Major BF problem feeling really crap - update pg 2

[Daffodil]

Good news and bad news:

Good = Meadow latched and fed twice today! 15 mins each time. This at least shows we can do it!!!

Bad = expressed yesterday and once overnight but nothing today - I feel such a failure. I had a visitor this morning then i was so tired and looking after Meadow...the hours went by and I just don't know how I will ever fit in the expressing needed!!!

I am going to keep trying Meadow latching. She is being supplemented with formula but if I breastfeed her first....

She also only seems to want one breast

Thanks for the advice everyone - the expressing advice is really good. I just don't know how to fit it all in.

Dawn

 

[Squiglet]

She also only seems to want one breast

Oh thats normal... got no idea why but lil miss was the same and she was full bf'd so I think its a baby thing... try feeding her on the breast she doesn't like at night... the soon grow out of it

 

[clarey]

She also only seems to want one breast

Oh thats normal... got no idea why but lil miss was the same and she was full bf'd so I think its a baby thing... try feeding her on the breast she doesn't like at night... the soon grow out of it

I used to 'trick' Eva by holding her under my arm in the rugby ball hold to get her to feed from the side she didnt like too, or lay down to do it but I understand you have probs with laying on your side at the mo.

Good luck hun, you are doing so well, breastfeeding definately requires determination and stubborness at the best of times, I cant imagine how tough it must be dealing with low supply.

 

[Sherlock]

Keep offering her the boob before a bottle. I'd use the bottle only if she doesn't feed off your boob.

Also really do try the couple of days in bed with lots of skin on skin. It does work. Just tell the world to bog off for a couple of days and stick a note on the door asking to not be disturbed and then spend those days with your LO and see what happens. The more she just comfort sucks, feeds, is close to you, the better.

With regard to her preferring one boob, why not feed her from that one and express from the other for a little while. I only ever really expressed from one boob as it had a better let down. Would feed LO off the slower boob as he is a good feeder so didn't matter. I'd just feed and express as often as possible from the other boob.

 

[DebbieM]

I don't know if you are aware or not but some people just cannot express. A baby is much more efficient at getting milk than a pump ever will be! I know people who literally cannot express an ounce but have been able to BF their baby for months and month - exclusively. Best thing to do is feed, feed, feed to keep your supply going x

 

[kelsey]

Hi there, I would like to say that how much you're able to express has no reflection on what you are producing. The was babies suck causes the letdown reflex in your breast which is very hard to recreate with pumps. Some people respond to pumps brilliantly but others not so well. Another option would be to try expressing by hand.

Also I agree with everyone else, to increase your supply keep feeding as your body responds to it.

 

[Daffodil]

Ok so I managed to get a little bit of a milk supply going. It isn't much but its there.

Unfortunately since the other day, Meadow hasn't latched again

She seems to reject the breast and get upset if I try to get her to latch.

I just wonder if I'm going to end up feeding expressed milk via bottle. I really don't want that, I'd rather breastfeed in the normal way.

Dawn
x

 

[Sherlock]

Have you had a couple of days in bed with no disturbances. Just you and baby and lots of skin on skin. Just keep offering the boob then and let her feed.

If you've not tried it I really recommened it

 

[Urchin]

Ok so I managed to get a little bit of a milk supply going. It isn't much but its there.

Unfortunately since the other day, Meadow hasn't latched again

She seems to reject the breast and get upset if I try to get her to latch.

I just wonder if I'm going to end up feeding expressed milk via bottle. I really don't want that, I'd rather breastfeed in the normal way.

Dawn
x

Sorry to hear you are still having a few problems.
I would do as sherlock says, lie in bed, both rest, get plenty of skin to skin. Don't rush her.
My friend was struggling to breastfeed and topping up with formula, she asked me to help and showed me what she was doing.
She would give her son 5 mins to try and latch on then he'd get upset so she would reach for a bottle. She was worried he was too hot and upset etc so I asked her to slow down, and if she thought he was hot, just strip him off a little, relax with him and put him near the breast. Over time he started feeding, and that night he has a monster 3 hour feed, which stimulated her supply and she had a very successful 6 months breastfeeding!
I know your circumstances may be different, but I believe a lot of it is down to relaxing, skin to skin, and letting your baby learn to feed in their own time. Has a MW come round and tried to help? Have you got someone you can ask for support?

