Lazy/Rester Breastfeeder, Help

This is so common for tiny babies. I felt like I was feeding my son constantly until he was about 3 months old. You can't develop bad habbits in such a small infant. It is normal that all they want to do is eat and sleep.

When they are older and are awake longer, have a bigger stomach and can eat more things will calm down.

My daughter was the same way. I just tickled her feet, played with her hands, ran my fingers across her face...to keep her awake while she fed. She almost always had her eyes closed, "relaxing" as she fed. When she was done she would unlatch.

It will get better. Maybe he is crying because he just wants to be held? My daughter refused to sleep without being held for the first month. Also she fell asleep while BF. I was told to completely undress her except for her diaper. I also would rub her back in a stimulating way to keep her awake and feeding. Also feed off both sides so he gets a full feeding each time you nurse. Maybe he does just want to nurse for comfort. It doesn't sound to me like your starting any bad habits. He will fall into a routine shortly.
Good luck!

J.

My little girl is your son's age and does the same thing. Nursing is also used for comfort, not just for food. My son, now 2, also did the same thing. He's only been away from your womb two weeks and is still adjusting to the world out there. I just followed what he needed and didn't worry about "bad" habits (picking your nose in public is a bad habit, not comforting oneself at the breast). Also, a newboen's tummy is literally the size of their fist and bm is quickly digested. Enjoy your little one now as much as you can...this won't last forever. My favorite books are The Baby Book (Dr. Sears) and LLL has some great books on nursing and the baby's view of it.

Congrats on your little man! Breastfeeding is one of the hardest things you'll do emotionally and physically, but also the MOST REWARDING! I've breastfed all 4 of my kids and each one had their own problems. You really need alot of support if you're going to make it. Try to find a good lactation consultant, my pediatrician has one on staff. If you're in Phoenix, my doctors office is Desert Sun and their number is ###-###-####. Also, there is a store called Mothers Milk in Scottsdale and the owner is a lactation trainer and she is so nice and helpful. I went into the store one day shortly after my 4th child was born and I was in tears and totally ready to give up nursing and she sat with me in the back room and helped me figure out what our nursing problem was (and it was free!!). Le Leche League has an amazing website that is full of info too! Good luck and don't give up!!!

Sounds totally normal for that age :). Don't worry, at just 2 weeks old, you are not establishing any habits, just a good milk supply! If he just wants to be close to you, I recommend buying a good wrap (I love my gypsymama bali breeze) and wearing him around during the day so that you can be close and have your arms free. Hang in there.... you are doing awesome and it WILL get better!

My son did that too. He just wanted to be held and cuddled all the time, and that was a way to get it. So, I held and cuddled him. (They're only little once, and for such a short time.) He turned out just fine!! Hold him and love him while you can. :) (Soon enough he'll be a teenager and find it embarrasing to be hugged by mom)

Dear S.; There is only one expert in this field and that's your little baby. He knows what he needs and when he needs it. Trust him. This is the newborn stage and it won't last forever, so just go with the flow. He could be stimulating the milk production for a growth spurt that only he knows is coming. Also, what he is doing sounds like "cluster feedings" where the baby eats frequently for a few hours, then sleeps for a long time. Whatever the reason, it's important that you relax and stop worrying. He is a unique person, no one has ever been born exactly like him, so let him tell you what he wants.

Grandma and former nurser, D.

He sounds totally normal to me for a 2 week old! It's so unfair to us moms that no one tells us to expect so much nursing. Right now it's your full time job, really. Falling asleep at the breast is normal for a good long while, too. Get a sling and learn to nurse in the sling and on the go, if you are feeling restless. But it sounds like he is doing just fine. And contact your local LLL for support!

My son is 5 months old now, and still does this at times, he is just establishing the milk that he needs. I remember feeling frustrated too in the beginning, because I basically sat my butt on the couch for a lot of the day and fed him. Perhaps you can rent some good videos and enjoy the time you have with your new baby...you won't regret it..I don't! I recall in the beginning from about 3pm til 8pm, sitting and feeding him.....he would eat, snooze, wake up want to eat more...it's what they do.
Good luck!
K.

