5 minutes?

[Rose-Roget]

NAK DD is 2 weeks old. We'll go in for her 2 week appt on Monday, but I think she's gaining fine. I've noticed her gulping or squeaking when nursing, she only nurses for abou 5 minutes on each side, she's taking longer and longer to burp, and she's been getting fussier with gas bubbles.

I've self-diagnosed myself as having overactive letdown, and I just started block feedings (is that what it's called?) today with me hand expressing a bit at the first letdown. She's continuing to only nurse for about 5 minutes most of the time, and some of the time or those times she eats for longer, I don't think she even sucks enough to get a 2nd letdown.

So my questions: 1. Do I hand express at the first letdown of each feeding, or just the first of each block? 2. If she only nurses for 5 minutes, if there were a letdown (or not), would she get enough to eat? If she nurses for 10 minutes with no letdown - could that be enough?

[womenswisdom]

When I block nursed, I didn't express at all, just fed on the same side for 4 hours and then switched. Babies can nurse as long or as short a time as they need to be full - there's no need to time them. I'm sure you're having some kind of letdown, since you've been nursing for 2 weeks and you surely would have noticed a major problem if you were not giving your baby any milk at all. Not all women feel their letdown the way it's described (or at all!). If she producing enough wet and dirty diapers, it's likely she's just fine. It can't come out if it isn't going in! Hope your appt goes well - I'm sure she's fine!

[Smithie]

All of my babies have been rapid nursers. As long as they gain, don't sweat it.

But it does sound like your baby might be overwhelmed by your letdown right now. 2 weeks is very young, soon she'll love your amazing supply! (but meanwhile I think that nursing on one side for a block of time is not a bad plan, maybe pumping the other side a bit and sticking that milk in the freezer for emergencies).

[Rose-Roget]

Thank you for those responses. We'll see how things continue to play out.

Another question: Do you think if she's used to a powerful letdown, and I've reduced that forcefulness with block feedings, that she could be "lazy" about her efforts to get a lot of milk? Several feedings, yesterday and today (since I started block feeding), she's barely sucked at all - or just a few times and then laid there sleeping/snuggling for a while, and then maybe a little more sucking. Today, after hours of on/off nursing and a fresh diaper change, she took a 3 hour nap. Her diaper was dry when she awoke.

I sound neurotic, but I just want to get things well-established. It's been several years since ds was bf'd. He was extremely refluxy/colicky, and I'm working to be able to distinguish that from my bf issues. TIA

[ewe+lamb]

babies whose mothers have over supply/letdown often find the actually sucking part difficult, if they suck they get overwhelmed if they don't then they still get milk! So in many cases a baby may have to learn to suck again when the milk supply is more regular, in our case it was at 7 months. You can try some breast compression which will eject the thick creamy hind milk to baby in turn helping with the gassiness - you can find a good example of this on www.drjacknewman.com - click on videos and you should find it. The thing with this sort of thing is you have to find out what works for you and your baby - if expressing a little milk beforehand helps then continue to do it - trust yourself and your baby and all will work out well!! Good luck

[Rose-Roget]

Thank you, ewe+lamb. I do compress while I feed her. That seems to stimulate some sucking but not for very long. I stopped expressing milk beforehand. It didnt' seem to do any good and it just upset dd. I'd tried it because I read somewhere that was what to do.

I actually contacted LLL in my area to see if they can give me some "hands on" tips, as well. Thank you!

[KaliShanti]

My 8 day old is the same way. She rarely eats more than 5-10 minutes on each side, sometimes not even switching sides. But she has plenty of wet/poopy diapers so I'm thinking some babies are just like this. (My first child took an hour to eat each time so this is weird for me!)