Calling all exclusively expressing mums...?

[NicolaSeal]

Hi all. After ebf for 16 weeks, my little girl has decided that she no longer wants to breastfeed. It's been 6 days now - she screams and fusses and won't really latch on anymore. I'm still trying to find out why - I'm speaking to GPs and lactation consultants - but in the meantime, she is being bottle fed my expressed milk plus two formulas a day. That is the only way that she will currently accept milk. I am absolutely devastated, as I'd hoped to carry on for a lot longer, but am trying to think practically about the best way forward. I intend to keep offering her the breast (the lactation consultant has given me some advice) but, if possible, I'd like to cut out the formula and express enough of my milk for all her feeds.

Does anyone currently do this? And do you have any tips/tricks/schedules that work for you? I know it'll be time consuming (although I don't have any other children), but I'm very committed to this idea and would like to give it a go. Any experience or encouragement would be greatly received.

Many thanks, Nicola x

I'd have a good read hear www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html. I think you need to be expressing at lest 8-10 time in 24hours and one of those needs to be in the middle of the night. It is doeable I know some one who excusivly fed twines this way.

Plus for info on nursing stricks www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html, I'm sure your lactation consultant is givning you lots of info on this but have a read in case there is anything she's missted.

Hi Nicola,
I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you are having. I can understand how disappointed you must feel. Feeding exclusively with expressed milk is very hard but can be done; I did it for my children for 7 months each. I found that, in order to maintain a good supply, I had to express at least 8 times per day and completely empty both sides. It became very hard work but, looking back now, I am glad I managed it. However, don't be too hard on yourself if it does become too much. I tried not to set myself any targets for how long I would continue and really did just take each day at a time. I seem to recall seeing supportive website, something along the lines of Kellymom, I think. Good luck. x

Sorry, crossed post with MigGril.

PS with one of my babies, I did manage to get her back to breastfeeding after 7 months, despite teeth etc. Good luck.

Nicola, sorry to hear about your troubles.
You have of course done v well to have got this far.
It is rather unusual for a baby to refuse the breast for this long, I think, so I am glad that you have GP/BF specialist support. Persevere with offering her the breast, do lots of skin-to-skin, even carry her in a sling and she may well change her mind again.

I exclusively expressed for DS2 who was premature and initially unwell, then never 'got' feeding off the breast (and I gave up rather quickly as I also had a rather high-needs 1 year old. I found expressing more predictable) and I expressed for about 5 months for him.

Apart from the aforementioned Kellymom, I found this book really helpful.
I also found my yields varied hugely between differnt times of day, massaging and warming my breasts with heatpacks before expressing and Not Being Stressed (easier said than done at the time!) helped.
Also good is expressing from one side while baby feeds on the other - which might be a non-starter for you just know, I know.

Hope this helps a bit and that things get much better for you soon.