Can he nurse too much?

[cat13]

For the last few days, my 2 week old wants to be on the boob all the time.  He wants if for nursing, but then he also just wants to suckle all day long too.  I know that it's best to feed "on cue" and comfort nursing is ok for little ones, but we are dealing with thrush right now which makes it super painful to nurse.  Also, I live in a really hot, humid environment and my LC said that comfort nursing can lead to more thrush problems. But what can I do when he is crying so hard and all he wants to do is be on the boob? Anyone have any advice for me?

[katelove]

Ugh, thrush is horrible. I'm sorry.

I would feed him as often as he wants to be fed. Be rigorous about good attachment so your nipples don't get more sore and damaged and air your nipples in between feeds as much as you can.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

[PatioGardener]

sounds like the 2 week growth spurt!

how are you treating the thrush? I used gentian violet and it worked really well.

As a newborn they need to nurse all the time. That's what they do. They sleep, they cry, they nurse. I tried to reframe the "comfort nursing" to "growing his brain" for my little guy. It helped me to cope by looking at it as something he needed that was extremely important. It was an intense time, but it does get better.

I also worked to make sure the latch was good, treated the thrush asap, and got a portable DVD layer and borrowed a whole load of DVDs!

This is a great note about nursing newborns by a pediatrician. If you don't have facebook let me know and I will PM you.

This one is good too.

The only time I worry about baby nursing a lot as a newborn is when s/he doesn't have enough pees/poops or is not growing well.

ETA: Thrush is horrible - hope you feel better soon!

[cat13]

Thanks for the support and the links.  I knew I should trust my gut which says to just nurse him whenever he wants, even if it's all the time. I am using GV & probiotics for both of us, and nystatin cream for me.  I'm also using vinegar wipes several times a day, so hopefully we can get this thing in check soon. 

I think that since he's been so gassy and seems to have a sore mouth, his latch is getting poor, so I'll keep working on that. 

Thanks again! 

[PatioGardener]

don't forget to vinegar soak your bras, any paci or artificial nipple, etc.

[Megan73]

Keep in mind that a combination of acetaminophen and ibuprofen - you can "ladder" doses - is safe while nursing. Go topless or no bra under a loose T-shirt when you're not nursing so nipples can air.