at the corners of her mouth, wet and dirty diapers), she may nurse at all different times of that day and for different lengths of time. My daughter would nurse forever, but both my sons could drain a breast in 5 minutes flat. Also, all three of my kids went through a breast rejection - just always offer that breast first, and then the other. Eventually she will take it again. Try not to watch the clock, that makes things more stressful. Oh and also, as babies get older they get better at nursing and their suck is more powerful, so they might only have to nurse for 5 to 10 minutes.

Try not to worry, and if you can't help it, go in for a weight check at your doctor;s office. You can usually schedule those pretty quickly. That will help you see that she is eating and growing.

Good luck and congrats!
J.