weird AF and, is my baby a breastmilkoholic?

[joyakshi]

Roslyn is 10.5 weeks old. we have been awake for 6 hours today and I have BF 4 times. I BF 5 or 6 times overnight, and it took 2 hours of BF'ing to get her down last night. I am not sleeping. It's every 1-2 hours, sometimes twice per hour. It's been getting progressively MORE often at night, not less. We co-sleep: baby in an arm's reach, me in bed.
When DH has her and she sees me, she cries. Is she a little addict?
WHY? what can I do? is this normal? when will it change? we're going to add formula so DH can feed her too. I get zilch when I pump b/c baby is sucking it all down so often. maybe with some formula I can catch up and get some milk pumped and stored for DH to use.
her stools are orangey mustard 80% of the time, but we get green 20%. I try to block feed but mostly she wants both breasts each time except at night when she falls asleep after one side. I can't tell from her nursing style when to expect green. It seems she nurses the same and sometimes it's green and sometimes orange.

also, AF is starting but SLOWLY. spotting for 2 days now, very little cramps (which is rare). is it normal for it to sputter back like this when BF'ing?

[Therese's Mommy]

It is my understanding that, unless one is very careful, supplementing with formula will only hurt your supply.

[Maela]

I don't know about AF, but Yes, I think your baby sounds normal. How long does she feed each time? Both of my kids have been the same, as in nursing once or twice an hour, but only for about 5-10 minutes at a time. I guess that's why they nursed so much. Does your lo nurse for that short of time? Could she be going through a growth spurt? Ds (just in the last two days) has been waking more to nurse at night (~4 times instead of 2). And now that he's not as fussy and my oversupply has been controlled a bit, he's been nursing more often and longer. It's just way more enjoyable for him now.

Green poop: Dd would have it every now and then (maybe 10% of the time?), and I could never figure it out. Ds just seems to have it when I accidentally eat some dairy.

Hopefully, that was somewhat helpful.

[Contrariety]

I've read that the green poop can be from baby not getting enough hindmilk... could be the case that your babe isn't nursing long enough to get hindmilk and that's why you're nursing so frequently... baby burns through the watery foremilk quickly and will be hungry again sooner. Are you making sure to empty the first side before moving to the next?

[Pookietooth]

That is too often and too long if you ask me. I would see a really good lactation consultant first, or maybe since it's the holidays, go to Jack Newman's site and read about breast compression (and watch the videos), it may be your baby isn't latched right and isn't nursing efficiently. His book is also really good. I'd hold off on the formula until your supply is well established, at least until 3 months. You may have better luck with a different pump -- if you're using a manual one, try an electric and vice versa. Can you hand express any? If she usually wants both breasts I don't think you need to block feed, she must need both.
See:
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...tion&Itemid=17
Here is more about getting the baby to take in more:
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...tion&Itemid=17
If you find you must supplement, do so at the breast and not with a bottle. Bottles are a bad scene if the baby already has latch issues; if your dh wants to help, he can dress, diaper, bathe the baby, and rock the baby to sleep after you have fed your dd.

[Kmama2]

Originally Posted by joyakshi

Roslyn is 10.5 weeks old. we have been awake for 6 hours today and I have BF 4 times. I BF 5 or 6 times overnight, and it took 2 hours of BF'ing to get her down last night. I am not sleeping. It's every 1-2 hours, sometimes twice per hour. It's been getting progressively MORE often at night, not less. We co-sleep: baby in an arm's reach, me in bed.
When DH has her and she sees me, she cries. Is she a little addict?
WHY? what can I do? is this normal? when will it change? we're going to add formula so DH can feed her too. I get zilch when I pump b/c baby is sucking it all down so often. maybe with some formula I can catch up and get some milk pumped and stored for DH to use.
her stools are orangey mustard 80% of the time, but we get green 20%. I try to block feed but mostly she wants both breasts each time except at night when she falls asleep after one side. I can't tell from her nursing style when to expect green. It seems she nurses the same and sometimes it's green and sometimes orange.

also, AF is starting but SLOWLY. spotting for 2 days now, very little cramps (which is rare). is it normal for it to sputter back like this when BF'ing?

