Most Breastfeeding Babies Sometimes Seem Hungry!

I just had to post this thread because it's been irking me that no one seems to tell new mommies that when a BREASTFEEDING BABY ACTS HUNGRY ALL THE TIME AND NURSES ALL THE TIME IT'S NORMAL!

It's the way they're built! It's the way the system works! Nursing all the time increases supply and teaches the baby so many things about his world, social interaction, and intimacy!

It doesn't mean the baby needs formula! Or potato water! Or rice cereal!

Unless, of course, the baby isn't gaining weight. ;)

I just keep reading these threads that say "my baby is hungry!" or hearing of moms who quit because baby was fussy at the breast and it makes me sad. :(

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Originally Posted by stash

I just keep reading these threads that say "my baby is hungry!" or hearing of moms who quit because baby was fussy at the breast and it makes me sad. :(

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Me too. It breaks my heart when I found out someone quit BFing thinking they couldn't do it when they were going through something completely normal. Thank God for this forum.

I have doubted myself so many times, especially during growth spurts.

Thank god for this forum.

Amen.

Can we sticky this, perhaps????

Potato water?? sounds yummy :yuck:

I didn't know that either before this forum. I seriously thought she was starving to death! I always tell future bfing moms about how reese ATE ALL THE TIME

Can we get Jenny to post her article on cluster feeding in this thread? That was a BIG help to me when I was experiencing it! It really bothers me how little is said about it in the breastfeeding books I've read. If we were truly a breastfeeding society, all new moms would know other moms who knew it was normal, and wouldn't feel so alone and desperate. But sadly, that's just not the way it is. That's the beauty of APA!

This kind of thing always frustrates me when I watch shows like "Bringing Home Baby" where they show the parents home in the first 36 hours after birth and I would say at least 75% of them give formula because they think that the baby is starving before their milk comes in. I seem to remember the advice "Colostrum is enough for your baby in the first few days after birth, they do not need to be supplemented."

But I agree more needs to be said about cluster feeding. I certainly wasn't prepared for my son needing to eat ever half hour!

Yes! I agree. My son nursed and nursed and nursed for the first 10 weeks. Besides night-time and some napping during the day, he wanted to be on the boob ALL the time. It's hard work, but once we got past this initial stage, it has been SO worth it! Sometimes I actually miss him being on my boob so much. Wow, in those first weeks, I NEVER thought I would miss it.

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Originally Posted by ampsmomma

This kind of thing always frustrates me when I watch shows like "Bringing Home Baby" where they show the parents home in the first 36 hours after birth and I would say at least 75% of them give formula because they think that the baby is starving before their milk comes in.!

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I just watched BHB on Thursday and the EXACT thing happend. it hurt my heart.... :(

I watch Bringing Home Baby too. It just kills me to watch those tiny babies go straight to formula. They're not even given a chance to have BM. Getting started BF was incredibly difficult for me, so I understand that it would be easy to give up. But I know I couldn't deny such good nutrition for my baby and replace it with manufactured powder. I am so thankful that our pediatrician sent us to a LC as soon as we were out of the hospital. I wish that all moms knew more about BF so that we would know that things aren't always smooth and know what to expect/what is normal from the very beginning. Thanks for adding this as a sticky!

Thank goodness for this forum :D as I had no idea what was going on when Hailey went through her 10 day growth spurt. All the books I had didn't really say anything about and all I was told at the hospital was she might want to feed a little more than usual during one. If I hadn't of come on here I would of started to think I needed to switch to formula as I had no clue why she wanted to be attached to my breasts 24 hours for 2 days straight.

Thank you for posting this Stacy! I hope all the new moms read it!!!

I feel so much better knowing that it is normal...My daughter sometimes wants it every half hour or hour and I was about to quit thinking that she is still hungry...plus I always have really sore nipples. Hopefully it will get better. I was so excited that I have been nursing her for 1 month yesterday!!

great post..i feel like my son is a permanent attachment to my boobs some days..where is the cluster feeding post? i would love to read it.

I'm so glad I read this. When DD gets done nursing, sleeps for 30 minutes and then wakes up acting hungry I keep thinking there's no way she's actually hungry again. All the book act like she should only be nursing every 1-3 hours and I figured I must be doing something wrong. So glad to see I'm not alone in this.

