Expressing > BF - where to start?!

[Rad123]

Hi all

Looking for some advice on reestablishing BF after a period of primarily expressing and bottle feeding.

DD is now 4 months old. After she was born, she lost a lot of weight which we found out subsequently was down to a tongue tie when she had to go back into hospital to be treated for jaundice, after which we were put on a triple feeding plan.

We got her tongue tie snipped relatively quickly, after which I EBF for a while but really lost my confidence with it after the fussy 6 week growth spurt, following which she really struggled to latch properly. Subsequently we restarted topping up with formula or expressed milk (I always expressed if we gave her formula so as not to impact supply). With hindsight I was pretty traumatised after her initial weight loss and my anxiety over feeding was really taking over my life, so i switched to expressing and bottle feeding at around 8 weeks, but continued to work on her latch between feeds and nurse for comfort etc. in the hope I could transition back to BF at some point.

As she's now bigger her latch has massively improved so Id like to try and transition back to BF as her primary method of feeding, but I'm not entirely sure where to start without impacting supply etc.

In terms of expressing I've never really been able to establish a consistent schedule - it's hard work with a baby that needs entertaining! - but I generally pump 5-6 times a day, between bottle feeds where I can and overnight, whilst also nursing regularly in between for comfort. I produce enough for 4x 4.5oz bottles a day, she gets one bottle of formula in the evening too so I can have enough milk ready for the next morning in addition to what I pump overnight so I'm not always trying to catch up on myself.

My concern about switching back to BF is that my supply tends to fluctuate throughout the day, so I'm nervous that by replacing a pumping session with a feed I may not make enough for a bottle if I need it later in the day or top ups if she's still hungry. Also because I wake up to express at night that's always around a bottle she can have in the morning, so if she was just BF would my body make enough for her to make up for that throughout the day?! (She sleeps through the night at the mo). I had been advised to express immediately after a feed and give her whatever I make as a top up after the next feed and reduce it down gradually, but as feeding can take a while once she gets used to putting the work back in I'm nervous about pumping after a feed preventing my breasts from refilling in time for the next one.

You can probably sense that I'm massively overthinking this and getting myself anxious about it already so maybe all this isn't worth it and I should keep doing what I'm doing, but I feel like surely if there is milk there and she can latch better there must be a way I can successfully breastfeed without me doing the endless pump, feed, sterilise, repeat! I'm just struggling to work out how to do this without impacting supply and making sure she's still getting enough.

If you've got this far - thank you! And would massively appreciate any advice.

Thanks

Anyone?

My advice is ancient but I went easily back to solely breastfeeding after mixed feeding when ds was 4 months old. Keep hydrated and as relaxed as possible and be prepared to baby moon.

@Rad123 take a look at Mixed Up by Lucy Ruddle, it’s primarily about combi feeding but was invaluable when I was transitioning back to ebf with my DD.

Also, just to reassure you, everyone’s supply fluctuates throughout the day, neither fluctuations or the amount you are able to express are indicative of your supply. Genuine supply issues are far rarer than people tend to believe, a lot of it stems from misinformation around expressing or cluster feeding, but on the whole babies are great at telling your body what’s needed.

I totally get where your fear comes from, I ended up hospitalised with an infection soon after DD was born which affected our early breastfeeding journey and led to constant anxiety as to whether I was producing enough milk. DD also had tongue tie, and nothing prepared me for the fact in some cases the latch gets a whole lot worse before it gets better, which makes sense when you think about the fact they have to get used to a whole new way of using their mouths/tongue. We were also going through a regression/growth spurt at the same time, and I remember genuinely contemplating giving up as I was finding it so tough. Instead I sought help from a local breastfeeding support group who were beyond helpful in supporting me during that time.

In the early days my DD was 60% formula fed, but by around 10wks I’d managed to transition back to ebf. It wasn’t always easy, and took a fair bit of trust in my body and a huge heap of stubbornness/bloody mindedness, but I have absolutely no doubt you’ll get there too.

My best advice is to hunker down with a bunch of snacks and a good box set, make yourself comfy, keep hydrated and keep offering the breast to help support supply. Skin to skin is also great at helping to regulate supply.

Hi both

Just wanted to pop on to say a big thank you for your advice! It took a bit of time but since 5.5 months DD has been breastfed with just one bottle of formula in the evening before bed. She's in peak distracted mode at the moment which is fun (!) but for the most part all seems to be going well. Thank you for your words of encouragement!