Can you start breastfeeding once your baby is 3weeks old if you have been giving it formula?

[AliceandtheGinormousBaps]

Hello

My sister had a baby 3wks ago. She BF the first couple of feeds in hospital, but the hospital decided the baby wasn't getting enough so advised switching to the bottle. My sister was going to FF anyway due to a medical condition which means she passes out regularly. It was decided it would be safer for the baby to be FF (less chance of being dropped/suffocation etc)

However, since the birth my sis has not passed out at all (hormones perhaps?) and she has now decided she wants to BF. Is it possible? She still gets a little bit of milk leakage.

TIA

I dont have any experience ... but i dont see why not if she still has milk, she would have to build up her milk supply first though, possibly by regular expressing so that she had enought to feed the baby, she could mix the feeds until then.

I'm sure there will be someone along in a minute who is qualified to give advice, lulu perhaps?

Until then, there is a fantastic site called kellymom which will have some fab tips for building supply back up, supplements, tea and stuff that you can drink. They also recommend as much skin to skin as possible, ie off to bed, feed on demand, for as long as possible. Also think expressing in-between feeds can help.

I think it will probably be quite hard, but if she is determined it can be done, good luck to her.

It is possible to relacate, but it is difficult. Your sil would need to hire a hospital grade pump and contact one of the major breastfeeding charities like la Leche League for advice and support.

Even if she cannot get the baby to latch on she may well be able to give some expressed milk. There are herbs like Freengeek that she can take to help boost supply.

I would think the window of opportunity should still be open- after all, some adopters find they can lactate enough to feed their babies so no reason in my mind why your sister who is still awash with post natal hormones shouldn't be able to.

I suspect you need tiktok on this one, although my knowledge of breastfeeding suggests that maybe she could try putting the baby to the breast regularly, for maybe half an hour, when s/he's hungry, then supplementing with formula (to ensure the baby is getting enough food generally) while she's building up her supply, and maybe try feeding the baby again when s/he has fed enough and is relaxed. The more she feeds the more milk she will make, especially if she is still leaking. I would say there's every chance it will work.

The bit I'm not sure about is whether continuing supplementing is a better option than just sitting down and bfeeding bfeeding bfeeding continuously until her supply is established might not be a better option. I suspect that a breast feeding consultant might be a better source of advice than me.

I would love to know whether she manages though. Pass on my best wishes to her. I hope she succeeds!

She could get a nursing supplementer

www.ehow.com/how_2062521_use-nursing-supplementer.html

fullmoonsdaughter.com/wpmain/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/3924223457_d5679fd7bf_o-300x300.jpg

Then she would be able to give formula top ups and her breasts would be simulated to produce milk. She would experience the emotional closeness of breastfeeding even if she was not producing enough milk.

Thank you all

She is quite young and i think has been 'told' how she should do everything rather than have people (HV, MW, Dr's etc) let her make decisions or at least put her preferences across iyswim? The baby has also had some withdrawal symptoms from the medication she was put on while PG, and while that has got a lot better, she wishes she had been bfeeding as it may have helped.

I will be seeing her this week so will pass on everything i find out

Here is the article about relactation from the kellymom site that Geordieminx mentioned.

Speaking to someone from one of the breastfeeding helplines (they are listed under useful stuff on here) would be a good idea. They will be able to help your sister draw up a plan of action.

Good luck with it all, it may take some time and lots of perseverance, but she can do it!!