New mum...baby won't settle to feed.

Hi, girls. I'm a new mum to my darling 3-week-old daughter, Blair Elizabeth. I'm also step-mum to my husband's two children, Caroline (age 6) and Matthew (age 4 1/2). So, I'm completely new to the whole new baby thing, as Stephen and I have only been together 2 years. Long story... Anyway, enough of the back story, ever since I've brought Blair home from hospital, she's been doing pretty well with feeding and such, until this week. I'm breastfeeding, and I can't get her to settle for a feed this week at all! Stephen will bring her to me when she does her "hungry cry," and she'll settle into my chest, but she doesn't latch on like she used to. I'll try and settle the nipple into her mouth, but she refuses to take and won't feed from me! I feel terrible about it. Luckily, she'll still eat from the bottles of my pumped milk, but we really wanted to breastfeed naturally with her. Am I doing something wrong, or is my baby sick?!? Help, please.

Lauren Chisolm

Not sick

if she's having the expressed milk.
It's difficult to give 'latching' advice via the forum. Get some help with it from the HV/MW.

Could it be that some babies prefer the teat. I dunno. Maybe that's possible. Good luck

Jen x

Glad she isn't sick!

Yeah, I called her pediatrician yesterday to check in about it, and she also assured me Blair wasn't sick. Thank the Lord! I just feel like a failure as a mom because she won't nurse, especially since she did for the first two weeks. Her doctor said to just keep trying it with her, maybe around bedtime, and maybe she'll get back into the swing of things...I certainly hope so.

I'm sorry for the moan, but I feel like I'm having a really hard time adjusting to being a mum. I mean, when me and Stephen first got together, his kids (Caroline and Matt) spent much of their time at their mum's, so it wasn't a huge deal, not to mention they weren't infants. Ever since I found out I was pregnant with Blair, things have been pretty hectic - Stephen got in a huge falling out with his ex when she said she didn't want custody of the kids anymore, and then we were suddenly boyfriend and girlfriend, mum and dad of two plus one on the way. It wasn't ideal, and we weren't prepared for it. We got married and then it was a bit better, but I still feel kind of alone on this, and I just really wanted to talk to people who are out there being new/old mums too. So, thanks for commenting...

Lauren Chisolm