tips to help me carry on breastfeeding please

[sillybillybee]

Ok, DS is 3 and half weeks old and we're struggling with BF. He lost weight (just under 10% of birth weight) at 3 days old (normal I know) then stated to gain slowly then between days 9 and 14 he lost again so he was the same as at 3 days, cue HV wanting to reweigh 6 days later and he had lost a further 5 oz (weight loss then over 12%). He was also beginning to look ill and dehydrated.
On advice of HV since then we have been breastfeeding until he comes off or stops sucking (now usually a minimum of 10 mins each side) and then topping up with formula then me expressing to fully empty breasts. I am managing to express a total of 2oz in 24 hrs which I guess is not enough, on the good side this has increased from 11/2 oz a couple of days ago.
DS seems much better, much heavier nappies and had gained 5 oz in 48 hours but I'm worried this is because of the formula alone and i'm still not managing to produce enough milk. He is still often very fussy at the breast and pulling away etc.
As said I'm expressing from both breasts after feeding with both sides, me and DS are lounging around in pyjamas as much as we can so lots of cuddling etc. But the feed, top up then expressing is taking forever and I just finish then its time to start again. I'm just stuck for ways to increase supply further, I've come so far (very sore cracked nipples for a couple of weeks, one of which is still sore but bearable) and just want him to be back exclusively breastfeeding.

How much you can epxress is no indication of supply. Are you giving him the expressed milk plus formula plus breastfeeding?

Have you phoned one of the breastfeeding helplines (see here? They should be able to help with a specific plan for you to get back to exclusive breastfeeding. It depends how much you are topping up with, how often etc.

He may be fussy for a million different reasons (overstimulation etc) but it may also be nipple confusion if you are topping up from a bottle.

Yes, definitely give one of the helplines a call to ask for suggestions on how to get back to exclusive breastfeeding. This direct feeding, expressing and topping up is one of the most complicated ways to feed (although given the weight loss was probably necessary).

I wonder if you got to the bottom of what caused the weight loss? Did anyone check your baby for tongue tie? Sometimes that can cause weight loss - and the cracked nipples can be another sign. It might be worth a check anyway.

You could also switch sides when he starts to fuss. You don't need to limit this to two breasts though. You can back to the first side and swap many times. This is also a good way to increase supply too.

Lots of cuddles is great- especially skin to skin.

Thanks both :)
I haven't tried a helpline so will try and do that later today. Unfortunately he didn't take to cup feeding so his top ups are from a bottle - sometimes he will feed perfect from me other times he fusses and pulls I did try swapping sides when he started this earlier and he did stop so thanks crikeybadger
RE the weight loss I had just assumed I wasn't producing enough milk from the start but I will ask about tongue tie when I see the HV although he seems to be able to stick his tongue out quite far.

Hi sillybee, I'm in a very similar situation to you. Having to breast feed and the top up with expressed breast milk and formula due to poor weight gain. However after four days of this regime she regained her birth weight so although very complicated it feels worth it.

Our reason for poor gain was drowsiness following a complicated birth and then jaundice. I've been prescribed domperidone to try and increase my supply. You could ask hv/gp about this?

Morning ladies. Another one here with no weight gain. Unfortunatly for me it appears Muddles prefers the bottle as she wouldn't latch on at all this morning despite being starving. :( Looks like my feeding days are over. Apparently there aren't enough calories in my milk, don't know how they know this without doing any test though. Feel really sad that it looks like my BF days are over. She's 4 months but I fed DD1 till she weaned herself off at 9months.

As well as the helpline, it would be good if you could go to a local breastfeeding group. Your hv should have been able to tell you if there's one nearby. Or may be listed in your local nct magazine (they're not nct groups, but they often list them). Or ask at the local clinic where the midwives hang out.
I had a similar situation and a lot of stress from midwives and hvs, with regular appointments and weighing at different places (where all the scales were different!!). This made my attempts at bf even more stressful and i felt awful about doing harm, etc.
BF groups are ace because there's always a counsellor or trained BF midwife there, but mainly, there are other mums who have been through the same thing. If it was up to the midwife check-ups in our first 4 weeks, my dd would have finished bf then. With the support from the groups we carried on. Happy ending etc. Good luck. Hope you find a group.

CamperWidow, would be good if you could start a new thread. Your situation is very different from the OP's.

You are right to be sceptical about "Apparently there aren't enough calories in my milk, don't know how they know this without doing any test though."

Whoever has said this to you has 'outed' thenselves as not knowing anything useful about breastfeeding.

There may well be ways you can continue to bf - start a new thread :)