Good luck, it sounds like you are doing great, I'm sure you will get there

 

[Laur_250]

I just wonder if I'm going to end up feeding expressed milk via bottle. I really don't want that, I'd rather breastfeed in the normal way.

Dawn
x

I know i've already posted but I fed Reggie expressed milk from a bottle (not even a special breastfeeding type) for 5 weeks and have now been exclusively breastfeeding for the last 2 weeks just from persevering with putting him to breast so even if you do that until her suck is more established or you have more milk it isnt the end it could just be short term. Just keep trying her on breast every now and then, thats all i did and eventually he learnt.xx

 

[IsaB]

Some really fantastic advice here - not sure if this helps, but when I first started expressing and wasn't getting much, I thought that I just didn't have much/couldn't get at it, but I think was more to do with let-down taking longer than I expected - I think I might have been stopping a little soon - I finally figured that one out when one time I was about to give up when all of a sudden the booby started squirting rather than the pathetic dribble I was getting.

Also, just wanted to let you know that my friend started breastfeeding after 3 months of nothing but expressing (her baby was prem and had health problems) and is still going strong 5 months down track. Hope that gives you some hope

 

[Daffodil]

So there is hope!



I find co-sleeping skin to skin quite difficult. I don't really know why. But I like having ordinary skin to skin when I'm not sleeping...

I think I've been guilty of reaching for the bottle as soon as she starts getting distressed. She will refuse to latch then start crying. Maybe I should try calming her down and putting her back to breast - only trouble is she usually launches into full screaming mode.

Dawn

 

[Urchin]

So there is hope!



I find co-sleeping skin to skin quite difficult. I don't really know why. But I like having ordinary skin to skin when I'm not sleeping...

I think I've been guilty of reaching for the bottle as soon as she starts getting distressed. She will refuse to latch then start crying. Maybe I should try calming her down and putting her back to breast - only trouble is she usually launches into full screaming mode.

Dawn

Of course there is hope, lots of babies struggle at first then soon after take to it really well

I would definitely give her more time, breastfeeding is harder work for a baby, so she may prefer a bottle for now, but as long as you are relaxed about it she should settle into it soon.
Let us know how you get on

 

[Laur_250]

So there is hope!



I find co-sleeping skin to skin quite difficult. I don't really know why. But I like having ordinary skin to skin when I'm not sleeping...

I think I've been guilty of reaching for the bottle as soon as she starts getting distressed. She will refuse to latch then start crying. Maybe I should try calming her down and putting her back to breast - only trouble is she usually launches into full screaming mode.

Dawn

That is exactly how it was with Reggie and why I had to express for the first 5 weeks as he would get so angry on the breast and not latch on I would have to give up and get a bottle as it would drain me as well, but just keep trying anyway as then all of a sudden he tasted a bit of my milk on the nipple at 6 weeks and latched, it still took a bit of trying and gradually cutting the bottles out over a week or so until he fully got used to it but he hasn't had one for over 2 weeks now.xx

 

[Redshoes]

I was desperate to express in the first week for Isaac as he was being drip fed and I wanted him to have my milk but I was getting practically nothing and it was heart breaking, but I did go on to partially breastfeed him for 6months, and so even though you're not getting anything from expressing, doesn't mean Meadow won't be getting anything when she feeds from you I also mainly fed Isaac from my right boob, it seemed to produce better, obviously as he was on it more, and it didn't bother him or me, if it works it works, it happens to many women Screaming is also said to help bring the milk down, so she may be doing that for that reason, Ophelia still sometimes has a good scream with the nipple right in front of her

Very best wishes, whatever happens you are giving 100% of yourself for your DD, so never feel upset about what didn't happen, you are doing so so much, you should feel very proud of yourself