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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Am I too late for breastfeeding?

93 replies

45redballoons · 27/05/2022 01:49

Hello,

I have a 1 week old daughter and my milk is still not in to fully satisfy her on breastmilk alone for a single feed.

In the hospital I tried feeding her but it was never enough and straightaway went to adding formula. Everytime she needs fed I put her on the breast first and she drinks but for the past day she doesn't drink for long before falling asleep.

I had a hand held pump for expressing but found it no good at this stage so ordered an electric one which only just arrived on day 6. I'm getting around 20ml.

I'd love to be able to breastfeed exclusively for most feeds but I'm worried it has been too long now and my milk won't come in. I'm in awe that anyone had a satisfied baby on breastmilk so quickly, it just never happened for me and she constantly screams and chews her hands if I don't give formula too.

What do you think?

Thanks

OP posts:
ThelastRolo20 · 30/05/2022 08:45

If it helps I was told to pump for a while due to tongue tie to keep supply up and I ended up dropping that. I also barely pumped anything and found it so disheartening - my DD was far better at getting milk out than the pump! It's so hard as you can never really tell how much they're getting out so I went with number of wet nappies etc as if there were enough then it must have meant she was getting enough and slowly dropped the amount of formula over a few weeks, your body will respond to her wanting more milk, they get frustrated whilst that's happening it's okay!

LemonDrizzles · 30/05/2022 08:45

Keep going, I did half breast and half formula. At 3 months, managed to go ebf. Even if you go completely formula, that's ok. Fed baby

All the best

SomePosters · 30/05/2022 09:06

20ml was the most I ever expressed unless feeding baby on other side

trying to express after a feed isn’t going to work. Where you baby could make you produce more like by suckling the pump doesn’t stimulate you the same way

Ina Maya guide to breastfeeding was our saviour when midwives and health visitor were less than helpful (massively overstretched)
that’s where I got the suggestion to pump while feeding and also where I got the suggestion to support babies sucking by hand expressing while feeding.

you’re not a failure whatever way you feed your baby. This is the tiniest part of their life and neither of you will remember it clearly.
do whatever you and baby need xxx

Original poster
45redballoons · 30/05/2022 09:14

I think dome people have misunderstood me. I'm giving her formula so the nappies and weight are irrelevant. If I don't she is hungry. I've tried reducing the formula but she is still so hungry. I ways do breast first and it is never enough so I give her formula.

OP posts:
5zeds · 30/05/2022 09:18

If the baby is only a week old your milk has only come in two or three days ago. It takes much longer to settle. Give yourself a break. Honestly early feeding is always a bit exhausting and tearful. Get into bed with the baby and stay there. Huge boxes of snacks and lots of drinks on hand. Snooze and feed and watch telly and phone all your friends and family.

5zeds · 30/05/2022 09:19

How much formula does she drink in the top up?

Onceuponatimethen · 30/05/2022 09:31

@45redballoons How do you know it “isn’t enough”? There’s no way to tell this at the breast? If you can explain what means you think it isn’t enough we can help.

Same1977 · 30/05/2022 09:32

45redballoons · 30/05/2022 09:14

I think dome people have misunderstood me. I'm giving her formula so the nappies and weight are irrelevant. If I don't she is hungry. I've tried reducing the formula but she is still so hungry. I ways do breast first and it is never enough so I give her formula.

I see.Your milk will come in and perhaps you simply have a slower let down (at the moment )so baby isn't getting as much straight away.
Also breast feeding is more tiring for baby.My daughter was described as 'lazy baby'.She would snack enough to satisfy her for time being but didn't want to work harder to get a full feed.It resulted in her wanting to eat again in no time.
I made a mistake of giving her bottles that were so different from breast that she in the end rejected breadt all together and I have been pumping since.
My friend had similar issue however I think she used mam bottles and they are closer to breast.So the baby doesnt see quick easy food vs quite a lot of work.and longer.
Perhaps have a look at bottles and encourage baby to stay on breast longer (switch if needed as there might be a second let down )

Onceuponatimethen · 30/05/2022 09:32

The reason we are all talking about nappies is that this is what you would need to monitor if you start to drop the top ups.

