I am currently bf my 7.5 mo. He was ebf until 6 months when i introduced solids. We have gradually built up to him having 2-3 meals a day by 7mo. He was still bf the same three hourly frequency through the day and i always offered bm before meals.
However, i am returning to work tomorrow and knowing i would not be able to express enough milk each day for the next, i decided i would need to leave formula through the day to sustain him until i got home. The plan had been to bf him early morning, leave an expressed bottle (from what i could express in work) for his next morning feed, and then bf as soon as i got home, bedtime and during the night. To make sure he would take formula, i started replacing one feed a day with it last wednesday, which he took to fine. He seemed more than satisfied with a 5oz bottle so i had planned to ask the cm to try two 4oz bottles during the day, to ensure he wanted bf when he was with me. I had hoped i might completely bf on my days off with him if my suppmy adjusted.
However, all seemed feasible until this weekend. I was due to go away to a wedding leaving early saturday morning and returning mid sunday afternoon. I had not pumped enough milk for the whole time and since he had taken well to formula, i left him enough milk for two morning feeds, and bedtime and he had formula in between. I last bf him at approx 6am saturday morning and fed him on my return at 3.30pm on sunday. My breasts were very engorged but i only managed to pump once at 4am sunday just enough to be comfortable to sleep. I then bf him slightly more often for the rest of sunday.
Monday morning my breasts seemed normal, however he was fussing on and off them and screaming whilst trying to feed mid morning. I knew my supply was probably low so i decided not to give any more solids that day (he had already had breakfast) and just bf and offer frequently. By evening my breasts were empty like id never seen them before. They are completely soft like two flaps of skin and there doesnt even seem like theres any breast tissue let alone milk. Then along comes my period (first one).
I decided to cosleep tonight to let him at least suckle as much as possible. He fed on and off until 10pm when he fell asleep so i put him in his cot, but then he has been in bed with me since he woke at 12am. He has been on and off since then but my breasts still look and feel completely empty. To top it off, i have just noticed his nose was completely plugged with snot so it looks like he has his first cold too. He doesnt seem bothered by the cold or isnt screaming with hunger, which i was taking as a good sign, but now i just think it may be because he 's not hungry because of his cold.
I am now back in work in just over 24 hours and only have today to try and rebuild my supply. He will need to sleep at some point too (as will i ideally) so we cant feed constantly. It seems the odds are stacking against me, and i would be devastated to stop bf in this way. I wanted to continue to at least a year. Please tell me bf is not doomed
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Infant feeding
Please help - it has all gone very wrong and i am panicking
13 replies
HelpMePleaseImConfused · 10/09/2013 04:27
OP posts:
mykingdomforasleep ·
11/09/2013 00:07
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mykingdomforasleep ·
11/09/2013 00:10
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