# My baby won't stop sucking



## nerdymom (Mar 20, 2008)

Right now I am nak because my almost 3-day old will not stop breastfeeding. He has been latched to one breast or the otehr since about 11:30pm, it is now 3:34am. Every time I try to take him off and go to sleep, he acts like he'll sleep but then the nursy face again, then begins crying, and won't stop until he has booby again.

I'm really confused. What's going on? Can he possibly be getting milk the whole time? He is not satisfied with a finger for sucking, refuses a breast after a certain amount of time sucking. The hospital LC came and told me he was sucking correctly and strongly, that his palate was well-formed and etc.

A few things to consider:
-My first baby
-We had a very traumatic birth, a planned HB that turned into a c/s after 42 hours labor (incl. several hours of pit)
-I recieved little help bonding with the baby after birth, did not get to BF him until almost 8 hours after birth.
-I bedshared with baby at hosp. and exclusively breastfed him there
-This is our first night home, trying to bedshare with DH (was going great until this)
-Large baby 10lbs 5oz birth weight who has nursed for an hour or so at a time every two hours or so for the past two days.

I'm not very big-chested, so nursing isn't something I can do in just any position (not to mention the incision site is limiting too), and I can't sleep. When I nodded off he latched incorrectly and gave me my first blister (ouch!).

What in the world is this??? I can't stand to hear him cry but I want to be able to use my nipples tomorrow!!


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## dani76 (Mar 24, 2004)

Has your milk come in yet? It could also be partly because of the birth trauma for him. Have you thought of having him adjusted? (cranio-sacral) He's 3 days old and hungry/wanting mama. Can Daddy get up and walk with him/bounce him so you can get a little sleep? I know it sounds so lame right now, but it will pass and get better.


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## lifeguard (May 12, 2008)

My little guy did almost the same thing the day before my milk came in. I think he was hungry! Plus, remember the sucking helps stimulate your production.


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## UberMama (Feb 27, 2007)

From what my newborns did, this sounds typical.

Can you try nursing him while lying down? This is difficult for some but it may be a bit more relaxing for you. Or use a Boppy or similar, prop it under babe and just sit in a recliner, on the couch, etc. and have DH tend to you. Both positions I found to be helpful for me to relax and I have had three c/s.

The first couple of weeks, for me anyway, my only "job" was to feed baby. DH did everything else. And when I needed to pee, shower, etc. - he held baby while I did those things quickly.


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## nerdymom (Mar 20, 2008)

Oh THANK YOU! I am not broken. I am just so stressed. Right now BFing is the only thing I can do for my DS, I am really sore from the c/s and DH is doing almost everything else for our LO.

I am so glad to be out of that fuming pit of a hospital. I just wish our first night home was going better.

I am glad to hear that this might mean my milk is coming soon. DS has not gone #2 since he finished passing meconium on Monday. I don't want my ped to give me a hard time at our appt. Thursday.

DS and I will both be going to the chiro as soon as I feel just a teensy bit more mobile and steady on my feet.

Thanks again. I guess I will just hang in there until that milk comes. I hope DS is not too hungry until then. I won't have to give him formula, right? I really want to be able to do just this one thing for my son, since my HB plans were so completely smashed to bits. I feel so unsure of everything now...


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## Miss 1928 (Nov 12, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lifeguard* 
My little guy did almost the same thing the day before my milk came in. I think he was hungry! Plus, remember the sucking helps stimulate your production.









:

Do your best to avoid formula since the more formula he drinks the less he's likely to nurse from you, the less he nurses from you the less likely you are to have enough milk. Bad cycle to get into.

Are you using Purelan or Lansinoh? (sp?) I highly reccomend it for your overworked nipples.

Congratulations on your new Baby!







:


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## Friday13th (Jun 13, 2006)

Sounds about right, the first few days we were home we had a few visitors that saw nothing but the back of DS's head because he was nursing constantly. He also didn't poop for a few days because he passed a TON of meconium in utero.

You're doing just fine mama, it gets so much easier, I promise.


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

My dd was still doing that at 9 months. Very frequent nursing is normal, but in those rare cases it does indicate a problem, there is La Leche League you can call, or a lactation consultant...and of course MDC.









http://www.kellymom.com is also great for info. Congratulations!


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## nerdymom (Mar 20, 2008)

He did finally stop, and now he's working on hour #3 asleep! Of course I had to wake up in pain (overdid it on my going-home day), and take some more drugs, which really bothers me. I'm not the medicine taking type at all. But if I don't, then I can't even stand to hold my baby, the pain is so severe.

I'm not sure, but I think I might be allergic to lanolin (my mother is and I seemed to inherit all of her allergies) so I'm using Bella B's Nipple Nurture Butter (Shea and Mango Butter cream, paraben free). It is sooo amazing. Just a few applications after nursing on that side, and before we went to bed, and my nipples are wayyy less sore, and that blister looks better. What a relief!

Thanks for all the feedback ladies.


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## kokonutmama (Feb 12, 2006)

I couldn't read and not post... My ds stayed latched on for ever and always. Even when he was asleep. I feel ya.


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## LianneM (May 26, 2004)

it's really a good thing, though I know it isn't easy on you. The time he spends on your breast will not only help your milk come in soon, it will tell your body to produce enough for him. It can take several days for the milk to come in and that's ok - he's nursing b/c that is his job to get the milk in and the supply established
















It gets better!


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## njbeachgirl (Oct 8, 2006)

Congrats mama and that sounds very normal. Both of my kids did the same thing. And milk can take a while to come in. For me it was day 4 with DD and day 5 with DS. Sounds like you are doing great!


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## nerdymom (Mar 20, 2008)

My MW visited today and told me my milk is coming in. I had a slight fever and my breasts actually feel light and empty when he's done, and after he takes a break they feel heavy and really warm. She said I may not feel really engorged because he's quite big and needs a lot of nutrition, so he's trying to make my body produce, and so they never get the chance to feel engorged. She also told me to reschedule my ped appointment for Monday so that he has some time to get over the jaundice and start pooping, so I can avoid beign pressured to

I'm just thankful that after our trauma on Sunday, we are still able to do this breastfeeding thing.


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## Bird Girl (Mar 12, 2007)

I'm sorry about your birth experience, but it sounds like you are doing a great job feeding your baby. He sounds happy, and healthy, which is the most important thing. Get plenty of rest, and take your meds when you need them, because excessive pain will cause you stress and interfere with your milk production. Don't worry too much about after-birth bonding; a lot of the studies done about the hour after birth were conducted on sheep! In the hours and days to come, you will bond more than any one-hour-old mother/baby could ever do. You're doing a great job.


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