Regret giving up bf and relactation advice

[ktchang77]

Hi
Just wondered if anyone has tried going back to breastfeeding after giving up. I breastfeed my now 11 week old daughter for the first 3 weeks but gave up as I was in so much pain and now I am really starting to regret it. The pain I went through wasn't from the feeding itself, it was when my breasts were filling up and became so engorged - at times they got so big they felt like they were going to explode. The pain was so bad I couldnt sleep at night so I was really knackered during day. This made looking after my daughter a lot harder as I was always tired.
I spoke to my midwife and she said to try expressing to relieve and the pain and I did that but it didnt really help. I dont think she fully understood the pain I was in. When I told pple I found breastfeeding really painful they straight away thought it was beacause my daughter wasn't latching on properly. Eventually I gave up breastfeeding and switched to formula. It was a really difficult decision as I felt so guilty but I just didnt know what else to do. Now I am thinking of going back to it but heard that it is a really difficult process.

Here is a kellymom link about relactation.

Yes, its difficult, and hard going, but if you stick it out it is possible.

Remember it is much harder for a baby to get milk from the breast rather than the bottle, and that they have to latch differently, so she may well be resistant to begin with.

Get down to your local peer supporter group / breastfeeding cafe / have a word with your HV if she is helpful. Good luck. :)

I second the pumping. I had to do it for my dd and I'd advise going to a specialist medical hiring place to get a strong pump (the one I rented from the chemist was nowhere near strong enough). It's uncomfortable to start with but you get used to it.

Good luck!

PS If it doesn't work, please don't give yourself a hard time about not having bf'd longer. Being a parent is hard and things don't always go the way we would like them to, but to do your best at the time is all anyone can expect of us :)

I did it after a 3 week gap, so not as long.
i think you'll be able to get some supply back but 100% success isn't guaranteed.
I used a suplementary nursing system and hand expression.
The first few weeks are the hardest as it takes a while before you see any results.
Your best chances of success are when your baby is less than 3 months.
I took the view that the worst had already happend, baby was 100% FF, and could always go back to that if it didn't work out.
I would start by hand expressing, I found it removed more milk when supply was very low and see if your baby will still latch, and even suck for comfort. Don't worry if she won't at first just keep trying gently and do lots of skin to skin.
Dr.JackNewman's site has useful info and video clips, as well.
Wish you best of luck.

I breastfed DS1 for 3.5 weeks and then gave up due to lack of confidence/lack of support/couldn't get latch right/ds1 fussed at the breast/had thrush and sore nipples. I continued to express half heartedly for a week or so but could never get more than about a ounce out so gave up.

About 4 or 5 weeks after that, I was cuddling a wholly ff DS1 and just happened to be topless. He stretched his body down (you know how babies do that!!) and latched himself on and fed beautifully - you could really have knocked me down with a feather. I then started breastfeeding again but still gave formula. It took a good month or so but by the time he was 4months old, he wasn't having that much formula at all. I never reestablished ebf but he was definitely getting at least half his feeds from bf rather than ff and I bf him untilhe was 13 months old and selfweaned. And I speak as someone with a slow letdown, who has never gushed milk or been able to express. You probably have tonnes of milk since you get so engorged so you may well find relactating a doddle.

Thank you for all your advice. I will see my health visitor next week and then decide for definate. I had a chat with my husband about trying breastfeeding again last night and he was quite concerned, as he saw how much pain I was in the first time round. My breasts have got a lot smaller since I stopped breastfeeding - now its smaller then before I was pregnant so I am worried that my breasts will get even more engorged second time round. Feel so torn - really want to give breastfeeding another go but so so scared about the pain.

kt If you are considering this you may not want to wait another week as every day will count.

You could start hand expressing straight away (don't worry if nothing comes) and try to get your baby to latch and suckle as well. Dripping formula onto your nipples may encourage this.

Engorgement is horrendously, horribly painful :( If you were expressing too much you would have built up your supply which would have made things worse. Expressing just enough for comfort should help.

If you do manage to relactate, though, you may possibly find you get engorged but really your supply should settle down in a few weeks. The 3 weeks you did were the worst - another fortnight and you may have settled into making the right amount. But when you're going through so much pain you just want it to stop, don't you :(

Much sympathy and good luck with whatever you decide.

Hi ktchang77

Just found this message board, as wanting to try re-lactating too. Very similar in that my lil girl is 12 weeks and every day it breaks my heart to not be breastfeeding her. I only mananged first two weeks. I am going to contact my HV tomorrow so if I get any good advice I will let you know, I just hope not left it too late. My husband also is concerned because our lil one is quite settled and when I gave up before I was very upset. Anyway I wanted to send warm wishes whatever you decide and let you know there's another mum in similar situation....

Thanks, m3m. Please do let me know how you get on with your HV. Have been reading a lot about relactating the past week. Have also tried hand expressing but no milk so far. My breasts are a lot lot smaller now so not sure if that will affect it.

Hey
Rang my HV today, she's sending round a breast feeding counsellor next tuesday. In meantime she said to try getting bab to nurse before feeding formula each time. Ive tried this but she screamed house down and looks like she doesnt recognise nipple or what its for. Just had ago with pump, nothing has come after an hour. Will let you know how it pans out. Recommend contacting La Leche team too...
Bye for now
M

M3m, do you have a strong pump? I rented something that resembled a mini milking machine from a specialist medical place which was much better than the one I rented from the chemist (which in turn was much better than anything you get in the shops).

m3m - i relactated after 3 week break, it took me 3- 4 weeks before i could pump milk, i could hand express first and ds started cutting back on formula before i could pump anything really, the stimulation from the pump is still good though even if you get no milk.

kt- it takes ages at first before you see a result but what i would say is that IME it wasn't a gradual build up, more like nothing for ages then some progress, then plateau, then another jump up in supply.

strongly recommend using supplementary nursing system - medela make them, i got mine off amazon or you can improvise one with a 5 french nasogastric tube - HV should be able to get one, keeps baby at breast while milk supply still low or not existant. my ds wouldn't latch till i started using it and then he began associating boob with milk again.

thinking of you both and whatever you decide, LO will thrive :)

Thanks for your posts. Still trying. x
KTCHang- Just to say when phoned BFSW they said to count the number of weeks between when you stopped and how old bab is, ie the gap, rather than just how old bab is...