might need a little hand hold - think 10 day old ds2 has chosen artificial teats over breast - knew it was a risk but feel really sad......

[MrsMc82]

Been mix feeding for a week as started ds on formula after my section because I assumed we'd be ff as failed to bf ds1at all due to my crap flat/inverted nipples and I thought I wouldn't be able to feed this time either band due to gestational diabetes ds2 had low blood sugars for s while and needed feeding asap.... I was keen to do any bf at all so had the midwife help and eventually last Sunday we got latched and did our first ever feed and I was delighted - I said all along that id be delighted to do just one breast feed so felt so bloody proud....

So for last week we've been successfully mixed feeding offering and taking a good feed and then topping up with a few oz of ff and I love it its such a wonderful feeling to feed my son myself....

But at 10 last night and just now ds has got really upset when offered the boob tried for nearly an hour to get him latched properly and only managed a little feed by giving him a bit of formula first to take the edge off the hunger and then he would only latch for few sucks a minute at most and then get very upset again -tried different holds to see if it was cos he was uncomfy, winding to make sure that wasn't why he'd not latch same just happened, in the end I got about a ten minute feed into him with the usual few oz top up and he slept till half 4 but it was v upsetting to feel like i was forcing the breast onto him when really he just wants the bottle - I know that this was likely to happen as he doesn't have to work as hard for a ff but decided to not give up on the mixed feeding just see what he was like for the next few feed.... just had the same performance again at 4.30am but decided to just give him the formula after 15mins or so and if course he toook it straight away but I am very sad to not have given him a bf.......

4 in the morning isn't the best time to be making decisions but im pretty sure weve had our time with bfing - dh saying all the right things and reminding me that I have got so much further than I ever dreamed I would to do over a week of bfing and that uf ds has decided to prefer the bottle that can't be helped but I just feel sad (doing big snotty weeping as I type this in fact! )......

you think that I might be able to keep doing say one feed a day? Maybe at a time when he's not starving - will be up to get ds1 to nursery soon so it'll only be a couple of hours before the next feed.....

You'll have got less as DS drank more, no doubt. Especially if you expressed within an hour of him having the breast.

I found this happened too as I have been mixed feeding DD since she was 7 days old, so really do feel for you there. She wasn't putting on enough weight and latch was not always quite right. We both tried but think due to shock of c section amongst other things, it all got very confused.

I was lucky as she always wanted the breast more than the bottle, but she'd be really awkward and pully and it would take 15 minutes or so to get her to take the breast. Then we went away at about 3 months and she just magically almost began to accept it properly. Before then I was trying the boob 3 or 4 times a day and was pumping 4 or 5 times a day, to keep supply up.

Sometimes I get more on the boob than other times. Most I ever got was 7 1/2oz between the two, least has been 1oz. I tend to get less in the evening, but most woman do as supply is lower between 6pm ish until midnightish. It's the most productive at around 4am apparently, which is why I now completely breastfeed DD during the night. She is 6 months this Saturday. So from 12 til about 10/11 in the morning she has breast and then has a mix of formula and breast milk bottles during the day. Sometimes having a breast feed during the day too if she fancies one.

It's amazing how things can turn around. I was so scared she would go off the breast too, I really was. I think a bit of hard work on both sides helps a lot! She wakes me up now tugging on my breast at night to wake me up!

I would wait 45 mins- a hour before pumping to get a good amount and pump at least every 3 hours. looking at photos of Baby can help too. when i had problems latching baby on i stripped my top off and stripped baby off for skin to skin and it worked like a magnet. hope this helps