Nursing every hour - what can I do?

[tlp473]

My 2 week old is still nursing every hour through the night and after two weeks straight of virtually no sleep at night time I am really starting to fall apart at the seems. I am also struggling with milk supply, I am on fenugreek, blessed thistle and domperidone (40mg - 4x a day which I believe is the max dosage?) to help it, but usually around one a day DD has a marathon nursing session where it ends in her fussing/crying at the breast because I believe there is no milk left for her.

Any suggestions as to what I can do? I have tried pumping, but that usually ends up in me having no milk for her the next time I go to nurse.

Should I just pump one side? If so - how many times a day should I pump?

Can I take more of the domperidone?

Not sure what to try at this point. Hoping it will get better with time, but I'm pretty exhausted right now. Last night I resulted to her sleeping on my chest which makes me nervous because our bed is super soft - I can't really nurse her in bed because with my large breasts she can't breath - I have to hold my breast for her.

[Amy_G_]

Your breasts are never truly empty. so if you pump, and she wants to nurse, the breasts would not be empty of milk. they make more depending on demand.

I wouldn't normally recommend a mom with a 2 week old even attempt to pump. It's just too much on top of taking care of a newborn. if you were going to pump, you'd need to pump AFTER a nursing session, to convince your body to make more milk.

Why do you think you have a low supply? It is actually normal for a newborn/2 week old baby to want to nurse virtually all the time. Baby doesn't know anything but the instinct to suck.

How's baby's weight gain? Regained birthweight?
How's baby's poops, and wet diapers?
At what point did you decide you had a low supply and started taking the meds/drugs/supplements?

Have you seen a IBCLC to rule out milk transfer issues and get help with the issues you are having?

Nursing in bed even with well endowed moms, just takes practice. Sometimes a rolled up washcloth or hand towel in a strategic place can help hold the boob in case you dose a bit.

Answer those questions and we can probably help out more.

be sure to check out
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/frequent-nursing.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/15breast_compression.html

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/tut-layingdown.htm

[tlp473]

She is having pleanty of wets(lots)/dirty diapers(at least 3x/day) - I have even stopped keeping track because it was fine. She weighted 9lbs3oz at birth and was up to 9lbs 8oz at her 2week checkup -so her weight is fine. I did see a IBCLC at 5 days because she hadn't had a bowel movement in 24 hours, she recommeneded i pump and start the SNS feeder and she had a bowel movement after about 36 hours, so I don't think it was really an issue.
I guess I now I am thinking I may still have a milk supply issue because of the fussiness at the breast after nursing for an hour or more - she just doesn't seem satisfied.
I also had milk supply issues with my 1st (this is my 2nd), where she wasn't gaining and I had to supplment - so that was a fear. I started the drugs/herbs right after birth because I didn't want to have the same problem again - my 1st never would go back to breast after supplementing her with bottles.

[trylyn5]

since she's gaining and has plenty of wet/poopy diapers it doesn't sound like you have a supply issue. I had supply issues with my 1st (and only) so I know your pain. I'm sure I'll be the same way with my next. It's pretty normal for a baby to cluster feed at least once during the day. She's to the age where she might be a bit colicy too. As long as she's gaining and having wet/poopy diapers, I wouldn't worry about her intake too much.

You might try sleeping in a recliner with her on your chest buttoned into a loose shirt so she won't fall off.

[Amy_G_]

I think you should have a recheck with a IBCLC again to discuss your worries about supply. Fussiness at the breast is NOT a sign of low supply at least not usually! Nursing very often and not seeming satisfied is also NOT a sign of low supply either! did you read the link on low supply?

You don't trust your supply, so you are looking for signs of something that may not be there. Ask the IBCLC to do a weight check before and after a feeding to evaluate how much milk baby has taken in so you can relax. Being worried and tense about the situation may really impact your supply, stress does that for some women, as does worry.

Are you still using the SNS? Often a baby gets a bit used to the higher flow of nursing and the breast Combined with a SNS and when you stop using it, baby will be a bit fussier. The SNS may have also confused her natural cycle, so that she's having a growth spurt at a bit different time than usual, 1 week and 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 3 months are normal, but every baby is different. She may not have nursed correctly due to the SNS for her 1 week growth spurt, so she's making up for it at 2 weeks. During a growth spurt a LOT of moms falter because they think all of a sudden "I must not have any milk."

Read up on the breast compressions to use as her sucking slows and the milk supply slows. Are you switching sides back and forth, or sticking to one side per feeding? Switching back and forth often fills baby up on foremilk, and they will not stay full as long. Staying on one side for a feeding will ensure she gets the right % of fore and hind milk. If you've been switching, start putting her on the first side for a bit longer and longer each day til you get to the point she's mostly satisfied on one side only--after a burp she may want to go to the second side. it varies by baby as to what works the best.

what color is her poop? Often fenugeek and other galatogogues (sp?) increase the amount of foremilk, so that baby doesn't get as much hindmillk. A sign of too much foremilk is green poopies instead of yellow seedy ones. Foremilk has the bulk of the nutrition and fluids, hindmilk has the bulk of the fat and calories. so baby needs both. Some babies are also fussier when mom takes certain herbs to up her supply, and some are fussy when mom eats certain foods, and some are just fussy at a certain time of day for no apparent reason.

[tlp473]

Thanks for your responses - to answer your question, I am not using the SNS feeder any more, I used it for about 3 days then stopped for the reason you described - baby getting used to increased flow.

Her poopies are still yellow and seedy also.

I have tried to nurse both sides each feeding, but try to make sure she goes for quite a bit on the first side before feeding - like 10-15 minites. Maybe that is my problem, I'll try going longer before switching.

I rented a scale from my IBCLC, I'll recheck the weight before and after and see how she does. How many ounces should she be getting at 2 weeks?

[Nipple_nectar]

Generally, it is safe to allow baby to nurse as long as she/he wants and allowing baby to fall off the breast on her own is the best judgement. However, my babies would suck on the first breast forever. So, after twenty minutes of nutritive sucking I would transfer them to the second breast. Otherwise my babies would settle for an hour or so of non~nutritive sucking.

You can also use breast compression to help a baby with a weak latch. It honestly sounds like your doing great, I would back off on the supplements to increase supply to see if you actually need them.

Baby nursing nonstop is not a reliable indicator, this is a common age for nonstop growth spurts which will cause nonstop nursing. Baby fussing at the breast is also not a reliable indicator, the only true indicator would be counting babys wet diapers to confirm output/input. You need to see a minimum of six wet diapers in a 24 hour period and you are golden!

[Jacksmommy]

A newborn wanting to be at the breast 24/7 is actually quite normal. Try leaving baby at the same breast for at least 15 minutes before you switch sides.

[ima062002]

Not sure what is going on, I need to go to bed it's waaayyy to late here, but I wanted to chime in that since your baby regained her birth weight and then some after two weeks your supply does not seem to be the issue here.

I'll try to pop in again tomorrow. Here's a link about fussiness and the possible reasons why: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/fussy-while-nursing.html