Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Sleepy Baby/Weak eater Please help.

Help!

Benny is really speely all the time and particularly in the evening. Sometimes i can barely get him to rouse for an ounce of food....in the middle of the night he gets fussier but still falls asleep at the breast alot.

I can't get a vigorous nursing out of him. He gained weight and is stooling and wetting normally, but he is just not an alert baby....should he be? It is possible that he is as much as 3 weeks preemie. He is being weighed again today.

Trying to get the lact aid working when you have such a sleepy baby is really hard and I am worried about my production....I am pumping as I type.

This child was exposed to alot of crap in his gestation....alcohol...though he does not have the look of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Cocaine...though he is not terribly fussy; Cigarettes....

I would be very grateful for any help.

Thanks Nona for your input on the milk. I am very glad for it.

The nurse practitioner wants me to up from 2 oz in the lactaid to 3oz....the impossible dream....I hate wasting all that milk.

I am starting to really stree and feel like I should give him more bottles just to get food in him.

PLease help.

NOOO no more bottles.. if he is pooing and wetting okay.. then he doesn't need anymore.. Try undressing him when you nurse.. diapering him only. You might even take a cool wash rag on his neck and bottom of his feet. Not cold to shock him.. just cool. See if that helps him wake up. I would not go up to 3 ounces in the suplimenter. If his bodily functions are okay.

Nona,

Thank you so much for replying. I went for a weight check today and he is up a 1/2 oz.....and that is with the monstrous poos he has been taking as a recult of the suppository.

The ped. said 2 oz is fine.....but today at the 5:30 feed it took an hour and I really had to work him over to get him to finish....which he BARELY did.

He is two weeks old yesterday. I think if I can make it to 1 month he might be a better breast feeder....but honedtly if every feed is going to take an hour of struggling and he has to eat every three hours....I don't know if I can go on.

Ugh, I am so frustrated.

Eden

Eden,
I don't have any breastfeeding experience yet, but it is common for such a young baby to take such a long time. Go to FertileThoughts again. Under the parenting heading, they have a breastfeeding board. They are a great support, and if you read some of the older posts, you will see other moms, who have given birth, who have all the same worries you do right now. Please don't give up. You will regret it if you do. If you give him enough time, he will become a more efficient nurser, and you will be glad you stuck with it.
Keep us posted, and let us know how your sweetie is doing

NOOOO! Don't give up!!! I nursed my bio son for a year and I tell you, those first 6 weeks were a bear! It took us a while to get the hang of things, but after that intensive learning period (for both of us), nursing became the easiest thing ever. Don't lose heart!!! I know you have extra challenges with his drug exposure and possible prematurity, and you must be very tired and frustrated right now. But honestly, Eden, the payoff for hanging in there will be so great for both of you!!!! I'll pray for you today. DON'T GIVE UP!!!

Love,

Eden-- The prematurity absolutely could be contributing to his sleepiness. Hopefully he will get more alert soon. I had one son (bio) who took 3 weeks to regain his birthweight...I don't know exactly why, and it IS a little unusual for it to take that long. But he also was early, and sleepy at first. It is a good sign that Ben is having wet diapers. If he is having at least 5 or 6 SOAKING wet diapers a day, I would not increase the supplement. But if your doc insists on more, remember you can finger feed him or cup feed him. Have you had a lactation consultant check to make sure he is latching on well? That might be an idea too.Good luck!

I nursed my bio children and I noticed that if I let them fuss a bit before offering the breast they were more apt to stay awake. Newborns tend to sleep all the time anyways. As Nona suggested try undressing him a bit while you feed him, also wash his face with a cool wash cloth to help wake him up a bit. Try not to have him snuggled up tightly in a blanket while you nurse unless you see that he is rather chilly. Relax, maybe even look into aroma theraphy sents to help wake him. Good luck.