Not Feeding Well

How can I tell if he is not breastfeeding well?

Clare Byam-Cook says

If your baby is doing any of the following, he is not feeding well:-

• He keeps crying for a feed but then falls asleep after only a few sucks at the breast
• He becomes sleepy and listless and stops waking for feeds
• He is not passing much urine
• He is feeding for hours on end but never seems satisfied
• He wakes and starts crying every time you try to settle him in his own bed
• You can only stop him crying by cuddling him and / or taking him into bed with you

See if you can find a midwife or breastfeeding counsellor to check your baby is latching correctly and to check how much colostrum and /or milk you have. If you still can’t get your baby feeding better, try to hand express some colostrum and feed it to him with a syringe.

You may need to give him some formula if you can’t express enough milk for his needs. Make sure he continues to be fed (by breast or bottle) at least 4 hourly and put a tissue in his nappy so you can see whether he is passing urine.