Any experienced BF ladies out there or any BF consultants? Really need some advice

[MrsGiraffe12]

I've posted before about this but I was hoping someone experienced could advise me.

My DD is 7 weeks old. I EBF her until day 5 and then stopped as she mashed my nipples. At day 10 I felt guilty about this so put her back to the breast at she latched and fed. She's not made me sore anymore though we did check for tongue tie and she hasn't got it.

She's needed formula top ups after each breast feed or she screams and cries.

When speaking to a trained breastfeeding peer support worker at my local breastfeeding workshop we narrowed her fussing, crying and boob refusing (even though she still seems hungry) down to either over active supply, under active supply or slow let down.

Based on that I tried expressing and don't get anything with a double ameda lactiline pump so it's either slow let down or under active supply.

Further to yet more research I've been taking 3x 610 fenugreek tablets 3 times a day, having 3 cups of fennel tea a day and oats as much as possible and of course as much water as I can. DD is having a breastfeed as her "first" meal each time, I let her feed till she latches off, then offer the second boob till she latches off. Then I will offer a top up of formula if, and only if, she's fussing and crying for more food but wont take more breast. Then I'll manually express if I can to make my body think I need more milk than she's taking if that makes sense. The trouble is, her top ups have been increasing and she's having 5 bottles of 5 ounces a day now on top of breastmilk.

Any ideas on reducing the formula based on what I've put? She's gained 4lb 5oz since birth and has, and always has been, on the 50th centile.

I swore by the supplementer with my mixed fed ds. Got us down from top ups at every feed to two a day, before
he started solids. We soon dropped all ff after that and he's still bf at 15mo.

Here is the link for the YouTube video I watched before putting together my supplemental nursing system.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cam9CFSi4qw

Also where I bought the tube.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0049PPYOE

Your perseverance is amazing. Hth

Thanks all.

Haven't managed to get hold of a supplementer yet and still nothing has changed, really can't seem to wean her off the formula. She has the breast all day if she wants it but every 3-4 hours she will holler and cry and refuse boob until she gets the bottle. So is now having between 5-6 bottles a day and breast inbetween.

It's breaking my heart a bit to be honest, I want to breastfeed my daughter but she seems to want to have formula.

The only time of day she will breastfeed for any length of time is at bedtime (9pm-10pm ish). She will feed for up to 45 mins then from one breast and not want to have the other one x

I was a reluctant mixed feeder (as in, I wanted to EBF but it didn't work out). I felt heartbroken too. I'm still a bit angry about the people who should have helped me and who didn't, but I'm not angry at myself any more.

Even if you aren't exclusively BF, there are still loads of good things going on with the BF you are doing. From 9 months DD was only having formula when she was at nursery (BF with me, EBM with DH), we switched from formula to cow's milk at 12 months, and weaned (my choice) at 18 months.

Which isn't to say you should give up trying to EBF, but don't get so focussed on the "E" bit that you miss the joys of the "BF".

She's still very little - don't be fooled into thinking that how she is now will be how she is in a month's time. Most babies (BF/FF/mixed) can be grouchy and fussy - it's not necessarily that she doesn't like BF. Mine was definitely grouchy, but from 16 weeks or so she clearly got a lot of comfort from suckling, even if it wasn't her exclusive food source.

Have you got a sling? I found that great for settling grouchy baby.