Feeding a hungry newborn

MeganMay

Hi all, a couple of questions from a very nervous first time mammy here! Our little man was born 8 days ago at 9Lbs 5 ozs. I tried to breastfeed but there were a few issues and I switched the bottle after 2 days (quick change I know but I had a horrible experience with the hospital - a story for another post!) and While I thought I had prepared myself for the possibility of bottle feeding, it turns out I'm completely clueless!
We had the phn over yesterday - he's not back to his birth weight yet so she wants us to feed him every three hours. We're waking him every three hours now (4 hours at night) but he can be a bit pukey/burpy because he guzzles so quickly. We're stopping to wind him every 15 mls but it takes awhile to get it up and then he's usually asleep by the end of the feed. We're using the tommee tippee slow flow teats but they don't seem any slower to me - he's such a guzzler! What teats do people recommend for this please?
We're giving him around 100 mls, I'm not sure how to check if he needs more because he usually nods off then with all the winding. my husband thinks it's cruel to wake him up to feed and that we should let him wake naturally. He's concerned he's not getting enough sleep then with all the winding and resettling. Also, feeding him every 3 hours (and 4 at night) as the PHN instructed seems to add up to 7 feeds a day - this seems like a lot? sI'm afraid this little man is going to go through the ringer with new nervous parents making stupid mistakes!

We have Dr brown bottles on standby - would these help and would they work with tommee tippee electric steriliser? So many questions sorry!

uck51js9zml2yt

Congrats. Everything you said seems normal.
We fed our eldest, now 5 every 3 hours due to jaundice ( the feeds washes it out). I never woke him so maybe try that. They can feed half asleep.
P
Try Nuk teats. Our first liked them, our second had normal teats but was on 125ml in 4 days and fed every 3 hours as he was hungry.he was a big baby.

What formula are you using? Maybe try a different one and see how it goes. I found getting the small bottles let us test them easily.
My wife expressed on both but we used formula on number 2 to supplement the feeds until she had enough to give him.
As for going asleep when feeding, its perfectly normal. Its hard work and as they get full they go asleep. If he's getting sick he may be getting to much and can't handle it so try giving a little less than the full feed. If after a while he still wants it give it.
A lot of it is trial and lots of error until you all get into a pattern.
The thing is to check his nappies. If they are green then he's not getting enough and needs extra bottles till the normal colour returns.

bp

My first was a similar size and mainly bf for the first month. It was slow to start and she used to bf for an hour every three hours!!! Just keep feeding away, maybe strip them down for feeds to keep them awake, I used to have to do that.

She used to wake every three hours naturally. You are doing a great job, just be careful switching brands of formula too often and stay away from hungry baby.

Check for reflux - puking as they mightnt be getting as much ,

catkit

He needs milk more than he needs sleep, so don't be concerned about waking him! The risk is to get into a vicious circle, with the baby too sleepy to feed, and then getting too little nourishment leading to them getting even sleepier - so keep on doing what you're doing.

LegacyUser

My wife is breastfeeding our 5 day old boy. He is feeding non-stop. Sleeping for 1-2 hours then cluster feeding for an hour or more. If I pick him up, he is like Woody Woodpecker looking for a nipple to nurse.

This lasts about 1 month to six weeks.

I would suggest you try breastfeeding again for many reasons:
1. no measuring
2. no concerns about waking for feeding, just don't wake him
3. breastmilk adapts to what baby needs
4. no bottles, no sterilising

wilecoyote

MeganMay wrote: »