Bless you all. Stash, thank you!! I am a new mom, determined to BF my baby who is 13 days old today. Initially I had problems with her latching on but finally I learned the right way to do it and everything seemed to go pretty smooth until now. The exact same thing that all these ladies are talking about (baby wants to be on the boob all the time, wakes up hungry after 20-30 minutes of feeding, sore nipples) is happening to me, and the books that I have read don't talk about these things. I was getting pretty frustrated and was about to cry when I came upon this thread! It's like a prayer answered!!

Thank you!! I am pretty determined to BF my baby, but quite confused at times. Yaay for APA!!!! I love this place.

I agree with everyone on this post. Our baby was born pre-term and only 4lbs 12oz (still waiting for her to break 8lbs) so I always worried when she was constantly wanting to eat as soon I was done feeding her. The LC that I see assured me that it was her way of making sure she would have enough milk! After that I didn't feel as guilty, thinking I was starving my baby! We BF mothers need all the support and info we can get!!! :D

I'm going through the cluster feedings in the evenings and the first thing we automatically thought was "OMG he's not getting enough to eat!!!" but DH looked it up on the internet and we're happy to know we're not starving our child...it's hard though when they fuss because it makes you feel like something is wrong. :( Just gotta keep on truckin' along.

Did anyone post that cluster feeding article someone else mentioned? I've love to read it.

Here's a couple links about cluster feeding, I don't know which was being referenced:

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html

http://www.lactationconsultant.info/cuefeed.html

my nipples are so sore and my baby wants to be feed every hour too. sometimes i feel like giving up too, but i feel that would make me fail as a mother. i'm glad other people are going through this too and that i'm not alone.

OMG thank goodness - I was beginning to think that I was starving my little sweet pea! My LC keeps assuring me that I have a good milk supply but I was really beginning to doubt her and myself! I am so grateful for this forum!!! Thank you ladies!!!!!! :D

Thanks for this sticky and the other!!!! Makes me even more confident about future bfing!

Oh my goodness! I so needed to read this today! My little girl just keeps feeding and I was worried! Now I feel good about it!

Thank goodness for APA and helping Mommas feel normal.

thank you from me too! Couldnt figure out why DD wanted to eat for 12 hours straight and not sleep. Makes sense now. Thanks for linking me Jess!

I was totaly frustrted when he hit the 7-10 growth spurt, & now that we're at the 2wk mark I started to get there. Just as I got him on scheule again, he started eating more often again...My doctor also wants me to wait a minimum of 3hrs, no matter how he acts...partially b/c she says he's colicy, but I'm not convinced 100%, & even so...when he eats for 5mn or less & goes to sleep he probably was just comfort sucking, but other times he practicaly drains the boob every 2hrs...thank goodness I remembered the forum & checked & realized these are the growth spurt days...I just wish I had more suport available around here to help.

I needed to hear that today!!

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Originally Posted by missmeg

I watch Bringing Home Baby too. It just kills me to watch those tiny babies go straight to formula. They're not even given a chance to have BM. Getting started BF was incredibly difficult for me, so I understand that it would be easy to give up. But I know I couldn't deny such good nutrition for my baby and replace it with manufactured powder. I am so thankful that our pediatrician sent us to a LC as soon as we were out of the hospital. I wish that all moms knew more about BF so that we would know that things aren't always smooth and know what to expect/what is normal from the very beginning. Thanks for adding this as a sticky!

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Ooohhhh, I get so mad when I watch the show. The women often say that they're going to supplement until their milk comes in, but how can their milk come in on time if the baby's never nursing!

Seriously, thank God for this forum!

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Originally Posted by teachermom

Ooohhhh, I get so mad when I watch the show. The women often say that they're going to supplement until their milk comes in, but how can their milk come in on time if the baby's never nursing!

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I just went through this in the hospital. They kept telling me to give him formula but I kept trying and pumped when he wouldn't latch well, and my milk was in by the time I got home. If I hadn't been lurking here for so long I wouldn't have know what to do.
Thanks mommas!