First time posting!
My DD will be 8 weeks in two days. At birth and for several weeks, she nursed for what seemed like forever...at least an hour. So long, that I worried she was not getting enough sleep in between feedings.
Then one week, I noticed that she was becoming very fussy at the breast and basically going on strike. I found some very helpful information on the LLLI website on oversupply and symptoms of both mom and baby. We were both Around the same time, I also assumed she had a dairy intolerance based on her allergy-like symptoms, gas, and the fact that I was the same as an infant.
I believe I created the oversupply issue by pumping too much trying to store milk to return to work. I have not pumped in 3 weeks. I block fed for 2-3 days and then moved to offering one breast per feeding in the past 3 weeks.
When she started to be fussy at breast (when I discovered oversupply), she was only eating for 4 to 6 minutes. I worried about dehydration, pediatrician said she looked healthy. She went from 8lbs. 1oz. at birth to 10lbs 1oz at one month. I weighed her at 7 weeks and she was at 11lbs.
With that being said, after 3 weeks of working on the oversupply. She no longer fusses and pulls off. Now she eats for 5mins exactly, pops off and catches her breath (sometimes falling asleep). Latches back on for 3mins, takes a minute to catch her breath. She may come back on for another minute but that is it.
I try to latch her back on because I feel like she should be eating more than just 8 to 10 minutes total at 7, almost 8 weeks. She clamps down and fusses when I try to latch her back on but no longer fussing while she has initiated latch (like previously).
Tonight I was worried she could not have had enough to eat, so I tried a bottle of expressed breast milk. She clamped down on the bottle nipple as well.
I am only offering one breast at feedings but have tried to offer the other just to make she wasn't popping off because I was empty on that side.
I think my supply has regulated better because I am no longer leaking like a faucet but am able to hand express at the end of a feeding.
Her tummy aches seem to be better. I have been giving gripe water or gas drops because I had a few meals at catered events with hidden dairy a week ago.
Her stools do not seem as watery or as green. She has not had blowouts up her back since I started offering one breast but has 2 to 3 minimum stools a day.
She sleeps 7 hours at night but has been waking around the 45 minute mark into her naps. Not sure if it is a transition, hunger, or overstimulation issue but I always offer breast when she wakes early. If it is a hunger issue, how do I get her to take a full feeding?
Please let me know if you need additional information or have any tips, advice, similar stories, et cetera.
Thank you so much!