Hi all, a couple of questions from a very nervous first time mammy here! Our little man was born 8 days ago at 9Lbs 5 ozs. I tried to breastfeed but there were a few issues and I switched the bottle after 2 days (quick change I know but I had a horrible experience with the hospital - a story for another post!) and While I thought I had prepared myself for the possibility of bottle feeding, it turns out I'm completely clueless!
We had the phn over yesterday - he's not back to his birth weight yet so she wants us to feed him every three hours. We're waking him every three hours now (4 hours at night) but he can be a bit pukey/burpy because he guzzles so quickly. We're stopping to wind him every 15 mls but it takes awhile to get it up and then he's usually asleep by the end of the feed. We're using the tommee tippee slow flow teats but they don't seem any slower to me - he's such a guzzler! What teats do people recommend for this please?
We're giving him around 100 mls, I'm not sure how to check if he needs more because he usually nods off then with all the winding. my husband thinks it's cruel to wake him up to feed and that we should let him wake naturally. He's concerned he's not getting enough sleep then with all the winding and resettling. Also, feeding him every 3 hours (and 4 at night) as the PHN instructed seems to add up to 7 feeds a day - this seems like a lot? sI'm afraid this little man is going to go through the ringer with new nervous parents making stupid mistakes!

We have Dr brown bottles on standby - would these help and would they work with tommee tippee electric steriliser? So many questions sorry!

Firstly congrats on your new baby. Our boy is 15weeks and thriving now. He's also very hungry and feeding every 3hrs since he was born. We use Aptimal stage 1 and Avent bottles. I wouldn't be inclined to wake him too often for feeding . Our PHN also advised us on feeding etc and to be honest it was bad advice. They're working off stats and books and are trying to make sure your little boy meets her standards, remember no two babies are the same. Our one had us worrying our boy was deaf? ? He's perfect. Any way on the falling asleep, we found a handy way to keep him awake was to have a finger under his chin or to "tickle" his thigh too. It's amazing how fast he'll change and on the nervous parents thing, you're not nervous, you're just a loving concerned parent who's doing the best they can do. We were the same and thinking you're nervous just makes you so. Best of luck Niall

tinkerbell

I really wish people would stop referring to newborn babies as "hungry" as if not all babies are hungry. All newborns should be feeding on demand. Their bellies are teeny tiny and therefore a small amount fills them up, is digested quickly and therefore they need to feed again shortly after. This is normal. Not that the baby is "hungry". And as someone else said, please stay away from that awful hungry baby formula. It is not recommended.

OP, you can probably still breastfeed if you wish to - seek some advice from La Leche League, Ciudiu or a lactation consultant. Also regarding any milk feeds, it should be at least 8 in 24 hours. And yes, you need to wake your baby for feeds at that age / weight.

Marz66

I also just wanted to say its not too late to get back to breastfeeding (in case you thought it was). If you did i definitely would get a lactation consultant straightaway. It would probably involve some hard work for a few weeks (pumping etc) but you would get there.

I couldn't get my baby to latch for nearly 2 weeks - sleepiness was also a factor but I got there with a LC and posting here.

Good luck if you stick with the bottles. Sleepiness will pass as soon as the jaundice goes and he feeds enough so it won't always be like this.

angeldelight

Congratulations! We also had to wake our little girl every 3 hours to feed at the start as she was very jaundiced. It was such a pain as she was quite the puker too so we'd have to hold her upright for almost an hour after a feed so she didn't bring the whole thing up. We used to strip her right down to vest sometimes as it was the only way she didn't fall asleep straight away on the bottle. If you're struggling with wind there's no harm trying the dr brown bottles - we used the Mam anti colic ones and found them brilliant. The best winding tip we were given in the hospital was sit the baby on your knee with your hand supporting their chin then put your other hand round the back of their head to hold it and rotate their entire upper body in circles. Always got big burps up that way when patting back etc would take ages

MeganMay

Thanks everyone for the responses. Been sticking to the three hour feeds despite a lot of family members telling me I'm mad to wake a sleeping baby. Going to call in to the health centre on Tuesday to see how his weight is doing.

Re calling him a hungry baby, it's what the midwives in hospital kept calling him so I got a bit hung up on it. I had such a bad experience in hospital with different midwives giving conflicting advice on feeding. They didn't have any time to help with the breastfeeding because they were so under staffed and differing skills levels. I would still like to breastfeed so am considering all options.

mirrorwall14

Just out of curiosity how long would he nap if you left him to it?

MeganMay

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Just out of curiosity how long would he nap if you left him to it?