She might be going through a growth spurt.. or your supply might have dipped if you are getting your period. I wouldn't suppliment with formula unless I absolutely had too... but thats just me. Your baby sounds totally normal and fine to me. DOn't count how many times she has nursed.. it will only dirve your crazy. Babies nurse for lots of reasons -not just huger.
Her stools sound fine. Occassionally green stools are normal I think. Sometimes if I eat alot of spinach/leafy greens ds has green poops. Unless its ALL THE TIME green/ or goes along with other issues I wouldn't worry about the occasional green poop.
Ds can contendly being sucking on a pacifer and if he sees me he spits it out immediately... same with snuggling. He CAN NOT snuggle or even lay on my chest with out looking for the boobs.
Formula can be upsetting to your babies tummy if all she has had is breastmilk... not to mention can constipation, smelly poops.. it also has HFCS in it. Stick with breast unless you have a reason to use formula???
And as far as the periods go... I think its normal. My first period with dd was just like a normal period but with ds I have had 2 days of spotting.. the nothing then another day of spotting then nothing... so far no full blown period. Its all hormone related.

[Pookietooth]

I think waking hourly 24/7 would drive me insane, so if it were me I'd be trying to do something. Two hours of bfing sounds too much, too hard -- is bfing the only way she will fall asleep? DD as well as my ds both, at least early on, have times when bfing won't work, and I have to walk or rock her to sleep. She falls asleep better shopping than at home half the time. DS went through a very fussy phase at around 3-4 months and I remember calling my bf, and telling her I was considering formula. He had thrush and often refused to nurse and cried inconsolably. She calmly told me it would probably make the thrush worse. I actually tried to feed him a bottle and he refused it (luckily for both of us).
With dd, we have the opposite problem from you right now -- she will sleep for 6+ hours without waking, and she seems to be gaining slowly and often is very fussy when awake. I had her tongue tie clipped and have been working on her latch with limited success, so I feel for you.
Have you been to this place: http://www.birthandbeyond.com/breastfeeding911.html
Here is info about increasing supply:
http://milkshare.birthingforlife.com/supply

Also, have you read this thread:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1162877

Oh, and have you tried pumping on one side while dd nursed on the other to take advantage of let-down?

[joyakshi]

turns out my question answered itself!
apparently having AF can decrease milk supply temporarily. that explains the constant feedings and minimal pump output.
Now that I'm at the end of it, she is back to every 2.5-3 hours, and I can tell I have more milk. I actually slept last night!
now if I can only pump more.

[Pookietooth]

Wow, amazing

[joyakshi]

turns out she won't touch formula. she looks at me like I'm joking...
pumping went much better last night - I got 1 oz in about 2 minutes and could have kept going. I'm on the end of AF now, so that must be why...

[Kmama2]

Originally Posted by joyakshi

turns out she won't touch formula. she looks at me like I'm joking...
pumping went much better last night - I got 1 oz in about 2 minutes and could have kept going. I'm on the end of AF now, so that must be why...

Yeah I had the same.. with dd I got my cycles back at 6 weeks post partum and I always noticed a slight dip in milk supply right before AF..

[Pookietooth]

Wow, you ladies must be super fertile! I didn't get mine back until 20 months!
Ds wouldn't touch formula either - did you taste it? It's nasty! I don't know how anyone weans their kids to it.

[joyakshi]

it certainly smells foul. haven't tasted it or breast milk either yet...

Originally Posted by Pookietooth

Wow, you ladies must be super fertile! I didn't get mine back until 20 months!
Ds wouldn't touch formula either - did you taste it? It's nasty! I don't know how anyone weans their kids to it.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

This thread is a better fit in Breastfeeding so I'm wooshing it over there.