My DD is now 2 and was bf for a year. It wasn't a breeze, she wouldn't take a bottle so there were times when I could really have done with some time out, but couldn't have it. Nevertheless, it's an acheivement I am proud of and I found the process easy and convenient most of the time.
DS is 5 weeks old and I expected him to be a bf junkie like his sister. Unfortunately, this isn't the case and he actually seems to prefer the bottle (filled with expressed milk). He makes a big palaver of latching on and then falls asleep after a few minutes. He then sleeps for 10 mins and wants more, which is not a feasible way to go on when you have to take care of a toddler is it? He does better on my right breast than the left, which he gulps at until he has swallowed too much air to eat. I have tried various holds and my mother-in-law, who was a midwife, assures my that my technique is fine and says that hopefully things will improve as he gets bigger.
I am currently juggling a complex routine of right breast and bottled, expressed left, which works as long as he is only taking 5oz per feed (ie. one full breast), but will become pretty unmanageable when he needs more. I am not getting out much as I am afraid of getting 'caught short' with not enough milk available.
The whole thing is very stressful because I am actually scared of switching completely to bottles or (OMG, am I a bad mum?) formula!. I don't know how to comfort a bottle fed baby! DD was fed on demand and then baby led weaned, so the whole 4 hour routine is not something I've had to do before. I wouldn't know how to soothe a sick baby that I coudln't put on the breast. DH is under the impression that I will be giving DS breastmilk for 6 months, which at this rate would drive me over the edge I think.
Does anyone have any advice? Are things likely to improve if I keep trying him on the breast? Any ideas about the most effective routine for combined feeding? Is it possible to mix breast milk and formula if I can't expess enough? Maybe I should expess and then give him the hind milk direct from the boob? Anyone I ask for advice here just says I should switch to formula, but I would feel like such a failure.