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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

first time mum - wants to breastfeed and not bottle feed!

83 replies

JK123 · 19/11/2006 22:06

Please help!My baby daughter is 10 weeks and a few weeks ago I started bottle feeding as I wasn't eating properly and thought by giving her the bottle would then give me more breast milk for each feed, how wrong was I! My milk has virtually stopped although I have hired a hospital breast pump to get my milk back up but my daughter is refusing the breast. what can I do??? I am desperate to breastfeed. I seem to get on the breast in the morning and for a couple of feeds but by the afternoon, she won't have any..gets frustrated and just cries and then I give her the bottle. Has anyone had a similar experience? What do I do?

OP posts:
purplejennyrose · 23/11/2006 12:02

Hi JK123
HAven't posted much as don't find time often, but saw this and it struck a cord..
Firstly well done!!It does take commitment to re-establish b/f and you've done brilliantly already. I was in hospital when my dd was 4 weeks and lost my milk but I did manage to get it back - it took nearly 2 weeks and was very hard work but it was do-able, so don't lose heart! Obv Tiktok's advice is great and expert, so just follow that; it's what I was told by my (fantastic) midwife - I basically spent the days just sitting cuddling my baby, feeding her whenever she wanted and giving her small top-ups of formula after 'main' feeds (I kept a rough record of how much formula she was getting, and reduced it a little bit every day). I didn't do anything or go anywhere or even get dressed sometime! I expressed between feeds when I could, and ate lots of protein and also took some herbal drops and loads of fennel tea which may or may not have helped.
One big thing which my midwife really stressed was the importance of doing night feeds - I'd let my husband and mum do the night feeds as I was recuperating after hosp - but then took on all the feeds through the night as this is when the milk hormones are highest - can you do this or is your baby sleeping through??
Good luck - I know it's really tough but you are amazing for trying! I also found NUK bottles and latex teats helpful as they have a sucking action which is closer to b/f.

hks · 23/11/2006 15:41

hi, did you try nursing in the bath might make you both relaxed ,
maybe the milk is comming out slower if your are too tense and baby is picking up on it

good luck

Original poster
JK123 · 23/11/2006 22:52

Hi PurpleJennyRose. Today when my baby woke up, she was quite hungry, did not take to my breast and started to cry out quite a bit. I just gave her a bottle of formula and she was fine. I then decided to go down to our local hospital as they have a drop in clinic. This is exactly what I needed in terms of face to face support. I poured my heart to the midwife and she was ever so helpful. We tried a number of things with my baby and none of them really worked. It does however seem that she does suck/lick my breast but that's about it. There are number of issues I am dealing with - building milk supply, resting and then getting my baby to latch. I can see thing are definately improving...at the beginning of the week, I couldn't even get my baby anywhere near my breast and now well, she at least has a suck. I am just looking forward to the day when she starts feeding properly. I also expressed about 7 oz this evening and am really happy! The midewife did say to express through the night as you said, hormones are high during the night. I feel I am on the mend again. Thanks to everyone - it's all been so encouraging and I'm sure (actually I hope) I will reach my goal..eventually.

OP posts:
tiktok · 23/11/2006 23:06

JK - you have made brilliant progress in just four days.

Original poster
JK123 · 24/11/2006 08:16

Morning. My baby woke up at 6am this morning and guess what? Yes she moaned a little but I was able to give her first breast feed:-) I think I managed to get to her in time as she was just waking up. Now I just have to increase my milk supply as she tends to take anywhere between 5-7 oz per feed. Any suggestions on how I can do this?

OP posts:
blueshoes · 24/11/2006 09:14

Hi JK, don't really have useful advice, but just keep plugging away with dd at your breast - offering (but not forcing) the breast as often as possible. Keep her close, sling. And rely on her to take the breast to build up your supply (baby is the best method), whilst continuing to express.

Most importantly, just wanted to give you a big pat on the back!

twinklemegan · 24/11/2006 14:00

Not an expert by any means JK, but I'm guessing that by gradually cutting down on the formula you can get to a point where you'll produce enough milk for her by feeding much more often, even though she might not get that much at each feed. You should then be able to build it up further from there. Is that right, TikTok??

notnigella · 24/11/2006 15:04

jk, well done for persevering, you should be really proud - hope that doesnt sound patronising. when my 9 mo ds was younger i would express a bottle a day so that dh could do the late feed. started with a little medela pump but as ds got bigger and needed bigger feeds i switched to a double pump, and am sure that this made a big difference to my overall milk supply. i got the Ameda lactaline from the nct. you should also get the hands free bra so you can mumsnet whil eexpressing {wink}

SachaF · 24/11/2006 15:39

I had lots of problems with breastfeeding and used mixed feeding at first, but managed to keep breastfeeding going as well. The way we managed to do it was always offer the breast first at every feed and then give the bottle to top up (I was using formula) after she had had a good suck on the boob. We went from breast followed by bottle every 3 hours when she was two weeks old to (almost exclusive - only the occasional bottle of formula of an evening when Im not around) breastfeeding by the time she was 6 months - so it took a long time and a lot of patience and sheer bloody mindedness (on both mine and baby's part). All the advice about skin to skin and trying to be as relaxed and calm about it as poss really important (difficult I know) but also make sure baby is latched on properly - positioning so crucial. I cut out one bottle at a time, and when I tried to do this too quickly with a not-well latched on baby who I let suck away for ages I got painful cracked nipples. Good luck!

