Anyone who stopped BF and then restarted??

[helsybells]

I had a terrible time with BF in the first couple of weeks largely I think due to baby being too small for my nipples which are very irregular and big!

Since then I have been mixing FF and EBF. I'm now much better and baby is nearly 5 weeks and a bit bigger (has moved up from tiny baby size clothes, through newborn and now growing in to 0-3 month size).

I am all healed etc and thinking about giving it a try again esp as baby quite colicky and I'm wondering if BF will help her. So just wondering if anyone out there stopped and restarted and how it went. Just looking for a bit of hope.

Also I felt so guilty and sad about not being able to BF at the start, so am a little apprehensive that if it doesn't work again I'll end up back there feeling very low and disappointed again....

I have no personal experience but when I was BF I found the website kellymom.com/ had some very interesting information. There is a section about relactation which might be useful for you.

I hope all goes well. Just remember though you have given your DC the best possible start and no matter what that can not be taken away.

I was much like you, for different reasons (tongue tie). I was assured by both HV and GP that it's really easy to go to ebf if your baby is feeding efficiently from you. I found that advice to be true. DS is 6 weeks today, and we started slowly decreasing the formula 2 weeks ago. Yesterday he only had two top-ups, and probably will only have one today. Then I'll start trying to express for the 3am feed so DH can give that, and we won't be paying ££ for formula any more!! All I did was follow the Kellymom method with a little ad-libbing along the way!

Just to add, go to your local bf clinic. When I went there about the tongue tie, there were lots of ladies with larger boobs who were struggling for what sounded like similar reasons to yours. Without fail, the volunteer ladies were teaching them how to help their babies latch and the babies were feeding - some for the first time ever!

I did, dd was not putting weight on, when I switched to bottles she actually started losing weight so I decided to try again, Couldnt tell you exactly how long but i think it was a caople of weeks (she is 9 now). I feed from one side until she was obviously getting nothing and then fed from the other side again, then gave her a bottle I reduced the bottle by an ounce every songle feed, your body is amazing and very soon starts producing enough milk again. I would reccommend a couple of days where you lay oin bed and do nothing but feed on demand.

Thanks everyone for replies so far. I will definitely look into the kellymom method. Just plucking up the courage to try again... I think I'm gonna try again on Monday. Quite scared in case I end up feeling like a failure again as u sic the first time...!