Should I give up breastfeeding?

[Loulou000]

I've been 'supplementing' with formula since my LO was two weeks old and impossible to settle. She's now nearly four months and getting virtually no breast milk. I always wanted to breastfeed her, but of course since deciding to supplement (I wouldn't do it again if I could turn back time) my supply has got worse and worse and I have never succeeded in tipping back the balance to breast milk. Now she refuses to b/f at all and screams until she gets a bottle, which I guess is a lot less like hard work and more immediate gratification.
My DP says I'm tormenting her and should stop putting her to the breast. He has a point, as it has turned into a battle and I can get quite frustrated with her. I don't want mealtimes to have bad associations for her.
What would you do? Do I have any other options other than put ourselves through this ritual at each feed, give up b/f, or struggle to find the time to express and then produce a third of an ounce or less?

If you really want to breast feed her I would persevere...I'm sure there are lots of people who will come along and advise you alot better than I could. But perhap try her on the breats when she's not starving...? Perhaps give her a couple of ounces and then try the breast?

Keep up the expressing though. Hope someone comes along soon for you.

Get some expert help: La Leche League and the NCT have phone lines you can ring for advice. You've done really well to get this far and it's your decision, but get all the info you can so that (this time) it is an informed decision

It is possible to build your breast milk back up; I have done it lots of times. If you decide to go for it, I would clear a few days and sit in bed with her for a couple of days, eating chocolate and reading good books, until it comes back. I do think it would be hard work if you can't commit time to building it back up though.

Thanks for all your replies. I do really, really want to carry on. I can make time if I have a plan. But I'm not really sure how to go about it. Would I start out by just trying to b/f her really, really often?

I will also give one of the phone lines a try when it's not bank holiday.

Keep going, Breastfeeding is best for her and doing whats best can't be a bad thing

loulou - yes!

I did this with dd, and it worked a treat within 3 days. get a good book/ magazine, drink lots of water and just lounge around in bed with your baby all day.

oh yes, and chocolate. there's a biological reason why you need chocolate when breastfeeding. or so I tell dh anyway.

I'm certainly not going short of chocolate this weekend.

mmm easter eggs. I remember those.

quickest way to get your milk back is to stop the bottles completely by the way. do a search for "babymoon" and you'll find more advice. in fact hang on a minute...

lots of good advice here

pay particular attention to what tiktok says. especially when she contradicts me!

Aren't you eating easter eggs?

I have heard that before but never been able to understand how to stop the bottles completely without starving her. Surely I won't suddenly make enough milk to keep her from going hungry?

i have built my supply up with ds we still mix feed but iwas just giving him 1 feed a day as i was going to stop at 3 mths,decided i didnt want so gave ds a bottle then bf him that built my supply back up after a few days.Good luck it really is best for baby

your milk never dries up. you won't "suddenly" make enough milk, but she will get enough eventually.

That's what I did anyway. I've seen advice elsewhere to cut the bottles drastically rather than cut them out.

they don't really do easter eggs in spain, which is where I live. in fact they're not very good at chocolate in general. I miss it. and cake shops. They don't do decent breastfeeding advice either, which is why I ended up on mumsnet. so not all bad