My baby girl is only 3 days old, but so far she only wants to nurse about every 5-6 hours. When she does nurse, she latches GREAT and eats for a good 15 minutes. She's had LOTS of poopy diapers, so I think she's doing okay. Anyway, I am just hoping she'll pick up the pace a little so I am sure to make enough milk for her. I have been pumping a little to keep the supply up. She's not overly sleepy, she has wakeful periods, but she just only seems to want to eat sparingly. Anyone have this happen, do their appetites pick up? With my other two, they ate every 2-3 hours from birth, so I didn't have this problem. Thanks!
Thanks everyone! She is now 5 days old and eating better, every 3-4 hours for about 20 minutes each time, good feedings. Her diapers are LOADED, and she's doing great! I forgot to mention too, that she was a 9 lb baby, so I think she was just living off of her huge fat rolls for awhile! :)
Update again: Just during today, she has even started nursing every 2-3 hours. We're good!!! Thanks again!
The appetite will definitely pick up... she's still exhausted from her birth. I'd give her another 3-4 days before worrying. Good to hear the latch is good, wet and poopy diapers are good - soon you'll want to watch only the wet diapers tho, since many breastfed babies don't poop as much.
It sounds like the number of diapers is okay but she is only 3 days old! If you are nervous about it or worried at all, don't just be reassured by us Mamapedia people- please call the place you delivered or the nurseline they gave you. They will ask you specific questions about your daughter and give you advice from a medical perspective.
I only caution you because my friend lost her son at 8 days old to Neonatal HSV, something she didn't even know she had, when he lost all appetite and by the time he was brought in, it was too late.
She will want to eat more in the next few days. Babies do not wake up until after day three to want to eat, because nature designed them to "wake up" once mom's milk is in. Sleep the early days produces more milk than pumping. As long as you are getting as many soiled diapers as number of days old she is, you are good. Relax a bit and enjoy your baby. If you have nursed other babies successfully in the past as far as production goes; unless you have had a major Gyn surgery, you will be fine this time as well. Congrats!
My first was just that way. When I called the Dr. she said babies will eat when hungry and sleep when tired. She was right. They are all different. Sounds like she's doing great. As long as she's pooping and growing - which she sounds like she is - enjoy the schedule : )
If she's having wet and poopy diapers, sounds like she's ok. Really all you can do is offer every 2 hours.
She needs to be eating more often. Offer her the breast as much as possible. She may not cry when she is hungry, if you are waiting to hear her cry to indicate hunger you may be missing other, more subtle signs such as sucking her fingers, being wiggly, heck, even being awake at all can be a sign of hunger in a newborn. Don't give her a binky at all, she may be fulfilling her need to suck with the binky, but of course she is not getting the nutrition she needs from it. In such a young child this is a BIG DEAL, she may need medical attention, there may be a reason why she is not eating enough. Please call you Ped and get her in to be seen soon. Good luck!
I, too, got nervous about supply. I would pump every 3 hours just to be safe. You might not need to, but I would because it would make me feel better. Also, I introduced the bottle to both my kids before they were a week old. They both did great, and my husband liked being able to feed them. He usually fed them when he got home from work. It was his time with his newborn.
I think the thing you really need to be aware of is how many wet diapers she has. If memory serves (and it might not, as my youngest is 2), a newborn is supposed to have 10 to 12 wet diapers in a 24 hours period. That would be the number I'd want to be aware of, because dehydration in anyone is very dangerous.
Good luck! Congratulations on your newborn :-)
Maybe she is taking in more milk at a feeding than your other two did. I would suggest seeing a lactation consultant who will weigh your baby both before and after a feeding to see if she is eating enough. That might reassure you at least.
My daughter is now 7 weeks and was not eating too much at first either. I think you are right to pump a little though ( just remember you are probably not producing too much right now) to build up your supply. "The books" also say that the first few days they aren't really too hungry anyway since they have to wait for Mom's milk to come in.
One thing that my pediatrician recommended for my (now 7 year old) son when he was born was to be sure to feed/wake him about every 3 hours at the beginning during the day. SHe said that most babes will have at least one "longer" period of sleep and that by rousing him during the day I could train him early on to have that longer period at night. IT WORKED! It seems to be working with this one, too.
