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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU or can I teach my baby to breastfeed after being bottle fed?

41 replies

HollyGoLoudly1 · 04/10/2018 20:46

My baby is 11 days old and has never successfully breastfed so had to get bottles as he lost so much weight. We tried all the different positions, shields etc but he would never latch on for more than a minute. Midwife diagnosed a tongue tie which has now been cut but he's still not breastfeeding. He will latch on (checked + confirmed by midwife) but won't still with it long enough to actually feed. After a couple of sucks he gets really upset + comes off.

Keep trying but it regularly ends with both of us in tears Sad Midwife said he's so used to getting milk quickly from the bottle that he will find it really hard work trying to get milk from me.

I feel awful that I can't BF him. AIBU for putting us both through the huge upset at every feed attempt? Has anyone successfully switched from bottles to breast? TIA for any advice or success stories.

OP posts:
JemAppelleLafayette · 04/10/2018 20:48

I can’t give any advice apart from to tell you my friend managed to do this. I think it took a few weeks and a lot of effort but they got there.

Applepudding2018 · 04/10/2018 20:53

I breastfed but was advised by HV to supplement with a bottle at around 4-6 weeks because baby wasn't growing. In retrospect I don't think I had enough milk. I continued to breast feed alongside the bottle and think that DS was happier because he was no longer hungry.

AustrianSnow · 04/10/2018 20:55

This might be helpful. Good luck and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work out.

www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/back-to-breast/

FellSwoop · 04/10/2018 20:56

Baby is only 11 days so you can likely get him back on breast but it will take tears and a lot of persistence.
Are you pumping currently?
Have you tried giving him 1oz from bottle to take the edge off the hunger before popping on breast?

Bluebelltulip · 04/10/2018 20:56

I did it after DD had been bottle fed expressed milk for 2 weeks. it took perseverance and nipple shields. Breastfeeding support lady gave me the advice to hand express a little to encourage milk flow then latch her on so she doesn't have to suck for as long to get milk, then reduce the amount you do it as they get used to it.

cranberryx · 04/10/2018 21:01

I did this with my first, though only until DS was 6 weeks old.

I pumped breast milk to maintain supply, then would give a couple of ounces to take the hunger edge off. When DS was hungry, he was more impatient and likely to fling himself off the boob. Then I would continue the breastfeed afterwards. After about a week, my boobs produced enough milk and DS was skilled enough at that point.

I used the NUK bottles as they are supposedly most like a nipple during a feed.

Gnomesofthegalaxy · 04/10/2018 21:03

What bottles are you using? The medela calma teats have a similar action to breast where baby has to suck hard to get the milk. Might be worth switching so he gets used to sucking and keep offering breast too

I really sympathise as I've had no end of problems feeding my 3 month old. He's current mostly fed expressed milk and sometimes feeds with a shield. Really wish I had persevered with the breast but he was losing weight as couldn't get a good latch or stay on long.

Lulusmother · 04/10/2018 21:04

My youngest was premature, born at 28 weeks. He didn't start to breast feed until he would have been 32 weeks gestation, was fed via a nasal tube, so perservere ! Once he started he didn't stop until he was 2 !

Crazycatmanhelp · 04/10/2018 21:04

Do you have a local breastfeeding group you can attend? Ask your midwife or health visitor about these as they are really helpful. In the meantime get hold of an electric breast pump (buy or hire) and pump every 2 hours day and night even if you get nothing. Eat plenty and drink at least 3 litres of water a day. Lots of skin to skin with baby and keep offering the breast - even if he’s only latched for a short amount of time it’ll all help to boost your supply. It will be hard but can be done - good luck.

Thehop · 04/10/2018 21:05

Is it worth looking at a sns to get him started? (Supplementary nursing system)

Gizzygizmo · 04/10/2018 21:06

If you are very engorged baby will find it difficult to latch properly, and you could have a forceful let down. Have you tried expressing into a Muslin cloth and then try latch baby on?

Gizzygizmo · 04/10/2018 21:08

it’s so hard but your doing amazing at still trying Flowers

littledinaco · 04/10/2018 21:09

Look up ‘paced bottle feeding’ and do with with all bottles you give.

Lots of skin to skin even if baby isn’t latching/sucking.

It’s really worth seeing a lactation consultant as midwives aren’t experts in breastfeeding and you can often get poor advice. A good LC will be able to help you with getting the baby to latch long enough to feed. It’s definitely doable but getting expert help will make it far easier.

SylvanianFrenemies · 04/10/2018 21:10

Yes. I did at 10 days as she'd had expressed milk after birth complications. We went cold turkey on the bottles. She then BF for 2.5y!

