help and advice needed - please

[nattylou]

LONG - sorry, need help and advice!

OMG how guilty do i feel?

With Imogen, I really wanted to bf and use cotton nappies. In the end she was failure to thrive and I HAD to combination feed from 3 weeks old and stopped bf completely at about 7 months when she was weaned. The cotton nappies were also a washout, with me stopping after 3 days.

With Mason, I had the same ideas. The cotton nappies are working out a treat, but the feeding is a total nightmare. When he was born, he fed for 2.5 hours straight after, and when we came home, feeding was ok. He has been through a couple of periods of cluster feeding, but always comes out the other side. However, now, he seems to be constantly hungry. I put him on the breast about every 2 hours or whenever he wants it, where he stays for about 5 mins each side, he then gets frustrated when there is no milk for him, so i have to resort to formula.Now, the length of time he spends at the breast before getting angry is getting shorter and shorter. He fed at 11.10 - bf and a 4oz bottle, (drained) then again at 1.20 - 5 min bf and a 6oz bottle (only 2 oz drunk) Have I accidentally weaned my son off breastfeeding?

What do i do now? Keep trying with the combination feeding? Only 1 bf on a morning and formula through the day? Try just bf again?

He is having 1 meal a day at tea time and was planning on keeping him like that until 2/9/06 when he will be 6 months old, but that seems like such a long time away.

The other problem is that we are having some minor money worries and I know that formula is not cheap. Bf is free and very convenient. Does anyone know if you can get cheap milk if you are claiming JSA or other benefits?

Any advice will be gratefully received

L x

natty: sorry you're feeling so confused and low about things.

I think you can save your breastfeeding - but it will mean changing wat you're doing.

I have to go out now and can;t post at length. You can phone any of the bf helplines and talk this one through, though....what you are doing now is not good for maintaining your breastmilk, and you're right to think about a new regime.

Will try to post later

thanks tiktok. I await your comments x

Hiya... have you tried expressing? Taking it from a bottle will require less effort from baby and might make him abit happier. Youll have the one off cost for a pump (guessing you already have the bottles etc). Youll also build your supply up pumping regularly to whatever he will take.

you often get cheaper milk if you buy through HV/Surgeries.

OK , natty, will try to help.

As soon as any formula is introduced into breastfeeding, the breastfeeding is undermined. The sooner formula is introduced, the greater the potential effect on the breastfeeding.

Now, formula might be necessary in some cases, and the breastfeeding can recover; in other cases, the breastfeeding is robust and generous enough not to be seriously affected.

In both these situations, you will hear mothers say how mixed feeding worked for them. In the majority of cases, it means the breastmilk supply dwindles.

I think this may have happened to you. On the other hand, it may be that you are assuming he needs formula after 5 mins each side - he may not. Plenty of babies this age take what they need in a very short time. They get cross and fight the breast because they don't want to stay on it - but they will prob take formula because you can put the teat in fairly easily without their co-operation and they suck because that's what babies do

You risk making your baby cross at the breast by fighting, and it can put them off breastfeeding.

If you are keen to build up to full breastfeeding, then you can do so....you will need to drop the formula and drop the solid food (he doesn't need it at 5 months). You don't say how much formula he is having - if it's a lot (say, 3 x 4 oz a day or more) you will need to cut down first and then drop it. Either way, drop the solid food.

Feed him on the breast whenever he wants to and whenever he woluld accept it, but don't fight!

Your suggestion of one bf a day and formula the rest of the time will finish your milk supply fairly quickly, by the way.

Hope this helps.