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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Can I get my milk back?

108 replies

alfiemama · 17/01/2011 14:09

Lo is coming up to 10 weeks old.
I bf until she was 4 weeks old but then got an infection, was very poorly, and well just couldn't manage it. Throughout all this time, I have pumped once in the evening to keep my milk going (ha ha daft I know), but it has dwindled. I am lucky if I get 1oz a day.

Lo has now been diagnosed with reflux and is struggling on ff, I now have got into my head that she was much better when bf and want to put her back on bm. Hubby is supportive and I have explained it will be a long haul, he is happy as long as we give ebm, as we had weight issues when she was first born, but I know A) I still have to put her to the breast and B) He will come round to my way of thinking Wink

Lo is happy to latch on and I have been putting her on as much as I can and supplementing her with formula, but my milk is still not increasing? How long should it be before I would see my yield increase?
Is there any tips or supplements I can take?

Ps I don't even seem to have any let down at the minute.

OP posts:
AngelDog · 25/01/2011 23:08

This was a lovely thread - so glad things are improving for you, OP. :)

Original poster
alfiemama · 26/01/2011 11:25

Aw thanks so much AngelDog, I just hope it can give others hope.

Well I carried on cluster feeding yesterday evening and her last bottle was a bottle of formula. I was worried she wouldn't sleep through, but she did, woke up at 8.00am and had a lovely feed and then fed again at 10.15am, so far no sick

yippppeeeeeeeeeee, maybe, just maybe we have found a solution.

Ps, does it mean they are full when they bite at the end of a session?

OP posts:
duchesse · 26/01/2011 11:40

You sound as though you're doing fantastically, Alfiemama. Relactation poster child!

FWIW, my DD3 possetted a lot on BM alone until she was about 6 months old. Obviously that's not the same as throwing up an entire feed, but just wanted to mention that ebfing may not entirely solve the throwing up.

Original poster
alfiemama · 26/01/2011 12:49

Thanks duchesse. She still possetts even with bm, when I mean she's not been sick, I mean lots of it but with the mucus.

Hubby said we should collect some mucus and take it to the Dr's, we have an appointment on Thursday, but she hasn't been sick any of the mucus yetSmile.

They told me at first that it was just the mucus from her being a section baby, I have another ds who was the same, but it cleared off, but the reflux remained.

Then when I spoke to hv last week she said we make a lot of mucus. But she does literally sound like she has been smoking 80 cigs a day, its such a shame (if you could put a video on here I would do). When she is sick, she heaves as it gets stuck in her throat. I know I wouldn't want to be sick mucus all the time [bsad]. She wakes up to be sick and smells of acid on her clothes. Even relatives have commented.

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Original poster
alfiemama · 27/01/2011 10:40

Just another little update because I am so proud.

She woke up this morning and fed on one side, and I was so shocked when the other side started to leak, so I pulled her off and she had a cheeky grin full of lovely milk Smile

She is still having reflux and being sick, but no where near as bad. My thoughts are she is sick of formula so may as well have the good stuff and be sick of that.

I have a Dr's appointment with her at 4pm and even wondering now should I take her, or should I just carry on. Any thoughts?

She also seems to have colic, not sure if related to the reflux or not. I always thought it was a bit of a myth that at a set time they would cry. But Millie from early evening usually 7.00pm is inconsolable. Its stopping me knitting Wink

OP posts:
AngelDog · 27/01/2011 13:05

:)

Does she nap well in the day? Sometimes colic-like symptoms can be caused by overtiredness from poor daytime sleep (that was the case for my DS, anyway).

Original poster
alfiemama · 27/01/2011 13:08

no she just cat naps to be honest. I do think she could be over tired but she wont go to bed any sooner. She's like me a night owl. But she does look in pain and winces and gulps more frequently. I have also started to give her gaviscon but the bf way and this has helped.

OP posts:
AngelDog · 27/01/2011 13:23

That's sounds lots like overtiredness then. Any nap less than 30 mins doesn't really count as a nap as it doesn't refresh them.

I'd try whatever method of getting her to sleep that works - feeding, rocking, pram, sling, whatever, and don't worry about bad habits. Try to keep the awake intervals short - no more than 1.5 hours is a good rule of thumb, but it's more important to watch for tired signs if she shows any (my DS didn't at that age though).

Usually the awake times lengthen as the day goes on, so the interval between waking & needing the first nap might be as little as 45 mins but between last nap & bedtime might be 1.5 hours.

Going to bed late is normal for many babies that age, but I'd keep going with frequent naps until she's willing to go to bed properly.

HTH

Original poster
alfiemama · 27/01/2011 17:08

thanks angeldog, she will nap on our bed though in between the crying, until her last bottle, then she goes down lovely, we have a slumber bear and it works a treat.
I have tried bath, bottle, bed, but she wont go until later on.

