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Help! Lazy Daytime Feeder

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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20977
Printed Date: 15 August 2025 at 10:20am
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Topic: Help! Lazy Daytime Feeder
Posted By: Zebra7
Subject: Help! Lazy Daytime Feeder
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 2:45pm
Hi Everyone,

Just hoping for some breastfeeding advice really ... although i'm sure there are other threads already on this tricky subject!

I'm having a real battle with my little one. She's a big girl (4.3kgs at birth and now around 4.5kgs) and 3 weeks old today.

Basically she's a lazy feeder in the daytime ... she'll do a few sucks when I put her on the breast and then try as I might she'll drop her good latch and just sooth herself on the nipple. No amount of feet tickling or blowing in her face will make her carry on.

Of course she's not getting a proper feed so as soon as I put her down she'll scream. I know she knows what to do because she'll feed really efficiently during the night.

Any advice would be much appreciated as it's really getting me down and i'm desperate to persevere with breastfeeding

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http://lilypie.com">



Replies:
Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 2:50pm
Maybe she's snacking, so not *really* hungry? How often are you feeding her? If she's not latching properly then the screaming when you put her down might be wind instead of hunger, because she's likely to be taking in a bit of air.

Lovely name btw

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Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010


Posted By: Zebra7
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 2:55pm
Thanks weegee

Well at the moment there's no real discernable pattern. At night she'll wake after 3-4 hours, feed really well and then go down again happily, but yesterday for example she was up from 10am to 5pm never really having a proper feed ... I can initially hear her have a few good mouthfuls and then she'll just stop and comfort suck. When I put her down she'll be crying after a few mins and doing all those classic hungry mouth movements

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http://lilypie.com">


Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 3:11pm
hmmm, that doesn't sound like wind then! Sounds like you're having some rough days

Here are a couple of possibilities:
- Maybe your letdown is just that little bit slower during the day? In which case maybe try expressing for a little bit before putting her on the breast, so she gets an instant reward and keeps sucking?
- Maybe she's a little bit refluxy? In which case try some different positions such as feeding her upright or feed with both of you lying down? (Apparently refluxy babies are likely to be more comfy feeding when they're on their left hand side - your right boob - as opposed to their right (your left).)

Good luck and keep it up. I found this website helpful when I was having some issues:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html - http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html

ETA: might be worth getting in a lactation consultant if you keep having problems...

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Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010


Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 3:17pm
I don't know if I've read what you were saying right..

But she was up from 10am through to 5pm, are you meaning no sleeps?


Posted By: Zebra7
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 4:48pm
Yep ... no sleeps ... unless you count her snoozing on the boob

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http://lilypie.com">


Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 4:50pm
That's a crazy long time for a bubba to be awake. Maybe she has wind during the day? It may not be causing pain but maybe just making her feel bloated and therefore full?

We used the hour turn around at that age. Up, had a feed, wind, tummy time (helped him burp some more) and then down for sleep all within an hour. Once that was going good he fed better. But winding really helped with our feeding probs (I had tons all the time with Daniel and BF and getting the little ratbag to feed lol)


Posted By: Zebra7
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 4:55pm
Thanks for the advice kebakat

It's just so frustrating because I know she's hungry and she knows what to do, it just seems that she would rather sit on the breast being drip-fed and cuddled all day than have proper feeds. How do you get around that??

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http://lilypie.com">


Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 4:56pm
Yeah I agree with Stacey that is a long time for a new born to be awake, i was thinking wind aswell....or maybe she isnt getting enough from the boob? Have you tried expressing to see how much you can get?>
Its just my son did the same thing(but he did sleep) he would drink a few good mouthfuls then would stop sucking properly and then scream. It turns out that he wasnt getting enough from me...

Other than that Im not sure as DS is formula fed now due to my lack of milk.

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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 4:59pm
She sounds like shes tired, feeding can be hard work until they get that let down reflex going, at night shes getting good sleep so when shes waking she has the energy to suck away happily. During the day shes got less energy from being up. Just a thought.

You could try trying to increase your supply a bit if that's maybe a prob. Theres naturopharm products at health stores which are apparently really good if you want to go down that road.


Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 5:04pm
Yeah I was going to say that, maybe try somthing to boost your supply? I was told to eat lots of protein and have complan.

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Posted By: Zebra7
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 5:06pm
Thanks ladies

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http://lilypie.com">


Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 16 September 2008 at 7:41pm
She could be getting overtired too if she's not having day sleeps, I know lil miss gets really fractious at the breast if I miss her tired signs and it's a battle to get her to feed.

Are you swaddling her when you put her to bed? If so, have you tried feeding her in a swaddle? Most babies find being swaddled comforting and it might help her to concentrate on what she's supposed to be doing ie. feeding!

I definitely agree re: seeing a lactation consultant. I know under Auckland DHB it's free up to 4 weeks postnatally. Failing that, you could try your local Plunket Family Centre, your midwife or Plunket nurse can refer you.

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Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)


Posted By: Zebra7
Date Posted: 18 September 2008 at 10:59am
Thanks for all the advice everyone

After another horrendous morning yesterday I called in a lactation consultant who was good enough to fit me in yesterday afternoon. Would highly recommend it to anyone having problems. She gave me some fantastic tips and also taught me how to recognise the signs that Amy is windy ... which she often is and we had no idea. Had a much better evening and night and this morning is going well too

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http://lilypie.com">


Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 18 September 2008 at 8:57pm
Yay, glad things are settling down!

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Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)



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