Please help- I don't know what to do and I'm knackered!

[LilacEmmy]

Apologies it's a long one, but wanted to explain things properly as my problem is two fold. I've introduced one bottle of formula with my 6wk old daughter- I started this 2 weeks ago, but she has only started having a proper bottle feed in the past four days as we had to change formula (didn't like the first one) and she's now happily taking 6-8oz each time. I've then been breastfeeding for the other four feeds and this had been working great for the past few days.
However, yesterday my milk supply seemed to suddenly drop off- my breasts are noticeably smaller and felt soft and empty feeling even when she's due a feed- normally much larger, firmer and fuller when due a feed. I also can't hear her gulping or swllowing as much like she normally does during a feed. My nipples are also very sore today, and we've both just finished treatment for thrush as she had white coating on her tongue, sodon't know if that's what I've got now (no symptoms up to now throughout treatment). She wouldn't settle back down after her 3am feed last night and cried hysterically until I picked her up and fed her again, each time falling asleep and crying as soon as she was put down again, 4 times in all until 5.30am. I felt completely drained physically and emotionally and felt I had to resort to a bottle as she still seemed hungry. She took 1.5oz and then fell asleep properly for 3 hours.
Today has been the same, I still don't feel any fuller, and she's taking twice as long to feed as usual, and just won't settle, she's only slept for 3 hours 11am-2pm today. She's wrecked now as well, and is only just settling in her bouncer at the mo when she's rocked, but roars in her moses basket. Health visitor had suggested last week allowing her to cry for about 15 mins and wait to see if she settles, which she had been doing quite a bit of the time, but now she just cries hysterically and doesn't stop until she's picked up, however long it takes.
So the problem is two fold- my lack of milk supply and the crying..any ideas what I can try for either/both please? Feel really disillusioned and hate seeig her so upset, please help!

mabye your mik supply is drying up, so after breast feeding try to top up with the bottle don't let her go without, with the crying i think 15 mins is too young to leave screaming make sure she is burped properly she might have trapped wind. do u swaddle? if not i suggest you try it, worked wonders for me... good luck and don't worry it gets easier, not yet but eventually x

Sorry ffried but that's not great advice if the OP wants to carry on breastfeeding. The more you top up the less you stimulate the breasts and the less milk you produce. It's very, very rare for a milk supply to dry up if the baby is feeding well and often with no top ups.

That being said Lilac It sounds as if something is going on with the feeding and it would be worth ringing a breastfeeding support line (NCT, La Leche League etc) or even better going to a breastfeeding drop in centre tomorrow. Pain is indicative often of an issue with the latch, but softness in the breasts could just be your boobs adjusting a bit after 6 weeks so don't panic about your supply.

I got in to similar situation at the same age with top ups promoting more top ups. If I'd sought help early on there would have been less crying, less stress and less faffing about with bottles and breastfeeding and expressing. The helplines and groups are brilliant and will have lots of suggestions about the feeding and the crying.

You are doing an amazing job lilac . Hang on in there, it does get easier.

p.s. could also be 6 week growth spurt in which they get fussy and want to feed all the time/won't settle. Boobs will catch up with demand if you let her feed as and when she demands it.

Still worth seeing/speaking to someone to get your latch checked

Thank you all so much for all your advice, this forum is such a great way of chatting to mums who've been in the same situation and it makes you feel you're not alone! We had a similar evening yesterday with her wanting to be held pretty much all the time between 5-10pm- which we did, no leaving her to cry for any time last night! You're all right, 6 weeks is way too young for controlle crying and i realise that now, but I guess as a new mum you tend to grasp onto "experts" advice. I fed her quite a lot during this period, and also gave her a bottle (same as before, just the one), and then went to bed at 10.30 and she settled to sleep in her moses basket. I also swaddled her as suuggested which hopefully made a difference. She then slept through until 3.30 and fed on and off until 5.30 again like the previous night, put her down asleep a few times but she woke immediately and I took her back up again. Then she slept again 5.30-8am and has just had a nice long feed again and is happily playing in her bouncer now. I feel happier today and I'm clearer about what to do going forward and understand it won't last forever- and I'm still making the most of enjoying every minute with my gorgeous little girl! I'm planning to go to a La leched group tomorrow as well to check my latch as I was still sore overnight, though not as bad I think and I felt she got more from each breast last night- unless I'm just convincing myself to keep me sane!!!

That's great news Lilac

What you've described sounds like a totally normal (though knackering for you) 6 week old pattern. They do often cluster feed in the evenings (more about that here: www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html ) and wanting to be held all the time is normal (though a PITA if you want to be asleep)!

A few thoughts. Have you tried wearing her in a sling during the day? Sometimes it can help them to get their fill of being close to you during day time hours and can be a bit more 'put-downable' during the day?

Co-sleeping can help for those times when they won't be put down. There's loads of good info on here about safe co-sleeping.

Yay, to the La Leche League meeting - hopefully that will help with any soreness and they can also reassure you about normal breastfeeding patterns of feeding/sleeping and fussiness.

Health visitors - some are brilliant but some have had literally no breastfeeding training and spout a load of nonsense. It's much better to have a conversation with a trained breastfeeding supporter who won't say silly things like leaving a 6 week old to cry.

I was you just over a year ago and I now have a bouncing 15 month old who I'm still breastfeeding after a rocky start. Oh, and she sleeps (most of the time) too!

you'll get there!

Hi, I would try expressing for a few mins or so after you've fed your baby to fool your boobs into thinking she's extremely hungry so they will produce more milk (do you have a breast pump?), put her to the breast more often and also taking milk thistle supplements may help. My own milk supply stopped completely in one boob when my son was 4 months due to me not eating and drinking enough (how stupid was that) and struggled trying to feed on one boob and topping up with bottles and ended up switching to bottles completely, still miss breastfeeding now and he's 10 months. So make sure that you are looking after yourself and eating and drinking plenty. I agree that la leche is excellent :)