Rtmhwales · 04/10/2018 21:12

Mine was able to breastfeed after a few weeks on bottles, though I quit soon after because it wasn’t for me. Try expressing a bit as pp said. Then baby doesn’t have to work as hard and nipple already tastes of breast milk. Are you pumping or formula feeding?

Woliverine · 04/10/2018 21:17

Yes it's very possible!
Look at paced feeding and using the slowest flow test you can when giving a bottle. This will get baby used to the slower flow with breast milk.

You might find nipple shields help to make your nipples more 'teat-like' if they prefer to latch on a bottle rather than breast.

You could try hand expressing a little before putting baby to breast to encourage a let down without too much sucking.

Get yourself to a breast feeding support group or phone breastfeeding network or similar for advice if you need to. They were brilliant when I was struggling to get my little one off bottles and boost my milk supply. It took a lot of perseverance but now he's a booby monster!!

AudaciousCockerel · 04/10/2018 21:18

I had a preemie - he was tube fed until he came home from hospital and too small to be breastfed, he was also too small for a normal bottle. We used the NUK silicone teats with expressed breast milk for a couple of months, until he was big enough to get my nipple in his mouth.

Here’s what I did - fed from the bottle until he’d got his sucking action going, and then ( you have to sit with your boob out for this, before you start the feed), whip out the bottle and stick the nipple in his mouth.

It took a while to get it - think a few weeks - at every feed - but he got it eventually. If you persevere I’m sure you’ll be just fine. You’ll feel like it’s not working and want to give up - just keep going, you can do it. I breastfed until he was 15 months old in the end.

Plastictattoo · 04/10/2018 21:18

Going to go against the grain here... if it is causing you and LO so much stress, let them have the bottle. I had similar problems with my first DC. I had health visitors, breast feeding counsellors, family members all trying to help me. We just never managed it. I spent the first 3 weeks of my DC's life feeling constantly sick with nerves about the next feed and LOTS of tears from us both. I finally made the decision to stick with the bottle. Do you know what? After that I started to enjoyey

lula103 · 04/10/2018 21:21

We did! My baby had a tongue- tie that was snipped at 4.5 weeks. He couldn't latch at all , with or without nipple shields. I fed him expressed milk and tried to get him to latch at every feed. We eventually got there at 5.5 weeks and he is still breastfeeding happily at 8 months now. I used all the breastfeeding support nearby, lots of tears and frustration, hours of skin to skin but I am so glad I did. Ask for help wherever you can and persevere if you can xx

RoboticMary · 04/10/2018 21:22

I used the Medela SNS - a bit of a faff, but I was determined and I didn’t need to use it long - only a week. By then my supply had increased and we could continue without it.

Plastictattoo · 04/10/2018 21:22

Sorry! I started to enjoy cuddling and feeding my baby. Actually looking forward to it! He is now an active boy, passed 11 plus and no different from his peers.
My breast feeding tops, pillows, pumps etc were passed on to friends so didn't go to waste!
Enjoy these times and be kind to yourself would be my advice. Good luck!

AudaciousCockerel · 04/10/2018 21:24

Actually I’d like to agree with plastictattoo - if it’s causing you stress and upset, and the baby too, it’s not worth it. A fed baby is best, not matter how you achieve it. I didn’t want to sound like a mad breastfeeding pusher. Do what’s right for you - all I wanted to say was that I managed it, but don’t take that as me telling you you’ve failed if you don’t want to.

Lindah1 · 04/10/2018 21:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AssassinatedBeauty · 04/10/2018 21:29

Yes I've done it twice, both of my children started off tube fed and then came home from hospital being mainly or fully bottle fed. Both of them were fully breastfed by 6 to 8 weeks, and then breasted to 18 months plus.

It was hard work but doable. I used the Medela calma teats, and I felt that they really helped. The important thing is to not put any pressure on yourself and take it a day at a time. Each latch and breastfeed no matter how short helps. My DS2 initially couldn't even feed from a free flow bottle - he had a forceps bruise to his face, got tired very easily and just couldn't do it. Eventually he could take a bottle, then he got the hand of the Calma teat that needs more effort and then he started to latch on to the breasts

AssassinatedBeauty · 04/10/2018 21:32

... posted too soon...

I started each feed with an attempt at breastfeeding, and then gave a bottle. If the feed was short I would express to keep up supply. At some point you realise that the breastfeeds are longer and more effective, then you have to decide to drop the bottle top ups. At that point they will want to feed more frequently until your supply catches up and they are getting what they want from you.

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