newborn and BF issues....help please?

ok, commong sense tells me that if Teagan (hes 12days old today..if thats relivent at all)pulls himself off of my boob then he is no longer hungry...right? but he still seems really hungry some times....so what does it mean if he pulls himself off me but still wants to eat? does it mean im not producing enough milk and hes pulling himself off because hes not getting anymore after like 20 minutes?

oi...i dont know what to do...he never seems full and i dont want to over feed him formula...when i was pumping my milk i know exactly how much he was eating....i would feed him the 2oz i could pump every 2 hours...and if he was still hungry i would give him and ounce or 2 more....but since i stoped pumping i dont know how much he eats....so yeah

also hes been having some trouble pooping....he starts straining and he seems very upset and just all together unhappy and fussy (which is sooo not like him) and then poops after like an hour of that....and the nurse had absolutly no help for me...she said it was normal...which is fine and dandy for her but he seems troubled and i was wondering if there was anything i could do to help him not strain as much...it hurts to see him so unhappy when he usually isnt

I'll offer my advice, but I would highly recommend posting this in the breastfeeding sticky to get more answers...lots of nice ladies and lots of support and advice  
http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about149782.html

Quoting Sweetsaramae:“ I'll offer my advice, but I would highly recommend posting this in the breastfeeding sticky to get more ... [snip!] ... sticky to get more answers...lots of nice ladies and lots of support and advice   http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about149782.html”

i didnt know they had one....im new to the parent forum lol...thank you

Quoting TaraBanana:“ ok, commong sense tells me that if Teagan (hes 12days old today..if thats relivent at all)pulls himself ... [snip!] ... wondering if there was anything i could do to help him not strain as much...it hurts to see him so unhappy when he usually isnt”

I was told when a baby pulls off or stops but seems like they want more .. most likley they need to be burped before they continue. so burp him then try again

hi. My daughter was the same when she was 2 weeks old. After I BF her she'd still be hungry and screaming! I was told she was going through a growth spurt. Just keep nursing him, let him suck some more. Your body will produce more milk because of the stimulation. Don't worry it's just a phase. As for the straining and pooping, I have no idea. My daughter pooped like crazy when she was his age. Is his poop hard or soft? If it's soft you don't have to worry about constipation. If it's hard maybe you can discuss it with the pedia. I hope things will get better soon!

Quoting amycakes.:“ I was told when a baby pulls off or stops but seems like they want more .. most likley they need to be burped before they continue. so burp him then try again”

that makes since...i did that last time and it seemed to work

The pulling off and reattaching is normal. Just like you or I would need a break, sometimes babies need breaks too. It seems more like what you're describing is comfort nursing. My daughter did a lot of that. She would never take a pacifier, that's what I was for! Maybe try offering a paci and see if he just wants to suckle rather than wanting to actually eat.

As far as I know, you can't really overfeed on BM. Offer the paci and if that isn't cutting it for him then he'll let you know. Right now it's just about your body trying to figure out how much to make to satisfy him. So if he's still hungry then let him have the breast. The first few weeks are all about adjusting to each other.

As far as the pooping is concerned...it's about quality, not quantity. As long as his poops aren't hard and dry (they should be runny) then he's ok. Some grunting and pushing is ok because he's learning how to poop. Also, bf babies can go several days without pooping, which is also very normal!

I hope I helped a little  

Quoting Sandz:“ hi. My daughter was the same when she was 2 weeks old. After I BF her she'd still be hungry and screaming! ... [snip!] ... have to worry about constipation. If it's hard maybe you can discuss it with the pedia. I hope things will get better soon!”

it is soft...but i dont like seeing him in dis-stress like that...hes never fussy and never cries until he needs to poop...then hes fine again

Like Sandz said, babies go through a growth spurt at around 2 weeks of age. It will seem like he is permanently attached for a few days but don't worry! He is just signaling your body that more is needed and, as long as you nurse him every time he is hungry, your body will up the supply as needed. Supplementing is NOT your friend at this time because everytime you supplement, your body isn't getting the signal to make more.

As long as the poop is soft you're ok. It takes awhile for babies to learn how to relax their sphincter muscle and push at the same time to poop. So it seems like they are straining even when there isn't a constipation problem.

Quoting Sweetsaramae:“ The pulling off and reattaching is normal. Just like you or I would need a break, sometimes babies need ... [snip!] ... how to poop. Also, bf babies can go several days without pooping, which is also very normal! I hope I helped a little  ”

you helped alot! thank you....it just seems like hes in a lot of discomfort for like an hour before he poops...i hate seeing him like that

Quoting Sweetsaramae:“ I'll offer my advice, but I would highly recommend posting this in the breastfeeding sticky to get more ... [snip!] ... sticky to get more answers...lots of nice ladies and lots of support and advice   http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about149782.html”

dangit, i didn't even notice that and i already made a post today about my BFing problems lol

Quoting mamacj:“ Like Sandz said, babies go through a growth spurt at around 2 weeks of age. It will seem like he is permanently ... [snip!] ... muscle and push at the same time to poop. So it seems like they are straining even when there isn't a constipation problem.”

i had to switch to a pump for about a week and i wasnt pumping enough for him...but im switching back to the breast now....im trying not to suppliment but when i was pumping he wasnt eating enough and im worried that the same thing is happening

Quoting Mommy de Rocco!:“ dangit, i didn't even notice that and i already made a post today about my BFing problems lol”

You may not get an immediate response, but someone there ALWAYS gets back with some help. And someone there has been through exactly what you're experiencing no matter what it is  

Quoting TaraBanana:“ i had to switch to a pump for about a week and i wasnt pumping enough for him...but im switching back ... [snip!] ... trying not to suppliment but when i was pumping he wasnt eating enough and im worried that the same thing is happening”

It may take a few days for your supply to catch up since you were supplementing. I'd give it a week and see what happens. How long are the breaks in between feedings?

Quoting mamacj:“ It may take a few days for your supply to catch up since you were supplementing. I'd give it a week and see what happens. How long are the breaks in between feedings?”

with the pump? i would try for 2oz every 2 hours...and if he was still hungry then i would give him another oz or 2 of formula....and it worked like that until we went to bed then he would go about 4 hours before needed to be fed again