Will my BF problems ever end?

My supply has settled (yay!) but I am still having issues with a sleepy, inefficient sucker. Feeding takes two hours as she falls asleep or unlatches on the boob after a very short time. I take this as that she has finished so burp her and pop her into bed. She will wake up after 1-30 mins wanting more and this cycle continues for a long time. I am at the point where I hate BF so much that I cry almost everytime I do it and dont feel like interacting with Bella because I am so tired and upset from BF her. I have never felt so crappy. Do you think it is time I called a lactation consultant? How costly are they? I really just want to enjoy being with my little girl

Are you routine or demand feeding? And do you do anything to try and keep her awake while feeding? Does she have a feed when she first gets up or before going back to bed (as in, does she have a little awake time before or after a feed)?

I remember when Han was little, I would wake her up at 7am,, making sure she was wide awake and ready to feed, changing nappy seemed to help and taking clothes off if necessary to cool her down. Then feed - if she was going to sleep I would try blowing on her, tickling or unlatching her and putting her on the floor for a few minutes to wake up again. Then she would have a little floor time, nappy change and back to bed. Repeating the cycle every 3 hours from start of one feed to start of the next.

Do you think she might be unlatching cos she isnt on properly in the first place, or is still full from last feed?

I would definitely talk to your mw if you are still seeing her (or even if you arent) about a LC referral as soon, or try La Leche League. Sorry if you knew all that stuff above, but thought it might be of some help.

Good luck, and I really hope you can get things sorted soon.

My friend saw one in CHCH privately and it cost $70, good luck.

Hi Topsy,

I am so sorry that you are still having so many probs - as baby is under six weeks you should be able to get a free LC through your midwife i think.

I am not sure I can be much help except to say that your baby is so little - things will get better as she gets bigger and stronger. Is her weight gain ok?

She is not so little anymore (9lb) and has great weight gains....at the expense of my sanity!

Having a really bad day today- she wont settle and has been hungry non stop. Surely she is overtired now. Gosh, being a mum really is the most difficult job in the world!!

I'd say call your midwife and tell her what you've written on here. Ask her to come and stay with you while you feed so she can see exactly what is happening. Ask her for a referral to a lactation consultant if she doesn't have any helpful suggestions, she should know who is available in your area.
If that is a dead end then La Leche League are listed in the phone book and can refer you to a consultant in your area, they may even be available to come to you.

Good luck Topsy, it isn't easy but it definitely does get better than this! Benjy was a sleepy, slow feeder at first too and every night I'd promise myself that tomorrow I'd be switching to formula because I was up every 2 hours with him on the boob for up to 2 hours at a time. It got better after his 6 week growth spurt and even better again at 3 months.

Sounds like a growth spurt to me too.
Hope the LC can help you. I saw one while I was in hospital (for free) and she was brilliant. Good luck

Hang in there Topsy. A LC sounds like a good idea. I saw one in hospital and she was great however I have different issues now than I did with a newborn so you'll probably get more use from one at this stage.

I sometimes have to wake Rowan by placing a cold flannel on her feet and I almost always have to undress her a bit to wake her up. I also burp her when she pulls off and then re-offer the breast again once she's burped and often she's woken up a bit more and made a bit more room and will take to it again.

Sometimes I feel like all the interaction I have is feeding and changing and only DH gets proper interaction with her.

Edited by Bobbie

Sounds like shes too sleepy to eat but then shes too hungry to sleep to you need to break the cycle maybe try and hold her off as long as you can until the next feed with a dummy or someone walking around with her. Then listen for her swallowing and pull her off as soon as theres not as much swallowing going on. Does she have a bit of awake time now? Once shes stops feeding change her nappy and let her have a wee play.

Good luck with your midwife she might have some good ideas and hang in there as everyone said it does get better once the get the whole thing sussed.

Good luck Topsy, I feel for you with those 2 hour long feeds. Still, great news that she is putting on weight nicely.

Phoenix and I are still learning. Because of all my hospital interuptions and whatnot, he is being both breast fed and formula fed, we are currently weaning him off the formula (it's great he takes both) - I feel we would have been better off being at home and feeding from the breast from day one, but obviously not all things work out the way I would have liked.

I am glad he is sorting out his latching, he is a lil bully and did like to bite down hard. I think because he was bottle fed and used a dummy, that his latching has improved.

Hopefully you and I can get through out BF issues soon, so we can enjoy our feeding/bonding time a lil better.

Good luck with your M/W or consultant. We will get through.

*hugs*