Kanda · 26/11/2006 10:58

Hi JK, just seen this thread and I think you're amazing to keep going and it sounds like you will succeed so firstly Well Done. Secondly, don't want to confuse things even further but my DS (no 4) refused the breast almost from day 1, and a midwife reluctantly suggested using nipple shields. I used them for 6 weeks and suddenly he fed without one, and continued to bf till he was 8 months. As you are using some bottles already your baby might be happy to suck longer from your breast if the "teat" feels similar and you could build the time on the breast up each time. Hope Tiktok's not upset with me for suggesting it coz it's not ideal but I found it a fantastic solution. Very best of luck xx

twinklemegan · 26/11/2006 11:53

Kanda - you're right about nipple shields. They may not be ideal but I used them to get over the dreadful pain of cracked nipples and they were marvellous. Won't hear a word said against them.

redbeki · 26/11/2006 12:09

hope feeding going better jk? you sound very determined .its the most natural thing in the world
to do,yet its a skill that has to be learned,and thats not easy sometimes,if you know wot i mean?persevere,as you are doing,well done.

worried about the gastric tubing though,whats that all about?

notnigella · 28/11/2006 19:22

jk, hope its all going well, would love to hear how its going

Original poster
JK123 · 29/11/2006 13:25

Hi everyone. I thought I'd leave it a few days before gettign back to mumsnet. I seem to have some progress. DD is now having morning feeds from me (any feed before 8am) but after that, she won't go anywhere near the breast and I do try but she ends getting herself all worked up! This is not good so I'm not going to pressure her anymore. I've been expressing also not as many times as I would like to but it seems my milk is increasing - my breast were quite heavy this morning and I felt like Jordan!:-) So it seems that DD has one breast feed, 3 bottle (formula) feeds and 1 expressed feed. It's not ideal but it's getting better. Thanks to you all for your support as I do feel a lot better. Any ideas why DD won't take to the breats during the day? What else could I try? I haven't tried the nipple shields but am going to give that ago too.

OP posts:
tiktok · 29/11/2006 14:01

JK - great progress! I said all along this is not an overnight thing...but you are doing so well, and I think continuing to do what you are doing will get you there

redbeki · 29/11/2006 15:06

well done,you're a star

NineUnlikelyTales · 29/11/2006 19:56

That is fantastic !!!

A few weeks ago my DS would only take the breast for the last feed of the day, then we progressed to sometimes having another feed (then it all went pear shaped and he's not having the breast at all at the moment, but that's another story), so I am sure your DD will work up to taking other feeds when you are both ready for it. I found that just constantly offering when my DS looked in a good mood was the key, even if he didn't look hungry he would often latch on and feed for a short while.

Keep going and you will both get there in the end.

NineUnlikelyTales · 29/11/2006 19:59

Sorry, I should add that the reason it went pear shaped for us was that I had to stop BF for a few days because of nipple thrush, which was agony. As you haven't got thrush you won't have the same problem and it won't go wrong for you! Should have kept my big mouth shut...

Kanda · 30/11/2006 14:58

Just a thought - if she takes the breast at night, is it in your bed, is it very dark, are you both lying somewhere specific? Can you perhaps do the same as you do at night? Perhaps she likes the smell or feel or your nightclothes? I'm possibly grasping at straws here but anything is worth trying, babies can be amazingly fussy.

Original poster
JK123 · 04/12/2006 23:52

Hi. I am now getting DD to breastfeed in the evening or throughout the night (this doesn't really happen that often). It's still really difficult because I need to build up my milk supply. I am taking fenugreek tablets and trying to eat well. Oh also, have started expressing every 2-3 hours so lets see what happens.

OP posts:
purplejennyrose · 07/12/2006 21:59

Hope things still progressing...well done, you are fantastic!

moondog · 07/12/2006 22:04

Brilliant JK!

Sounds like you are making real progress.
Be very proud of yourself indeed!

krimbokrackerskayzed · 07/12/2006 22:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
JK123 · 07/12/2006 22:56

Hi. Think I'm going to get hold of some domperidone and hopefully that will help to boost supply. Don't think fenugreek is doing much. DD is still taking the breast in the morning and occassionally in the evening (she did today) and I'm so happy and over the moon:-)

OP posts:
moondog · 08/12/2006 08:30

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