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Infant feeding

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

Confused and disappointed

8 replies

juveen · 15/07/2012 22:50

Not sure whether I need advice or commiseration. I feel like ff top ups have reduced my milk supply and am really scared my baby may be getting so little bm from me that she will end up being eff.
Dd2 is six weeks old . I was absolutely determined to Ebf her after difficulties with dd1 due partly to tongue tie causing dehydration and jaundice . She was hospitalised for three days which was just horrible . After her first bottle she went on permanent nursing strike . Dd2 also had small posterior tongue tie too but was told by multiple hvs and the paediatrician this would not affect feeding .

Dd2 was a 10lb 6oz baby at birth and feeding appeared to be great except She lost and then did not regain her birthweigh and at 26 days was losing 10g per day. Tongue tie dissected to see if this assisted feeding. At this point although latch fine and no dehydration etc tbh if she had not been losing weight I would have thought she was fine. All the websites say as long as they are gaining it's fine but at this point she was still losing weight .Eventually HV advised ebm top ups-To cut a long story short dd2 still continued to lose weight and then as I had started to completely freak out formula top ups offered due to weight loss and weight gain is unsurprisingly constant . Hv said some women cannot bf due to physical contract of breasts BTW my boobs are totally normal and I was able to express milk and the milk itself looked absolutely fine.

I am still bfing 95% of feeds both breasts first then offering formula top ups.she will usually drain 80-100ml in addition to my bm. Scared to stop giving top ups but feel so sad and inadequate for failing again at breastfeeding. I so wanted to Ebf my db Sad

OP posts:
juveen · 15/07/2012 23:03

Not contract construct HV was saying basically I could be one of a minority who are physically unable to bf their babies.only I was producing milk because I could express tons dwindling now though ....

OP posts:
VelvetJacket · 15/07/2012 23:12

That sounds so stressful for you. You are not inadequate, anyone sensible would top up if their baby lost weight like that.

Have you phoned one of the bf helplines or gone to a local group (search here. Your hv doesn't sound very helpful so seek out your own support. They will be able to talk through in detail what is going on and what you can do.

Have you tried a nursing supplementer?

Some breast milk is better than none so try and feel good about what she is getting rather than bad about the formula.

CheshireSplat · 15/07/2012 23:20

You don't sound to me like you're failing. You sound like you're doing brilliantly. Although I didn't do it every feed, I often had to top my DD up with formula after a bf. She was such a slow feeder that often she'd feed from me for about an hour and a half and then take 180mls of formula. I'd wonder why I bothered! But I kept going and she got stronger, the feeds got quicker and now she doesn't need topping up.

While I can understand why you want to ebf, 6 months down the track it is so handy that DD takes bottles of bm or formula for times i want a bit of sleep, To go out or a few drinks. I'm no expert, but I'd keep doing what you're doing and keep swapping from one side to the other a number of times before offering the bottle. Good luck!

tiktok · 16/07/2012 09:17

juveen, what a difficult start :(

Your HV seems to have heard/read something that she has only half understood. It doesn't sound to me that you have this (rare) condition (it's sometimes called hypoplastic breasts or breast hyoplasia).

It sounds to me that you had poor care early on. A baby continuing to lose weight at 26 days has not suddenly started not to feed well - probably bf was less effective from the start and there are usually plenty of warning signs before you get to the stage that the baby continues to lose and the HCPs involved in your care should have shared these with you and observed feeds.

It's great your baby is happy to go to your breasts and this is a good foundation to build on. But she is having a huge amount of formula, as you say. You need a plan to reduce the formula, to improve the effectiveness of 'direct' bf, and to express to stimulate milk production. A call to the helplines, a visit to a bf clinic or support group with experienced, trained help, and a browse on the internet for relactation will all help.

juveen · 16/07/2012 20:09

Thanks so much for all advice. This eve, dd feeding as I type. I think we will be fine.

OP posts:
tiktok · 17/07/2012 08:43

That's good news juveen :)

But with that amount of formula, you do need a plan .....

juveen · 17/07/2012 20:50

Thanks tiktok I am trying to offer both breasts before each feed but may need to pump too ? Will I need to pump after every feed including during the night ? Any other things to try? Fenugreek etc not helpful

OP posts:
MumOfTheMoos · 17/07/2012 23:21

Hi juveen,

When I was trying to increase my supply and get off ff top ups I expressed through the night. It worked a treat.

Good luck, and keep going!

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