Baby refusing expressed breast milk - normal?

[ShiresCountryBumpkin]

Hi,
I would be incredibly grateful for any advice - god this feeding lark is stressfull. I'm sorry this is so long, but if you're kind enough to read then you'll want some info'.....
My DS is 3 weeks old, I had a section due to breech and my milk was delayed coming in, followed by tattered nipples and by the time the milk arrived he had lost 15% of his birth weight & we had to go back into hosp. He has always been really well though, pink, with lots of wet & dirty nappies and the hosp weren't that worried about him & sent us home the next day. I was really keen to work throught the BF issues as the supply looked good by then & agreed to top up with formula (after each BF), which he has been taking from the bottle for two weeks now just fine. I must have had advice from 50 different people - all different and was just starting to feel more confident in our system till this. He is now up his birth weight of 7lb 14oz I didn't express to start with as nipples were excruciating (he gets his tongue over the top despite a good latch) so have only been doing this for the past few days to encourage supply. Managed pathetic amounts for the first few days and froze, but got 80ml off yesterday so really pleased. The trouble is when I offered this to him instead of the breast yesterday evening he flatly refused it & got upset. I then BF and offered it again - same reaction, but he eagerly took his bottle of formula?
Do all babies have trouble taking expressed milk? I don't want to upset him, but feel if he's not going to take it in a bottle I'm wasting my time desperately trying to build up my supply, as we'll always be reliant on formula :(
I'm not hugely comfortable BF in public so was relying on him taking expressed milk to enable me to actually leave the house one day!

Please help!

Firstly Good on You for keeping up bf- no one really tells you how tough it can e at the start! I'm not very experienced in all this business but my daughter has been known to turn her nose up at frozen stuff before. I've heard that freezing and then defrosting can sometimes affect the taste and they don't like it as much? Either that or the temperature might be different? Can you express and leave it in the fridge (lasts for a few days if kept at the back) instead? Hopefully someone will be along soon with some more advice for you. X

I'm not an expert, just another breastfeeding mum. I haven't expressed yet either but I've read about some people's milk has a lipase problem. Have you seen the kellymom website? It's fantastic and a real mine of information. Here is some info from there about milk storage, kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/lipase-expressedmilk/, perhaps your milk has a lipase issue? Please note, I have no experience of this myself, just trying to suggest anything that might be helpful. In general, I found the kellymom website a great place to browse and learn about breastfeeding. I did an expectant mother breastfeeding workshop but have learnt so much more from kellymom.
Well done on getting this far, I had a section too and my milk came in a little late but luckily DD was a complete gannet, feasting for up to 3hrs on colostrum at a time - my nipples went black and bits dropped off - so painful but thank god for lanisoh!

H minicc, thanks for your reply. This milk hasn't been frozen - I expressed it off yesterday & kept it in the fridge until warming it gently the same way I do the formula milk so although it is possibly a different temp to the 'regular' stuff don't think this should be an issue - although I wont rule it out!

fhdl34
Blimey - just had a look at the kellymom link & the lipase issue is a bit of a minefield isnt it?! The milk doesn't look or smell bad though so hopefully not this as it could prove to be the final straw if it were!
Congrats to you for coping with 3 hour feeds and black nips - you've got to have experienced the pain to truly sypathise; I never thought for one moment such excruciating agony could be felt from BF!

If it helps, my DS won't take expressed milk from me but will do from other people - I think he doesn't think he should have to put up with a bottle when the source is there!