He could sleep up to four or five hours at a time if let go. I wouldn't have really let him go longer than 4 though based on what the midwives advised me in hospital.

lazygal

Op if you'd still like to breastfeed check out the extended breastfeeding Ireland Facebook page and look up relactation. Newborns aren't hungry, they feed for comfort and reassurance. A private lactation consultant might be worth checking out.

farmchoice

as a parent of 3 and someone who has been dealing with babies constantly for 6 years now I'd be loathe to wake him up but as others have said at only 8-10 days old i suppose you better.

the one advantage (well one of the advantages) of bottle feeding is you know how much they are getting so if you are trying to beef up a baby its easier.

now before the boob Nazis have a go i have nothing against breast, feeding, its great, it will make your child an virus proof genius, who loves his mother and will lead to world peace etc,etc, but sometimes bottles are necessary so don't feel a bit bad about it as long ans he is eating even if it a bit slow and messy he will be grand plus with the bottles you and your other half can share the work load.

as for changing from one brand to another id leave it yet it probably wont make any difference. its too early to tell see how he is getting on in a few weeks.

tinkerbell

farmchoice wrote: »

as a parent of 3 and someone who has been dealing with babies constantly for 6 years now I'd be loathe to wake him up but as others have said at only 8-10 days old i suppose you better.

the one advantage (well one of the advantages) of bottle feeding is you know how much they are getting so if you are trying to beef up a baby its easier.

now before the boob Nazis have a go i have nothing against breast, feeding, its great, it will make your child an virus proof genius, who loves his mother and will lead to world peace etc,etc, but sometimes bottles are necessary so don't feel a bit bad about it as long ans he is eating even if it a bit slow and messy he will be grand plus with the bottles you and your other half can share the work load.

as for changing from one brand to another id leave it yet it probably wont make any difference. its too early to tell see how he is getting on in a few weeks.

I suggest you stop stating "advantages" when you don't know anything about breastfeeding, because if you did you would know that you can tell how much breastmilk a baby is getting according to the amount of nappies that they are having. Formula measured out into a bottle is not the only way you can tell how much a baby has consumed. Breasts have been around for thousands of years, they don't come with a measuring gauge on the side of them, it is not needed as babies have fed and thrived on breastmilk for thousands of years!

Oh and I LOL at these posts that say "I have nothing against breastfeeding BUT..." :rolleyes: Your reference to "boob nazis" is also highly offensive - what is it exactly that you find so awful about women who choose to feed their babies with the milk that their bodies produce for that baby, that you would compare them to the Hitler regime? You never hear of breastfeeding mothers refer to those who feed formula as "formula nazis". Show a bit of respect.

OP, midwives are notoriously crap at giving breastfeeding advice because they tend to know nothing about it and there's a lot of formula pushing at hospitals. Your best bet is to contact a lactation consultant, website here:

http://www.alcireland.ie/find-a-consultant/

You can totally get back to breastfeeding your baby, but you need to get some proper support ASAP. Call someone tomorrow - they do home visits.

farmchoice

tinkerbell wrote: »

I suggest you stop stating "advantages" when you don't know anything about breastfeeding, because if you did you would know that you can tell how much breastmilk a baby is getting according to the amount of nappies that they are having. Formula measured out into a bottle is not the only way you can tell how much a baby has consumed. Breasts have been around for thousands of years, they don't come with a measuring gauge on the side of them, it is not needed as babies have fed and thrived on breastmilk for thousands of years!

Oh and I LOL at these posts that say "I have nothing against breastfeeding BUT..." :rolleyes: Your reference to "boob nazis" is also highly offensive - what is it exactly that you find so awful about women who choose to feed their babies with the milk that their bodies produce for that baby, that you would compare them to the Hitler regime? You never hear of breastfeeding mothers refer to those who feed formula as "formula nazis". Show a bit of respect.

