Breastfeeding
Not enough milk?
SuusvVGuest ·
Hi there,
My son is 9.5 weeks old, weighs 5.1 kg, and is exclusively breastfed.
He feeds on both breasts for about 5 minutes, and after that, it seems like not much more milk comes out. He lets go and gets restless. He tries to latch on again but then lets go again. Sometimes he doesn't even want to take the second breast, and I really have to encourage him multiple times to feed. After feeding, pumping yields almost nothing. An hour after feeding, he has about 40 ml total, whereas before feeding he had about 80 ml. This all seems very little to me. Otherwise, he's usually content and gained exactly 150 grams last week. He also has good wet diapers. At night, he still wakes up twice for a feed, every 3 hours, and it's really wearing me out. I'm even considering switching to bottle feeding because that digests slower... It would be so nice if he could sleep a bit longer at night. Could he still be getting too little milk and therefore not sleeping longer? We also supplemented with 40 ml of expressed breast milk after the last feed at 11 PM, and he still didn't sleep longer...
Anyone got tips for this??
Thanks in advance!
My son is 9.5 weeks old, weighs 5.1 kg, and is exclusively breastfed.
He feeds on both breasts for about 5 minutes, and after that, it seems like not much more milk comes out. He lets go and gets restless. He tries to latch on again but then lets go again. Sometimes he doesn't even want to take the second breast, and I really have to encourage him multiple times to feed. After feeding, pumping yields almost nothing. An hour after feeding, he has about 40 ml total, whereas before feeding he had about 80 ml. This all seems very little to me. Otherwise, he's usually content and gained exactly 150 grams last week. He also has good wet diapers. At night, he still wakes up twice for a feed, every 3 hours, and it's really wearing me out. I'm even considering switching to bottle feeding because that digests slower... It would be so nice if he could sleep a bit longer at night. Could he still be getting too little milk and therefore not sleeping longer? We also supplemented with 40 ml of expressed breast milk after the last feed at 11 PM, and he still didn't sleep longer...
Anyone got tips for this??
Thanks in advance!
Replies
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GEMMA #2
I ate fenugreek, which gives you more milk, and I saw the difference right away. Then I had too much milk, and he would choke on it. -
Veraaa #3
Breastfeeding can really be a struggle at times. He's only 9.5 weeks old, so those nights... that's completely normal. Besides, breastfeeding has more functions... it's not just about filling the little tummy, but also providing comfort and trust.
My daughter had night feeds for a very long time. I slept next to her so that feeding went quickly.
As for the amount.... it's not just the quantity, but rather that the last part from the breast is the fatty, rich milk. It's important that he gets that. If he's gaining weight well and has good wet diapers, there seems to be no reason for concern.
You can always contact the health center or a lactation consultant. Often, the latter is covered by your health insurance. That's really an expert on breastfeeding and they can give you all the tips.
Switching to bottle feeding is always an option. If you really want to go for breastfeeding, I would just ask for help. I was lucky with a maternity nurse who was really an expert. She taught me so much that I was able to do it for 7 months. Ultimately, bottle feeding is not bad either... breastfeeding gives that little extra.
And.... little ones are better filled in small amounts. Children who come every 3 to 4 hours are doing it very well for themselves. That can be intense at times, but it's really healthy for them.
Good luck! -
Anonymous Guest #4
1 tip: call the lactation consultant. They have the most expertise on this, and it's usually covered by insurance. -
Anonymous Guest #5
Sorry, but what do you expect from a 9.5-week-old baby? That he sleeps through the night? Waking every 3 hours is NORMAL. Breast milk also digests quickly, so pretty much all of that is normal. Maybe he's swallowing air when he unlatches and gets gas from that? Maybe he just has a sucking need but keeps getting milk every time you let him latch on. Maybe he's having a growth spurt? Please, let go of that night-weaning idea.
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