Cutting down/ stopping breadtfeeding at eight weeks

[pilsbury1]

Hi
As previously posted I've been in tremendous pain with cracked nipple and thrush and have just been taking it one day at a time for the last few weeks. But I just can't take this pain anymore and I've tried everything, all the creams, drugs, tongue tie op and latch improvements. I am wracked with guilt as fed no 1 for 8 months, but its getting silly and I have to make some changes.

I'd like to keep giving him some expressed breast milk though, so I'm just wondering how best to manage the change? Does the following sound right?

Drop bedtime feed and switch with formula. Express in between feeding times so the rest of the feeds will be expressed breast milk. Ideally continue to breast feed normally at his one overnight feed....If I can't keep up with all that expressing (which is doubtful given the fact I have a toddler and my little baby is very clingy!) then I could drop more feeds but no more than one per wk so not to get engorgement problems. If the thrush and nipple crack clears up then I can always change from
bottle feeding expressed to normal breastfeeding

Hope that's not too rambling, but does that sound a doable way to manage the switch?

Are you treating yourself and the baby for thrush? You need to both be treated at the same time, plus keep an eye out for thrush nappy rash.

Not sure about reducing feeds I'm afraid.

Yep we both have been for the last wk but no effect yet and sadly I think I've had it for several weeks beforehand Nyway..

Are you taking fluconazole? Make sure you are getting a high enough dose.

Wondering if we're experiencing the same problem. A bf specialist found mine. If I let ds suckle on my thumb pointed pan upwards I feel his tongue retract over his lower gum as he sucks in - so my thumb (nipple) is pinched between his lower and upper gum. As I understand it the tongue is meant to cushion the latch. So that's what's been causing my pain. Gearing up to try TT snip, but who knows if it will work.
Whatever the cause for you, getting to 8weeks with this pain is not nothing, considering the nature of the pain.
If is was me (and it could well be in a few weeks time) I'd consider expressing at night and mix feeding as needed. If you can pump whilst giving formula or previously expressed milk it could save time? This was suggested to me as a way of upping supply.

*pad not pan (of thumb)

Hetienne, I'm using fucisin cream and tablets from
Doctor (baby has canestan for bottom and armpits, plus another gel for in his mouth) - also started taking grapefruit seed extract + using novo gel pads

Sunflower, that's exactly the issue with me, baby is not poking tongue enough and therefore nipple is getting clamped between two sets of hard gums! I can see his tongue is more mobile after the op, so id recommend you get it done, unfort that hasn't (yet after one wk) improved his latch.

First formula feed tonight when down fine, tho a little harder to settle afterwards as he's used to nuzzling the boo to sleep! And first expressed feed late afternoon also fine, so im praying this new routine works for us and gives my poor breasts some relief - still throbbing despite no baby-on-nipple action since 4pm, 2 nurofen and a glasss of red!

If anyone else has similar experience or advice would love to hear as I'm still guessing how to do this really!

Thanks!

Pilsbury, I have had similar problems. My DD is only 6 weeks. Had her TT cut at 4 weeks and then got oral thrush. She refused to feed from the breast for 2 days after the TT was cut but we have persevered and apart from the odd expressed bottle she is ebf. The only thing I would say is that taking it day by day is exactly what I have done and I have to say that 2 weeks after her TT was cut, I think things have got easier. Someone said to me that they use their tongue from 19 weeks gestation so it does take some time to re-learn how to use their tongue. It's now 2.5 weeks after her TT was cut and it has got easier in the last 2 days. Less fussing and much better feeding times I think. Do what's right for you but I just wanted to share my experience so far!

Chuckaluk, thx for your comments. In an ideal world ill go back to breastfeeding in a week or so once my nipple has healed, however I can already see that the lack of skin on skin contact (ie getting milk through the pump not through baby sucking) is slowing down my milk production. :( plus my nipple isn't healing as I'd hoped, in fact I now seem to have a sore or blister growing on there which is now making pumping painful too :(
Feeling very disheartened as I thought exclusive pumping would be the way to save my boobs while still keeping bubba on breast milk... :( will keep going and see if things improve

My advice is don't count on finding time to express between feeds, and even if you do you might not get a full feed and you'll end up giving more formula than you want to. I'm currently 5 weeks in to expressing bm and giving via a bottle and ive only got 1 5 week old, but im struggling to find the time to express between feeds at the moment. Its also become all consuming and im on the verge of giving up at the moment.

Yes you are so right it is ALL consuming.... By the time you've bottle fed baby then expressed, baby is ready to sleep and you've had no nice time together. Plus my little one all but refuses to sleep unless he's lying on me, so I get zero time to myself to get on with chores etc..

I'm expressing about 100ml per boob first thing, but by 6pm its down to 40ml per boob. I don't mind giving formula top ups bi just hope my milk doesn't decrease further..

I have a docs check up tomorrow so I'm going to see what they suggest.. My nipple is looking like its healing, so maybe in a few days I could try back on the breast and try to sort his latch out... So long as I still have some milk that is :(