Breastfeeding Day 18-23

So breastfeeding day 18 is quite a different experience for me - my milk supply is not enough for my little guy! After drowning him in milk and using block feeding to settle my supply, I've swung back to the other extreme!

It seems so bizarre!  I've had a lot less vomiting which has been lovely, and I've been so much less worried about him in the bassinet overnight.  Listening to your baby struggling for air after a big vomit is quite stressful, I'm so glad we chose to have him sleeping right next to me.

So gradually over 4 days he gets more and more unsettled between feeds and starts demanding milk.  I'm absolutely ravenous too.  He's also really unsettled overnight.  Part of that is me trying to get him used to sleeping in the bassinet rather than on or next to me but I really think too that it's to do with him wanting more milk as he always settles better when he has a full tummy.

ON Day 19 I spent 2 hours in the middle of the night trying to resettle him in the bassinet and finally gave up and bed shared for the rest of the night (I think in the middle of the night you aren't quite so comps - who spends 2 hours trying to settle a baby and thinks it's going to work with that method?!).

Unfortunately for me though I then spent the rest of the night breastfeeding just from the left breast - partly because he attaches better that side, partly because the right has a stronger let down that seems to make him swallow more air and vomit more, and partly because it's not safe to bedshare with your baby between the two parents and I knew I'd fall asleep breastfeeding and wouldn't move him back over to the other side.

So I wake in the morning with a right breast that is engorged and painful......

I use the shimmy shake massage to try to shift the blocked ducts while I'm in the shower but it is still quite sore all day.  My nipple is really sore too and it makes me nervous about mastitis.  After having it with my first baby, I'm always a bit cautious with pain in the breast now!

Being tired is one of the contributing factors to getting mastitis too so I'm doubly cautious!

Again on Day 20 I'm absolutely ravenous and I end up eating a whole heap of chocolate..... I now it's not great for my little guy, but without any exercise or alcohol to keep me sane chocolate is the next best thing for a little stress relief!!

My breast is still quite sore so i'm monitoring it closely and doing my massages and it improves quite well over the day.

Day 21 sees us with our most unsettled day of all.  It was awful.  He wanted to breastfeed every hour and from both sides!  My nipples were getting sore from so much sucking all day.  Some of the feeds were 20 minutes at  a side, and when you're used to a ten i=minute and that's it baby, it was a big shock!

He also hardly slept, with the longest sleep being a 40 min sleep on me (I was really worried because if he couldn't even settle on me what was I going to do? My toddler was going bonkers too and by the time my husband got home I was in tears and actually did end up having a glass of wine to calm down a little - writing that down sounds like I'm relying on alcohol which is terrible, and i don't normally drink much even when I can, but this was a full on day....)

I end up with a blocked duct in the right breast in the lower part too which makes me use the saddle hold to help clear it....

I figure I'm not drinking or eating enough to keep up with the amount of milk he's demanding so I start eating and drinking without waiting to feel hungry or thirsty, and buy the 3 litre of water for the day my breasts finally feel like they're filling up!

Day 22 and 23 are both full of really frequent breastfeeds from sides....... phew, what a full on few days!

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