Like others have said, totally normal! I would guess he's probably starting his first growth spurt (typically happen at 3 wks, 6 wks, and 3 mos where they grow a ton, and eat / sleep alot) Of course all kids are different and follow their own growth / development path, so I bet your LO is just having his first growth spurt early, or he's ramping up for it, so he's eating alot 'cause he really does need more food now then he has the last couple weeks. My advice, if you truly want to breastfeed exclusively, is to let him nurse now as much as he wants, otherwise your supply won't be able to keep up with his bigger self in a couple weeks...his extra nursing now will increase your supply.
Good luck w/ it!
My other bit of advice? Enjoy holding, cuddling, and nursing that nb now, as much as he wants; it's all too soon before he'll be a big, busy toddler w/out much "time" for cuddling!

Congrats on your baby boy and also on your choice to breastfeed! I have nursed all four of my kids and it is a choice you definately will not regret! You are experiencing very typical behavior for a two week old! Enjoy it, savor it, and use it as an excuse for hubby to wait on you hand and foot :) If you really need a break from the nursing, you could try a sling or some sort of a carrier, so he can still be close and warm, but it frees you up to move around. You really won't start to see any patterns in his behavior until he is about six weeks or older, and then, once you start to see it, he'll change. They are very dynamic little beings right now, so just go with it :)

I had this same problem, and it actually caused eventual weight loss because our little fellow was sleeping more than he was eating. First, I tried to do anything necessary to keep him awake - touch his cheek with a wet wash cloth, sing, etc. When our ped saw him and noticed the weight loss, he recommended the following: Not letting him eat more than 20 minutes at a time and having a minimum of 30 minutes between feedings so that he would take it seriously and EAT. It worked beautifully and we haven't had problems since. Blessings!

HI S.
My son is the same age and practically does the same thing. It's normal they were just in our tummies and need to be close to us. Babies love and need to suck for reasons other than hunger. Be in the moment and don't worry about forming patterns already. Just be with your baby in the now. He can feel/sense your anxiety.
We are so blessed to be new parents and our boys are fortunate to have breastfeeding moms who love and care for them so deeply.

I have breastfed my two children, and they were this way, and I realized - they were going through growth spurts. They did this at about 2 - 2 1/2 weeks, and again at about 3 months or so. It may have happened again at 6 months (I can't totally remember). The first time (after two weeks) was the most difficult - especially after my first because I didn't realize what was going on.

It took me about 2 days to get my milk supply to naturally keep up with her hunger, and then it was fine. I didn't do anything special (I didn't give her formula or any other foods), I just had to be a little more tired/patient those two days while my body caught up with her new needs.

I'm not totally sure if this is what you are experiencing, but the timing seems like it may be the case. I hope you are able to find out the help you need.

C.

You have so much good advice, I just want to add more support and encouragement. Congratulations on your new baby. I'm nursing my fourth - though she is now 10 months old, but I still remember those early weeks with my first. Nothing turns your world upside down like a new baby, and it all sounds perfectly normal to me, though I know you feel at a loss. As long as he is gaining and you feel your supply is good, don't worry about a schedule just yet - there is plenty of time for that. Let him have what he wants for now. None of my babies really "wanted" pacifiers at first; don't force it, but if you want him to eventually accept it, don't give up offering it. We live in Mesa, and there is a wonderful place called Baby, Mother and More at the SE corner of Gilbert/Southern that has a lactation consultant. I had to use a lactation nurse for my first, but have done on my own for the rest, but she truly saved my first son's breastfeeding experience! I know it's difficult, but you are doing the best you can for your baby and this time will go so quickly. Good luck!

