is this normal eating for a 7 day old?

[DeChRi]

This is my 3rd. DD1 was a super-eater and nursed as much as I'd feed her from the get go. She also was a poor sleeper out of the gate, so she nursed a ton. DD2 had reflux and because she threw everything up, I had to feed her once or twice per hour to keep enough down her. The reflux also disturbed her sleep which meant chronic around the clock feedings.

Now DD3 comes. This child would starve if I didn't wake her to eat. She is 7 days old now. She sleeps hard and long. At night I set the alarm every 3hrs and have to strip her, lights on, you name it, to get her to eat. And she usually actively nurses for mayyyybe 5 min or so. When I don't set alarm to wake her, she will sleep 5-6hrs. During the day I have to wake her to eat too. If she is awake, she never demands to eat, but will wait until offered and then will nurse 5, maybe 10 min tops. If I don't offer, she won't ask for hours and hours. Her latch is great. She has 12+ wet and 5-8 poops daily and has regained her birth weight. Dr yesterday said she looks great. She has many hours a day of awake time, but when she out, she is out. I can get her to eat regularly by insisting she shake the fog and nurse. But she nurses such short time period, etc.

Part of me wonders if this is normal and my last two were more the exception. Should I be concerned?

[Megan73]

If she's gaining well and having lots of poops (enough pees show she's not dehydrated but there's research showing poops show baby is getting enough to grow), then I'd say you're doing all the right things.
Very sleepy babies ARE worrying though - I had one - so it may make you feel better to do more frequent weight checks (one the same scale).
Congrats on your new baby

[ewe+lamb]

Here in this instance I would ask what the birth was like, medication etc? If you're worried about the amount of milk getting into her you can help it along a bit with breast compression and nursing maybe twice on the same breast so that she's getting the thicker milk, rather than the lactose, higher calorific milk to begin with - folk don't like using fore and hind milk any longer - but then at least we know what we are talking about - lol. Look up www.drjacknewman.com and click on videos then Breast compression - I think it has a tongue clip on it too but concetrate on the breast compression, when you see her start to nod off this is when to introduce the compression which should just wake her up a little more to continue nursing and get the milk at the end of the feed. You're doing fine - try to get her to nurse a little more often - it'll help stimulate the milk supply, minimum of 8 times in 24 hours - maybe it's more than that anyway. You and your baby are doing fine and she's regained her birth weight dr is happy with her - what more could you ask for?? Enjoy this wonderful time together with your new baby.

[DeChRi]

Ewe+lamb- thanks for all of the thoughts. I almost have the opposite problem of needing compressions...I have an instant let-down and an insane supply. So baby latches and get flooded w/ milk almost immediately. Usually results in her coughing and wrestling with it until she can start gulping.

Birth was uneventful, short pushing, no meds of any kind. Baby was 39w, 8lb 7oz.

[ewe+lamb]

Ahh but there you go - big supply and baby putting on lots of weight and sleeping lots on a full tummy I imagine, this can be just as much of a problem as undersupply - although we sometimes just don't realise it! So i would seriously consider block nursing - nurse a couple of times on one breast and if necessary hand express or pump off the other breast - but just to comfort don't actually pump as such which can increase your supply, she's getting lots of high-lactose milk at the beginning and not so much of the 'fatter' milk which arrives in later on in the feed - which I'm not sure that she's getting, does she have painful gas, lower down in the intestine - if so you can rock her lying along your arm - abit like a leopard on a branch; so her head is resting on your hand, tummy down along your arm and a leg to each side, keep her slightly inclined - raising you arm slightly, gently rock her - that should ease any painful gas in the lower intestine - nursing her in the wrap which keeps her in a sitting position, therefore making it easier for her to swallow and keeps her from choking so much. Also with this sort of nursing pattern you need to be careful that your baby doesn't forget HOW to nurse, sometimes when the supply is so easy many babies can forget - hence the block nursing - they have to work a bit more for the thicker milk which comes after the lactose filled milk; personally I had to re-learn our dd to nurse at 7 months because beforehand the milk just poured into her!! I'm not saying that all this necessarily applies to you but sometimes it's handy to have the information.

[DeChRi]

Originally Posted by ewe+lamb

Ahh but there you go - big supply and baby putting on lots of weight and sleeping lots on a full tummy I imagine, this can be just as much of a problem as undersupply - although we sometimes just don't realise it! So i would seriously consider block nursing - nurse a couple of times on one breast and if necessary hand express or pump off the other breast - but just to comfort don't actually pump as such which can increase your supply, she's getting lots of high-lactose milk at the beginning and not so much of the 'fatter' milk which arrives in later on in the feed - which I'm not sure that she's getting, does she have painful gas, lower down in the intestine - if so you can rock her lying along your arm - abit like a leopard on a branch; so her head is resting on your hand, tummy down along your arm and a leg to each side, keep her slightly inclined - raising you arm slightly, gently rock her - that should ease any painful gas in the lower intestine - nursing her in the wrap which keeps her in a sitting position, therefore making it easier for her to swallow and keeps her from choking so much. Also with this sort of nursing pattern you need to be careful that your baby doesn't forget HOW to nurse, sometimes when the supply is so easy many babies can forget - hence the block nursing - they have to work a bit more for the thicker milk which comes after the lactose filled milk; personally I had to re-learn our dd to nurse at 7 months because beforehand the milk just poured into her!! I'm not saying that all this necessarily applies to you but sometimes it's handy to have the information.

Great info and advice, thank you. I will try this. I did notice that last night she had two feedings that lasted about 10 min (of active nursing vs 5ish) so I am hoping we are getting there. I will try the block nursing for a few days and hope that she is working on getting in the habit of eating longer in the meantime.

I really appreciate you taking the time to offer the input!