OP, midwives are notoriously crap at giving breastfeeding advice because they tend to know nothing about it and there's a lot of formula pushing at hospitals. Your best bet is to contact a lactation consultant, website here:

http://www.alcireland.ie/find-a-consultant/

You can totally get back to breastfeeding your baby, but you need to get some proper support ASAP. Call someone tomorrow - they do home visits.

Ha, Ha, what did i tell ya, relax will you ,it was said in jest which is bloody obvious.
This is what i meant really ,wild over reaction to any comment that pokes fun at the terribly earnest and serious attitude of those who elevate breastfeeding to an almost religious status

cyning

farmchoice wrote: »

Ha, Ha, what did i tell ya, relax will you ,it was said in jest which is bloody obvious.
This is what i meant really ,wild over reaction to any comment that pokes fun at the terribly earnest and serious attitude of those who elevate breastfeeding to an almost religious status

To you it might have been obvious. To me it read like you were trying to provoke a reaction by using insulting language. It's not over reacting to feel insulted by someone referring to you as a nazi.

Op I hope you got on well today and were able to get baby weighed... And that her weight gain was great! If not it will get there: I had to wake my little girl every 3 hours after she started dropping down the centile charts because she had such bad reflux: from the 75th to 25th at worst. But it's a short term thing normally. My first woke every two hours no matter what I did!

John Mason

farmchoice wrote: »

Ha, Ha, what did i tell ya, relax will you ,it was said in jest which is bloody obvious.
This is what i meant really ,wild over reaction to any comment that pokes fun at the terribly earnest and serious attitude of those who elevate breastfeeding to an almost religious status

There is nothing funny about being called a Nazis. Do you know who they were/are ?

Perhaps you should do reading up and think before you such a hateful, derogatory term again.

OP, babies have very tiny tummies, they fill up quickly. It might be an idea to stop feeding every few minutes to let him, catch his breath and swallow down what he has taken and burp him. It might take him a while to catch on what to do. This is all new to him as well.

tinkerbell

farmchoice wrote: »

Ha, Ha, what did i tell ya, relax will you ,it was said in jest which is bloody obvious.
This is what i meant really ,wild over reaction to any comment that pokes fun at the terribly earnest and serious attitude of those who elevate breastfeeding to an almost religious status

No, it wasn't in jest. You referred to breastfeeding mothers as nazis, there is nothing funny about that. As someone else has said, why use the nazi term? It's disgusting, hateful and plain ignorant. Who is elevating breastfeeding to a religious status? You are the one who started insulting people on this thread and posting wrong information and using hateful terms. Just because you have issues with breastfeeding, doesn't mean you have to project it onto the rest of us who are purely trying to help and support the OP in dealing with her problem.

Rua1

MeganMay wrote: »

Also, feeding him every 3 hours (and 4 at night) as the PHN instructed seems to add up to 7 feeds a day - this seems like a lot? sI'm afraid this little man is going to go through the ringer with new nervous parents making stupid mistakes!

We have Dr brown bottles on standby - would these help and would they work with tommee tippee electric steriliser? So many questions sorry!

I'm certain you are doing wonderfully.....I felt the same way when I had my first little baby.

We had a very similar issue. We had the tommee tippee bottles (I was pumping and supplementing with formula - long story), but our little lad basically ate the teats, so we did change to Dr Browns.
We did get the Dr Browns bottles into the tommee tippee steraliser (the electric one).

banbhaaifric

Hi OP,
Totally normal for new babies to eat little and often. If you google 'babies stomach size' there are some great images that show how big their tummys are. I think at 8 days it's the size of a walnut? While you're googling have a look at paced bottle feeding and that might help too.
I'm a plus 1 for getting back to breastfeeding if you feel you didn't get the chance to give it a proper go. Support is woeful in maternity hospitals and I've heard phns spout things like no fizzy drinks or alcohol. The mind boggles. As another poster said there is a very supportive facebook group extended breastfeeding ireland which might be worth popping in to.

It is also totally normal for a ftm to be unsure about just about everything
You are doing great. Just mind yourself and remember the first 6 weeks everything is only settling down, so throw yourself on the couch with a cuppa and ignore any mess!!