Breastfeeding help - feeling deflated

[Pea2019]

Hi
I have tried to breastfeed from day 1 but we did have to mix this in with pre-made formula as we were in hospital and i had an infection etc. Anyway, baby is now just over a week old, he can be on my breast actively drinking for over an hour, he may fall asleep a couple of times and i gently wake him and he continues. However, he still does feeding cues straight after (eating hands etc) so i then ‘top him up’ with formula and he drinks a whole 4oz bottle!

He wasn’t a big baby, only 6lb. I just feel like my breast is/will never be enough. I express too so that i can try to ‘top him up’ with that instead but i feel like i’d just be on the sofa all day breastfeeding or expressing in order to satisfy his needs and that’s not practical.

Has anyone experienced similar? Or has any tips? Do i just keep going as i am?

I had the same issue with my DS. I think it depends what you would like to do, if you want to exclusively breast feed then I would recommend trying to give newborn to someone else between feeds or if you're on your own you could try giving a dummy (if you want to) to give your boobs a break then put him back on again. Formula will also give your boobs a rest but the difficulty I had with that was I never really established supply. In the end I decided to mix feed DS so he had formula top ups throughout the day, I also expressed milk for him as he was more of a fan of the bottle than the boob. I found whatever made both me and DS happiest and went with it.
I've recently had DD and the experience has been completely different, and I've been able to ebf, but then she's such a different baby. Anyway good luck and enjoy your baby, congratulations

Sorry just to add, with mix feeding i managed until DS was 12 weeks then we switched to formula feeding.
Give yourself a break, your baby is still so new, your body is wondering what has just happened!

Can you try with a dummy or let him suck a clean little finger? It might be that he is wanting to suck for comfort rather than because he is hungry. Some baby’s are more ‘sucky’ than others are.

It would be worth getting some face to face support with the breastfeeding. Feeding for an hour+ could (not saying it is) indicate a potential problem with milk transfer. Keep expressing between feeds as this will help up your supply. Lots of skin to skin too. Milk production is based on supply and demand at this age, so you need to tell your body to keep making milk otherwise your supply will decrease and you will end up using more and more formula, which is fine if that is what you want to do!
Many babies find it easier to drink milk from a bottle because it's not such hard work, look up paced feeding which will help with switching between breast and bottle. Also make sure you give baby regular breaks when giving formula so he can work out if his tummy is full.
Good luck x

I had very hungry babies so I did have to supplement with formula the first 3 months. I know the advice is not to supplement as your own supply is apparently affected but I didn't experience this at all and was able to wean off formula down to one bottle by the 3 month mark. All I can think of is that it must have taken a while for my milk supply to come through each time.
My current DC is 3.5 months, bf every 2 hours in the day currently (sleeps through the night) and down to 1 bottle of formula in the evenings (I was supplementing with 3/4 bottles a day in the early weeks).
If you can, try to go to your nearest bf group to get the baby's latch checked. The Kellymom website is a really good resource and there is some unjudgemental information on mixed feeding, building up your supply & not feeling guilty about it as mum's MH is important too.

Thank you. He was struggling to latch on one due to them being rock hard (when my milk came in). I then bought some nipple protectors and it’s kind of also acting like a nipple extension and baby is latching straight away with no issues. I fear he will only be able to bf with these on now but that’s not a huge issue.

There is just nothing more frustrating than feeling like your milk can’t satisfy your baby

You sound very down a out the whole thing

Are you still very engorged? You can try a technique called reverse pressure softening to make it easier for your baby to latch on.

kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/rev_pressure_soft_cotterman/

Nipple shields can be helpful, but can also effect the efficiency of milk transfer, so you might want to think about weaning off them. You could try removing them half way through a feed, once your baby is a little less hungry and your breasts are a bit softer.

Some face to face support would definitely help with your positioning and attachment, which could be all you need. Just a few small tweaks can often make a huge difference.

Or try calling the National breastfeeding helpline on 0300 100 0212 - from 9.30am-9.30pm every day.

Talk to a breastfeeding expert or ring the breastfeeding helpline this morning
They are lovely
Very very rare not to “make enough milk”
I would talk to them. They advised me and looking back I would stop the top ups and put on breast more, check latch, seek help.
I started combo feeding and then moved to just breast.
And I regret all the hours I spent pumping which ended up making me have over supply.
Give them a ring.
Finishing a bottle of formula after a feed is NOT an indication of baby not getting enough.
Baby growing? Wet and dirty nappies?
Yes.

You need face to face support to establish the best feeding regime for you and get it agreed with midwife/health visitor.

Has baby been checked for tongue tie? You need BF advice.

If you are going to 'top up', 4 oz is a huge amount for a baby who is only a week old. But it becomes a vicious circle, especially if baby is struggling to feed effectively at the breast so bottle is easier and then there isn't as much 'demand at the breast'.

They're only a week old, lie in bed, boob boob boob and just rest together

Very very rare not to “make enough milk”

But it IS possible op. Just like some bodies don't produce insulin correctly, so too some women don't produce enough milk. I'm one of them, for whom no amount of skin to skin, hydration, milk removal, supplements or medication will work. We're in the minority and I absolutely think you need to get yourself more La Leche League or local breastfeeding support group assistance, as well as try the national breastfeeding support lines (as you may have a fixable issue, not actually be in the group of women with an actual supply problem):

National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212.
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers 0300 330 5453.
La Leche League 0345 120 2918.

I know it's hard but baby may just be establishing your supply. My LO fed constantly for the first couple of weeks. But definitely get checked for tongue tie and try and get some face to face advice. It's good to have some encouragement if nothing else.