Nursing question...

[xkoliex]

I'm at the point where I'm worrying about everything now... How do I know she's getting enough to eat? The lactation consultant said to make sure she eats for 30 minutes, but she doesn't.... I'm lucky if she squeezes in 15... Is there a way to get her to eat longer? I've tried all the LC's suggestions, flicking her feet, her ears, a wet washcloth... Maybe she's satisfied with just the 15?? (She falls away from the breast when she's done, knocked out cold with milk running down her cheek, its adorable! :throb )

[afishwithabike]

Don't worry about the reccomendations. As long as they Have several heavy wet diapers and a few soiled diapers every day they are getting enough. Do everything you can to keep from supplementing, it will kill your milk supply.
Besides sounds like she is getting "Milk Drunk" falling away milk running down her cheek etc.

[Geofizz]

Throw away the clocks. The longest ds has ever nursed is about 5 minutes. He's gained more than 2 pounds since birth. He's really efficient and I have tons of milk that comes fast.

Watch your child. Does she seem satisfied? Do you nurse when she roots? Is she wetting diapers? Are the poops yellow?

[LeosMama]

exactly, you're getting great advice here. nurse her whenever she asks (cries, roots, sucks/chews her fist, turns her head to one side urgently) and for as long as she wants. it sounds like you have a great nursing relationship, good for you!!
Wet diapers, poopy diapers, satisfied baby, adequate weight gain, good muscle tone, and hitting developmental milestones are all better guages to health than timing the feeds.

[ldsapmom]

Baby should be having 5-6 wet diapers (disposable) or 6-8 (cloth) and 2-5 poops a day. This is the only way to know, day-by-day at home, that your baby is getting enough milk. Other ways would be to take her to get weighed on a smart scale. If you are truly concerned you could do per and post weights to see how much your baby gets during a feed, but again, this requires a smart scale.

Other things that help:
-Hearing baby swallow during the feed. They do a suck, suck, swallow pattern, and the swallow can sound like a little grunt.
-Baby decides when to release from the breast, not Mommy or LC.
-Baby is gaining 4-7 ounces a week. Just like when we are dieting, we are tod not to stand on the scale every day but once a week to see real progres. Same with Baby.
-Baby will generally look good -- skin tone, skin color, gaining weight, not lethargic and sleeping through feeds.

For you at home, the only way to know if baby is getting enough in is to see what baby is putting out, so count those diapers. Oh, and by now baby's poops should be yellow, are they?

[marisa]

Nursing for 30 mins? Geez, neither of my kids nursed that long - we're talking 10 mins max!!

[xkoliex]

-She definitely has yellow poop. It's kind of funny actually. (being a first time mom, everything is either funny or a cause for concern for me)
-I change her everytime she wakes up to eat and whenever she poops. She gets so wet, I kind of feel bad for her! I can't believe how many diapers this kid goes through!
-Our "nursing relationship" didn't start out all that great, but it gets better everyday! I'm starting to get used to her hunger cues and can actually get her to start eating BEFORE she cries! :lol
-I called our *new* pediatrician today, but they can't get us in until Jan 3rd. I guess in a way its a good thing, but then again, I might start freaking out about whether everything is ok... Thats why I am so happy I've got you more experienced mommas to help me out :love

[Geofizz]

It sounds like things are great. Keep it up.

[allnaturalmama]

You've already gotten great advice, and reading your last post, it sounds like things are going beautifully. I just wanted to post that I am currently nursing my third, and they NEVER nursed that long. I hate that the LCs give that one size fits all advice that freaks out all the first time moms. Keep up the good work, mama, you're doing great! :thumb

[birthjunkie27]

Another fast food nurser here. Samara only stays on about 5 minutes, but she's got poopy and wet diapers all day long...so I'm not worried.

[StarCat]

dd #1 nursed for 5-10 minutes at a time and gained like CRAZY!! She just made the most of her boob time. :) this baby seems to like to linger more. She will stay attached forever and then roll away and fuss and then I put her to the other side where she will leisurely nurse for another 30+ minutes. She likes to eat!

They say every baby has their own style of eating...if they poop and pee and gain then its all good.

BTW....who did you decide to go with for your ped??

[BamBam'sMom]

I agree with the "throw away the clock" advice. I had a lot of trouble nursing and a lot of fears about him getting enough until I stopped timing. I also stopped taking advice and reading books and relaxed. At that point, things fell into place.

Congratulations!

[duckat]

My ds (who nursed happily to 30 months) never nursed more than 10 minutes at a time. Sounds like your dd is outputting just fine, so I think your input must be good. As long as she's filling those dipes, you're filling her belly. Good job!

[DesireeH]

She definitely has yellow poop. It's kind of funny actually. (being a first time mom, everything is either funny or a cause for concern for me)
-I change her everytime she wakes up to eat and whenever she poops. She gets so wet, I kind of feel bad for her! I can't believe how many diapers this kid goes through!


Sounds like she is just perfect! Jevin didnt nurse that long and he tripled his weight by 3 months! Just follow her cues and watch her "output" and I'd say you are a-ok!

[xkoliex]

BTW....who did you decide to go with for your ped??

We decided to go with First Choice Pediatrics on Semoran. Desiree sent me a list of peds in Florida and they were the closest one. Hopefully all goes well at this next appointment. I did make it a big priority to ASK before I booked an appointment and the woman said that they "respect my right to decide whether or not vaccinating is right for my child" Of course, we have to play the religious card because it's the only way to get out of it in this state....