10 days old newborn forgotten how to latch... Is expressing and bottle feeding really that bad?

[Frankie72]

I'm seriously considering expressing and bottle feeding... New born was breast feeding fine and suddenly over the last 2 days has forgotten how to do it. It's taking me well over 45 mins to get him on me and we are both getting massively stressed. Last night and today I decided to bottle feed express milk. To be honest I found the experience much more enjoyable and felt more connected to baby. I'm seriously considering continuing long term. The guilts have hit though and I'm struggling with the baby blues.

Any advice?? He is tongue tied and waiting for the referral but he was breast feeding for a few days well.

Thanks lots

[Hawkmoth]

My DS is tongue tied as well and lost a lot of weight, so as a result I'm BF, expressing and topping up with formula. It's not ideal place but hoping to cut down the formula after correction... If not, I wont stop BF anyway.

He has times when he feeds really well, others where he starts promisingly and falls asleep straight away and others when he just won't latch at all. It's a learning process for both of us after all.

Like your baby, DS seemed to be a really good feeder at first so it's been quite stressful.

[Hawkmoth]

Weird typos there, baby is fussing.

Would like to add that I've had to mix feed all four of mine now due to various reasons including hospitalisation etc but I can't and don't blame myself or feel guilty.

[scotsgirl64]

you may be engorged (milk just coming in ) and this is why he's finding it hard to latch on.....what happens if you express a bit and then try to bf him?....is he a bit jaundiced?...this could be making him sleepy?....make sure you're drinking enough as well xx

[Frankie72]

I'm expressing after each feed and getting easily 40ml from each boob so I don't think boobs are blocked. I probs could drink more... I've never been much of a thrust person. He has been jaundice but this is clearing x

[Frankie72]

Thirsty person!

[Annarose2014]

Tbh if it's easier for both of you and you get greater volume into him then I'd do it.

Only thing is its time consuming. Mind you, I'd get 150 mls out in 10 mins! It's just that you have to plan your day more as you can't express when out and about too easily. You definitely need a hand held one for being away from the house. I'd hire/buy a double pump for at home to cut down on ex pressing time.

I have to say though I got quick as lightening with the hand held one as you can pump at double speed. My hand was a blur!

It freezes easily - I think I got the bags in Boots. And it's brilliant to see the freezer fill up.

[Frankie72]

Yeah I think with an electric pump I could get a beast amount. I pumped 2 feeds before tea in about 30 mins... It also means hubs can feed and secretly I think he's quite excited about this. The midwife said give myself 24 hours off trying to feed on the boob and go to the support group tomorrow near me. I'm going to follow that advice and see what happens. It's frustrating waiting for the referral and don't want to 'ruin' things by bottle feeding till he is cut.

[Pollaidh]

Expressing and bottle feeding him expressed milk is a solution but I should warn you it is a very difficult one. You will literally spend all your time expressing and then feeding, plus dealing with bottles, sterilisation. I did this for about 6 weeks with newborn ds BUT I had my dm there all that time, and she was doing pretty much everything for him including some of the bottle feeds. If I'd been on my own I'd have gone crazy. After 6 weeks I switched to formula. (He and I were both very very unwell by the way.) So you can definitely do it to bridge between now and hopeful tongue snip.

We used the tommy tippee teats then and with my dd, who was mixed fed, and she seemed to be able to swap between breast and bottle well.

If it's working and you have a lot of help, great, but it's no easy option. But I think though you just need to find what works for you and your baby. Don't feel guilty. I am sure you are doing the very best you can for your baby, this is a REALLY hard time, plus happy mummy = happy baby. I know quite a few cases of tongue tie where breastfeeding was really difficult and people kept trying and became really down and discovered afterwards that it was a bad tie.

[Pixilicious]

I expressed all of my daughters feeds for about 6 months. She was quite premature and I was obsessed with knowing how much she was taking. I bought 2 electric pumps and would feed her and then pump after that both boobs at the same time. You get used to it. However I would say breast feeding is much more convenient as I found out when j went away for the weekend and forgot my pumps so had no choice! Either way, best of luck to you and your baby xx