She probably sleeps 30-45 mins each nap, and has a few in the day. Actually she probably sleeps more than I think, been out today and she slept all the time, so will be interesting to see how tonight pans out.
Good advice about 1.5hr I didnt know that

sorry if waffly, just feeding

OP posts:
AngelDog · 27/01/2011 23:46

That sounds like it could be cluster feeding / fussiness.

I think it's often around 3/4 months that bedtimes naturally get earlier, although it varies from baby to baby.

rodformyownback · 28/01/2011 00:34

No words of wisdom, I just wanted to say congratulations, Alfiemama!

Original poster
alfiemama · 28/01/2011 11:55

thanks rodformyownback, very kind of you.

Angledog, thanks for the link. Last night, I was really adamant she was going to bed easrlier, finally got her to go down at 8.30pm in her bed (yipppeee) and then gave her a dreamfeed at around 11.30pm.

So could have been overtired.

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Original poster
alfiemama · 28/01/2011 11:56

Thats it Angeldog, thanks very much

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MrsNoggin · 28/01/2011 12:15

Seriously, well done! I started reading this thread ready for disappointment. I tried and failed to desperately grasp back my milk supply after illness when DD was seven months. She wasn't particularly bothered, which didn't help Grin.

I'm so glad it worked for you!

Original poster
alfiemama · 28/01/2011 13:42

Aw thank you Mrs Noggin, I'm sorry it didn't work for you, but formula is so good these days, I'm sure your daughter did just fine.

Well things are going quite good here, she is loving her booby juice (as my little boys call it Grin). I am down to giving 2 bottles of formula, just to make sure really she is not losing weight whilst my milk increases. I give one for lunch and one for bed time, which at the moment I am more than happy with. She is always sick 3-4 times after the bottles though, but as I said previously I can live with this as I know she is keeping most of the bm down.

On a more positive note, my breasts have started tingling again when she cries, and this morning woke up slightly engorged, she had milk all down her chin again, which is such a lovely sight.Smile

OP posts:
marzipananimal · 28/01/2011 14:37

wow alfiemama I'm so impressed! That's such a great achievement :)
My ds sometimes gives me a little bite at the end of a feed - I think when he doesn't want any more or wants to change sides, so it might be that

Original poster
alfiemama · 28/01/2011 14:44

Thanks marzipan, you lot are too kind and well to be honest spurring me on, as not having a great day, she has been sick most of the day and still full of mucus.

I knew bf wasn't a cure and we would be very lucky if it was, but sometimes its hard, when you see them in pain.

Spoke to Dr yesterday, who said apart from the Gaviscon not a lot we can do at her age as she isn't losing weight. But I think she comfort feeds though.

I'm supposed to be going out tonight and really dont want to leave her Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
alfiemama · 29/01/2011 16:29

Well, went out last night and left enough ebm and formula just in case.

When I came back, hubby had only given ebm and said she had not been sick once, so we decided I would bf her, her last feed instead of formula, again no sick.

I was sure she would wake in the night, as bm digests quicker, but I was willing to sacrifice her sleeping through, for not being sick. Anyway I couldn't believe it, she slept through until 7am. So thats it, now formula free and no sick Grin Grin

I thought maybe it was the bottles making her sick but it cant be. What could it be in formula, as she has tried various makes?

OP posts:
japhrimel · 29/01/2011 16:38

Cows milk protein is a lot harder to digest...it's meant for calves not human babies after all!

Original poster
alfiemama · 29/01/2011 16:57

Thanks japhrimel. I thought that, but I drink and eat Dairy and haven't noticed anything.

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Original poster
alfiemama · 29/01/2011 16:59

also she doesnt have excema, or very explosive nappies (or what I would calls explosive)

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Original poster
alfiemama · 29/01/2011 18:58

Does anyone know why she is sick of formula and not bm?

OP posts:
japhrimel · 29/01/2011 19:26

Pretty sure she doesn't need to have a full-on dairy intolerance to have reflux/vomiting made worse by formula.

MoonUnitAlpha · 29/01/2011 19:31

I asked my GP about dairy I eat affecting DS (he has eczema) and she said the child's dairy allergy would have to be quite severe to be affected by the mother's diet. So it could be she has a mild intolerance to cow's milk which means the formula upsets her digestive system, but not so severe that it's triggered by whatever small trace there is in breastmilk.

Original poster
alfiemama · 30/01/2011 13:22

Wow thanks japhrimel and moonunit. Well still no sick and no formula, yipppeee. There was a hairy moment yesterday where she was getting really frustrated, but luckily I still had a bit of ebm left.

I need to find a way of feeding her and expressing, but not sure of best way to do this.

I have tried expressing after but there is nothing really coming out. I also can't express one side whilst she feeds as at the moment she is accepting both sides. Any ideas would be appreciated. Would getting up at night and pumping work.

Hubby said if after a few days still no sick, we should hire a hospital pump.

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