Early days are hard and you are doing a great job

Onceuponatimethen · 30/05/2022 09:33

I would keep switching sides until baby comes off satisfied and is no longer rooting. Sometimes that means a 4th or 5th “side” in one feed!!

grey12 · 30/05/2022 09:48

Did my transition at 2 months 😉

Just kept putting DD1 in the breast before giving the bottle. At every single feeding! Just one suck! (Unless she started screaming too much) On each breast. And then she naturally started sucking more 🙂 it took a long time and my nipples were a bit sore but totally worth it! She BF until 3 🤷🏻‍♀️

timeisnotaline · 30/05/2022 10:04

ah I see re topups. Does she seem happy and settled after a feed once you’ve given her formula? I think you may have been let down by your midwives, they don’t seem to have known enough about breastfeeding to be able to advise you. I’d expect a midwife to be quite clear that weight is dropped 18% and 2 wet nappies in the last 24 hours at 4 days old is a bit concerning so we might suggest top up. Ie you should understand why they think baby might need more, none of the behaviours you describe actually clearly indicate she needs more food when they are that age. My midwives asked us to record nappies and feeds on their chart and asked us about them on every visit to track if the nappies indicated she was getting enough food, plus weight of course.

Original poster
45redballoons · 30/05/2022 15:27

I popped into a drop in session today. She confirmed the latch is fine. They also told me to carry on expressing, but really to just continously put on the breast, so far I've been at it 3 hours but she took more formula then ever. So this is a long road.

OP posts:
5zeds · 30/05/2022 17:15

How much formula is the baby having a day?

DelphiniumBlue · 30/05/2022 17:32

Keep going. And don't underestimate how many hours feeding a baby can do. I recall one of mine feeding for 12/13 hours a day at some points.
Make sure you have plenty of fluids, enough to eat, and are comfortable with the baby well-positioned.

KatieKat88 · 30/05/2022 18:43

45redballoons · 30/05/2022 15:27

I popped into a drop in session today. She confirmed the latch is fine. They also told me to carry on expressing, but really to just continously put on the breast, so far I've been at it 3 hours but she took more formula then ever. So this is a long road.

OK so that's a great sign about the latch because that's one of the biggest things that prevents effective milk transfer, take confidence from that. How much formula is she having after each feed? Often babies like bottles because they get to suck more which is comforting. Have you tried a dummy? You have to be careful not to use it instead of offering a feed but if she's had a big feed and then wants to comfort suck a dummy can work well.

5zeds · 30/05/2022 19:21

im not sure why you started formula while still in hospital? Expressing after a feed while giving the baby a formula top up seems illogical. Surely you would be better letting the baby continue feeding?

Original poster
45redballoons · 30/05/2022 21:12

5zeds, because she wasn't getting enough from me and the midwife told me.

3 midwives and the specialist have now told me to express after a feed, I don't know what more to tell you.

KatieKat, she is having loads, 100ml and only 11 days old. I keep trying to take it away earlier and put her back on the breast, and she will go for a short time, but eventually gets too upset for it. I think she gets too hungry. They said today at the drop in that it is a lot, but if she eats it then she must need it.

OP posts:
Original poster
45redballoons · 30/05/2022 21:18

Onceuponatimethen · 30/05/2022 09:33

I would keep switching sides until baby comes off satisfied and is no longer rooting. Sometimes that means a 4th or 5th “side” in one feed!!

I'm switching at least 6 times.

Can I ask, do you guys who EBF never sleep? We take shifts overnight so there will be 2x 3 hour blocks where my husband does the work but she will have had a feed from me right at the start of the 3 hour block. If she needs fed again he just goes straight to formula. As the whole process takes me so long I would literally never sleep if I did those feeds too.

OP posts:
MumE78 · 30/05/2022 21:38

I used nipple shields so my daughter could switch between the boob or bottle and my milk came in after a week

Halfarsedjingler · 30/05/2022 21:41

No not too late at all, I would recommend calling the hospital where you delivered and asking to speak with the infant feeding team or for one of community midwifes/support workers to.come out to visit you. You are very much still under their care at this stage and they can and should help you with this.

Onceuponatimethen · 31/05/2022 00:15

I’m sorry about the sleep op - to be honest I had an alongside cot and fed every time baby woke and kept feeding until they dropped off usually on me. That’s the best way to build supply in the early days. It is knackering but doesn’t last.

5zeds · 31/05/2022 00:58

I think it’s hard to advise as your midwives aren’t suggesting things that I personally would do and obviously you shouldn’t take advice off the internet over people who are trained to help you.
it’s really really early days. It’s worth trying but don’t make yourself miserable about it all.

Original poster
45redballoons · 31/05/2022 04:06

Thanks 5zeds, that's how I feel, a little conflicted as the advice I am getting is different. The person at the drop-on was an NHS specialist and there was another from NCT who said the same thing.

I didn't know the drop-in group existed and didn't think it was the easiest to find, so I'm grateful to Mumsnet for suggesting I look for something.

OP posts:
Tabitha888 · 31/05/2022 04:09

Keep going I have to combi feed in week 1 due to being so sick. I'm not expressing regularly. She's doing well. Keep going

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