Thanks for your concern Tiktok

[ClareWeeval]

Sorry tiktok I became so exhausted I switched the laptop off thanks for your concern. She still poohed only every 48 hours and has cried continually and kept the feeding pattern of every hour for 40 minutes and only has had one 2-3 hour sleep. Phoned birth centre and spoke to different midwife, who told me to give myself and babe and break and give her some formula. She has seemed more content since lunch time and being given formula. I feel heart broken that I don't seem to be able to breast feed.

Thanks for your concern. I'm not sure what to do I want to do what is best for her and breast feeding doesn't seem to be it.

(just read on another thread the tiktok is on holiday in case you're feeling ignored).

Hope you're OK.

Clare - don't know rest of your story (how old baby is, how long you have been trying to feed etc.)but hopefully you can post some details and someone who knows a bit more can help you. Have you contacted a BF counsellor at all? Midwives and HVs are NOT really the best people to speak to if you are having problems.
There are lots of things you can try if you really want to breastfeed (hate to think of you sitting ther heartbroken )
As I said, I don't know full story but babies can poo anything from every feed to once a week, so this in itself is not necessarily an issue. Have you tried feeding in a warm bath at all?

Hi Clare,
Sorry I didn't answer your question re:pumping we were travelling and I was offline.

I pumped after, never got the hang of pumping during.

Your milk may still not be in -- a good friend's milk takes about 21 days to come in (a bit extreme but true) and has successfully fed 2 for over a year each.

Do you get anything whle you pump?

Clare, do not feel heartbroken. the midwife did not tell you the right thing. she sounds like she doesn't know enough about bf and does not care either. . you need to speak to a bf counsellor. hopefully get someone to watch your baby feed to check latch and to teach you what it looks like when a baby is actively drinking or just suckling - which is good as this is how they stimulate milk production.

here are the numbers for the helplines: phone them tomorrow until you get a live person to speak to.
nct - 0870 444 8708
lll - 0845 120 2918
abm - 0870 401 7711
bfn - 0870 900 8787

there are baby cafes also you can go to as well as nct mom and tot groups here where you will find bf women who can give you better advice than these poor excuses for midwives. search the links for the nearest one to you.

don't feel upset that your baby seems more content on formula. your baby had a meal (you) then a second helping - babies will always try something else if they are offered it. also, if everything was going right, the constant feeding sounds like it could have been a growth spurt where your baby is actively working to increase your milk supply. within 24 - 48 hrs your body responds to the demand by producing more milk and it settles down again to more spaced out feeding. by giving formula, your body gets the message that enough milk is being made when ion reality the formula is distorting how much milk your baby needs.

don't be shy. find a group / call a helpline. do not give up. you can feed your baby yourself. your body did not make and exclusively feed your baby for 9 months just to let both of you down now.

i know - i had stupid health professionals give me crap advice at the same stage where you are. i just looked (and looked and looked) for better advice elsewhere and i'm still bf a 15 month old.

ClareWeeval - giving a bottle of formula does not mean that you are unable to breastfeed. I think the advice you were given by the midwife was wrong, however it has been done. Babies will always sleep after the first formula feed as their stomachs are full of milk that is difficult to digest in comparison to breastmilk. The more bottles they have, the more they get used to it and there are fractious bottle fed babies out there who don't settle between feeds either.
Giving formula tends to undermine the confidence of a mother who is having problems establishing breastfeeding. That has happened to you here. I posted on your other thread advice regarding length of feeds and to make sure that your baby is actually sucking well while on the breast and not just lying there with a nipple in her mouth.
Cuauhtemoc has given good information. Hope you get help to give you confidence that you can breastfeed. You can do it if you would like to.