Feeding questions for a 4 day old... PLEASE HELP!!!! (10 PTS.)?

My daughter is now 8 weeks old but we had the VERY same problem with latching. Luckily I had a pump to begin with so make sure you get one! If you continue to give her formula without pumping your milk then that will hurt your milk supply.

You poor thing I'm so sorry you're having trouble =( You should definitely call the hospital you delivered at because sometimes they have lactation consultants that will come to your home! If not, you should at least be able to go there for help.

Keep trying to get her to latch instead of resorting to bottled formula, which will make it harder for her to latch to the breast because she has to work at the breast, but the bottle is easy for her. If you have a nipple shield use this to help because its harder and longer and hits the spot on the roof of their mouth to stimulate sucking.

Try to remember what the nurses were doing when they were helping you! Just calm down and take a deep breath, make sure you're eating and drinking, and just be patient and try to get her to latch. Did the nurses tell you to make a "sandwich" by pinching your breast around the areola? Try this to help fit it into her mouth and point the nipple upwards toward her nose and kind of let her suck it in. If this doesn't work then tickle her bottom lip with your nipple, (have your breast in the sandwich pinch hold), wait until she opens her mouth and has her tongue down, then ram her mouth to your breast. Do NOT bring the breast to her mouth, but bring HER to the breast. Hold the bottom part of her head/top of her neck and force her to the breast... don't worry you won't hurt her! Just keep trying this and when you get a good latch, don't stop the sandwich hold until shes latched on for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Good luck hun! Hang in there and don't give up. It took me 4-6 weeks for my daughter to get the hang of it! You can do it! =]

Don't panic!!! It will be okay. She is sleeping and not starving. You are doing great.

Occasionally, a baby given a bottle will have trouble latching on to the breast after, but if you are working with her, she will probably get it. One problem is stress. Babies don't latch well when mommies are stressed. So, don't panic. Try latching her on again when she is ready to eat and if it doesn't work, you can give her a bottle. Your milk is okay if you get a pump tomorrow. Especially if you at least try to get her on breast for the next few feedings.

Things you should do:

1. Contact the lactation consultant at the hospital and ask for an appointment. They should see you in the next day or so to help you out.

2. Make sure she is having enough wet and poopy diapers. She should probably have 3-4 wet diapers a day and at least a couple of poopies a day right now. If she is, she's eating well. No problem.

Know that if she takes formula, she will not want to eat as often as she does when she breast feeds. Formula sits in her belly longer. It may make her sleepier and it may push her feedings further apart.

Lots of people successfully breastfeed and give their babies formula. Just don't panic this first few days. This is your opportunity for both you and your baby to get things figured out. It will all work out okay and panic is not good for either of you. Relax. A little formula here, a little pumping there, a little help with latching, and you will be set!

Good luck!

First, take a deep breath. Remember, breastfeeding requires you to stay calm & relaxed. If you're tense and nervous, your milk doesn't come down quick enough & may discourage her from wanting the breast more.

I would continue to offer the breast 1st, then if she completely refuses, then give her a bottle, and not a lot either, just enough so she's not starving. This way you can offer your breast again in an hour or so. But don't give in to giving the bottle so fast. However, the best thing that helped me was taking away the bottle completely & only giving him the breast. Soon enough he learned that in order for him to eat, he needed to latch on. But don't put your daughter at risk of becoming malnourished, so you may have to give a bottle. Just remember that she's having to "learn" how to breastfeed herself. So be patient with her and yourself. She may have gotten used to the bottle b/c the flow is faster & requires less work on her part. Stay on a feeding schedule, at least every 3 hrs. Continue to offer the breast, and make sure that you stay hydrated & fed too. Remember, your milk production is a "supply on demand" so the more you put her to the breast, the more milk you'll make. This is just a few pointers that helped for me. Try to contact a lactation consultant if you need more help. Don't be discouraged! It's doable... just stay committed to it & breastfeeding will become a success. GOOD LUCK, & YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Listen! First thing you need is support. Tell your husband/boy-friend/who ever to take off days and to stay with you for 2 weeks. It is really important.

About latching, if your insurance pays try to invite lactation consultants as often as you can. If not, the you'll have to do it yourself. Because it is pretty expensive. You should try and try with breastfeeding, she has to learn and you have to learn. You are giving her a bottle, it might cause a nipple confusion.

If you give her breastmilk she will probably eat every 2-3 hours now, but with formula she can be full up to 4 hours.

I had the same problem, and I had nobody to help me, I mean female (mom/sister/mom-in-law). I called lactation consultant, she was here once and everything was perfect, but when she left it started all over again. I was crying too, a lot! I gave up breastfeeding, but I started pumping. Get pump, and pump every 3 hours during the day, and once at night.

But try hard to latch her on, because it is much easier.

http://www.llli.org/resources.html go to this site, find the phone number of local mom and with her, they really help and do great job.

If you need a help contact me, I will be more than happy to help you. I went through it, and just want to assure you it all will go.

Good luck!

First of all, take a deep breath! You are completely normal.

Now, throw away the formula. Throw all of it away as soon as you read this.

Your daughter will NOT starve. I understand your stress and your frustration but you have to trust me on this.

Half of the problem might be the pain meds you're on. They could be making her kind of drowsy. She doesn't need much food because she is only 4 days old so even if she sucks a couple of times she is still getting enough.

What I suggest you do is to camp out in bed with her all day tomorrow and just nurse her as much as you can, practicing latching while laying down that way you don't have to screw around trying to position her with your hands and get your nipple into her mouth. Lay on your side, lay her on her side, and do skin to skin. She will start to root and suck, I promise.

I mean it, ditch that formula and don't feed her any more of it. It's not necessary unless you keep doing it because if you do then your body will not get the signal to keep making more milk.

You can do this! I have faith in you, now you need to have faith in yourself.

<3

Your milk should be in so you would be able to pump. Do you have a lactation consultant? Otherwise just keep trying to breastfeed, it'll happen. My sister pumped for 3 months before her son would finally latch on.

IF you want to nurse your baby, THROW OUT the bottles and the formula. Forget about a pump.

STOP WORRYING and NURSE.

If you have any real evidence of a problem -- like no wet/dirty diapers -- then seek qualified nursing assistance, La Leche League or an IBCLC.

Print this out and refer to it whenever you're worried about whether or not she's had enough: http://kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk.html

Read: "Help -- My Baby Won't Nurse!"

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-b...

If you run for bottles and formula just because baby has gone four hours you will be on all bottles and formula in no time. Which is not benign. See http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/infant-form...

it is normal for a baby to lose weight in the beginning and on formula it is normal for them to go 3 hrs without eating but sometimes they have to be woke up to eat so i probaly would wake her and try and feed her good luck by the way try again to get her to latch on before you give her the bottle

First its best if you calm down (hard to do I totally understand)

look at this website it gives wonderful tips

http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/breastfeeding-wh...

Yes you can give her formula and breast milk.

But your best to try and get her to latch on.

Just remember hun. If she is REALLY hungry she will take it. I know it's frusterating but don't give in and give her formula or she wont want the breastmilk anyomore cause she will favor the formula.

(I went through this. & My son NEVER wanted breastmilk ever again after I had give in and gave him formula.)

Good luck hun and congrats :D:D:D:D:D