jools writes:
: Hello this is my first post,
: My baby is two weeks old and I am having trouble breastfeeding. At the
: moments she will take no more than 5 minutes at the breast before becoming
: distressed and crying/screaming. She then falls asleep and refuses to take
: anymore from breast or bottle. I am worried that she will not be getting
: enough feed - I have had no visit from a health visitor as yet so am unable
: to judge my babies health - weight gain etc. In the last 8 hours she has
: only fed for about 16 minutes in total - I am woried - can anyone offer any
: advice
: Thankyou

We can give you some advice now, but to give you really good advice,
we need to understand more.

First you mention the bottle. How often are you giving her a bottle,
and what are you giving in the bottle? Formula? Expressed breast milk?
If you are supplementing let us know how much and with what.
In general, you should avoid supplementing with a bottle if at all
possible. This just creates more problems in the long run.

Second, have you seen a Lactation Consultant. I think one would help.
You should make sure to find one that is IBCLC certified. You may have
to pay a modest amount to get some help from one.

Third, how often are your feeding, and when do you decide to start a feed?
You should not be scheduling the feedings, and you should not be waiting
until your baby starts to cry. When your baby wakes and starts to root
around, you should offer the breast immediately. You shouuld not be doing
anything else (cooking, house cleaning, errands), that is what hubby is for.

Fourth, regarding your worry about weight gain. Don't count what goes in,
count what comes out. :-) You should have 6 - 8 wet cloth or 5 - 6 wet
disposable diapers a day. Contrary to other postings, I would not worry
about poopy diapers too much. Some babies will poop 3 - 4 times a day.
Others will poop less than once a week. All normal.

Are you cosleeping with her? I think this is one of the best ways to
ensure that she is getting adequate nursing opportunities.

Write back with an update.

Good luck,
Larry