The best thing I did was to join a breastfeeding support group. I learned so much and found that many other moms were having the same kind of issues. Pump-n-go Moms is one group I go to it is leadby a wonderful lactation consultant. Here is the web site. I hope you go and check it out. http://www.pump-n-go.com/moms%20group.htm

I had that situation with both of my children and I will never forget how frustrating that was (they are 7 and 5 years old now). It is called being a "sleepy baby". I would strip my baby down to just a diaper, put a cold washcloth on him/her and make them eat the length that they need. If none of the advice help that all of give you, you may want to consider hiring a Lactation Consultant. I had some other problems too and she did help as far as getting the baby to latch on better and giving me tips to make it more successful. The ONLY thing I did not like is that my daughter was a big baby and I could not produce enough milk and had other problems and I wish I would have supplimented with a bottle. Consultants preach that the baby will reject your breast if you supplement, but I know plenty of Moms who have done this.

When my first daughter was little she was the same way. I felt like I hardly ever left the couch. She ate,slept, burped, diaper change and started over again. No need for a schedule at this young age- he'll set his own. Just go with the flow.

S.~
Congrats to you on your new baby boy & your little one for having such a dedicated mommy!

I have 6 children (currently breastfeeding our 5mo) and I have breastfed all of them & loved it.
You could say we implement a lot of the Attachement Parenting style. And in doing so I have discovered wearing your baby helps a lot in the early months...as well as swaddling them.

One thing I HIGHLY RECOMMEND is to learn more about the secret language of babies by Dunstan (who was a guest on Oprah).
Check out her web here: http://www.dunstanbaby.com/
Believe me, this is very useful information. I only wish I had this with my first one!
Good luck & the best to you & your baby boy!
~D.

My baby was similar. I nursed her on demand. She would cry...so I would nurse her, but her crying might not have been for hunger. I'd put her down, she would cry...so I would nurse her. The problem was she was too full. She would be uncomfortable then cry. Nursing comforted her, but also made her more full. So it was a pretty bad cycle. We took her to the doctor because we thought she had reflux (she would cry when we layed her down) he diagnosed her with over-eating :) I Don't know if this is your little guy's problem, but it's something to consider.

I felt like I was stuck on the couch all day long breastfeeding when my son was that age. I say let him. He is still so little and if nursing gives him comfort, comfort is what he needs. This time will pass so quickly and you will look back fondly to those days!

He's still very new - keep feeding on demand until he sets a schedule for active waking and deeper sleeping as he grows - it can seem tedious as it sometimes feels like we are just food dispensers and diaper changers, but just relax and let yourself recuperate while you enjoy this important bonding time with him. If he's sleepy while nursing you can also drowse/nap (any extra zzz's are good right now for both of you) or if you are too alert have a magazine or light book nearby. You are doing the best thing a mother can do by giving of yourself for your child. Keep up the good work!

It sounds like he is crying for a diffent reason other then hunger. It could be acid reflux with out the spit up. They say that it soothes him to eat even if they don't need it.y son had acid reflux with alot of spit up, he wanted to eat all the time too. I have recently learned baby massage which helps with a bunch of issues. Does it seem like your son is having stomach issues? Is his tummy hard or does his legs move alot? Infant massage helps with colic which this may be if you cannot put him down after feeding and cannot console him without feeding. Are you interested in learning infant massage? I have recently done it on our son and he is sleeping a bunch more and is overall a more happy baby. Let me know if you are interested.

Hi S.-
It's OK. Just go with the flow. He sounds like he's doing just fine. Don't worry about the scheduling- things will fall into place... You may wish to get one of those kangaroo carriers- some babies are just very touchy about losing contact with their moms. You may wish to start napping when he's sleeping. You should start seeing a pattern soon, if you don't try to impose pre-conceived notions of what he 'should' be doing- I know that some people can be very 'helpful' that way, but it tends not to be too constructive, and baby and you then tend not to find your own rhythms.

Take it from a Mom of 3, breastfed them all, and my Mom is an R.N., you don't want to let him breastfeed more than 20 min on one side~ you don't have anything left after that and it's just sucking! I would keep trying the pacifier, or try getting him to suck his thumb or hand while holding him close to you. I know he is a little guy, but maybe just putting him down and letting him cry~ a little~ will help him ajust to the outside world. Good luck