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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Moving from mixed feeding back to breast..........encouragement and help please

96 replies

PeckaRolloverAgain · 02/03/2008 16:27

To cut a waffly tale short DD 8 weeks over the last few days has been almost bottle fed except 2-3 breastfeeds a day.

Not sure if our problem is nipple confusion or possible tongue tie (meeting with a breastfeeding counsellor tomorrow to discuss this).

DD started to refuse to feed ocassionally a week or so again, after introducing an ocassional bottle - I thought I was ok with moving to bottles but she quickly started to refuse the breast at most feeds and getting really, very agitated if I even attempted to put her on the breast. The only time she would feed is overnight on teh night feed.

I was/am gutted at the refusal and the realisation that breastfeeding was coming to a premature end if I didnt do something.

After talking to the lovely marslady, a lactation consultant for doula uk and then emailling a breastfeeding counsellor in my area it seems likely that tongue tie might be an issue. They have also encouraged me that all is not lost and I shoudl be able to get it back.

The last day or so with going very slowly I have managed to get her to take the boob at a few feeds but the feeds seem pretty short and ineffective before she refuses to go back on. Her latch has deteriorated and she slips off often.

I am seeing BFC tomorrow who hopefully can tell me if tongue tie is an issue and give me some help and support with positioning, latch etc

I just hope that it is not too late as she is having rather a large amount of formula/ebm and because she is refusing often im finding it hard to give my breasts the extra stimulation they need to increase milk supply.

Im guessing that my milk supply must be pretty low by now but there is still milk there when i express/squeeze and she feeds pretty happily from me on the overnight feed.

anyone else done this and managed it?

OP posts:
fletchaaarr · 02/03/2008 16:37

I haven't done this, but I have read stories on here from people who have - if I could remember who then I would link for you.

It is good that she is feeding overnight, I think that is when it stimulates your production the most.

Offer her your boob as often as you can, is the only other advice I would give. And good luck with the BFC tomorrow.

emma1977 · 02/03/2008 16:53

In the past 3 weeks I've gone from mixed feeds back to exclusive BFing when ds started getting really bad reflux.

I had been doing 4 BFs/day with 3 bottles and am now back up to 6-8 BFs/day with the occasional bedtime bottle.

There's no doubting that the first few days in particular can be tough, but it is doable. I found that putting him on the breast more frequently during the day and encouraging him to go longer at each feed combined with waking him for a feed between midnight-2am helped to boost my supply again. I'm absolutely pants at expressing, but also tried that several times/day to keep things stimulated.

We managed to cut out his bottles at a rate of 1 every 3-4 days. He seems happy enough, although his weight gain isn't as pronounced as it was with mixed feeding.

Good luck.

emma1977 · 02/03/2008 16:54

Forgot to mention, ds was also 8 weeks when we tried to resume exclusive BFing

SparklyGothKat · 02/03/2008 16:59

We have recently gone back to full breastfeeding at 23 weeks. We slowly dropped the bottles until we were on 1 bottle a day, which we are still giving but with EBM rather than formula. I took Motilium which contains domperidone to increase my milk supply, you can buy this OTC.

callmeovercautious · 02/03/2008 16:59

Peka - sorry you are still struggling, just wanted to wish you luck. It can be done with some Babies so I will keep everything crossed for you.

Lulumama · 02/03/2008 17:01

just keep putting her to the breast as much as you can ? am sure the BFC will have some good info for yuo

are nursing strikes not common around this time?

can you give EBM instead of formula, keep pumping lots ?

Original poster
PeckaRolloverAgain · 02/03/2008 18:19

emma1977 that is really encouraging - but was breast refusal ever a problem with your ds?

Its really frustrating because putting her to the breast very often would be the best way to do this and she will very often refuse to even latch on and gets very upset.

Just after I posted original message it was feed time and she just would not latch on - i dont like to push it too much as she gets so upset.

It is so very heartbreaking putting baby to the breast and her screaming as if im trying to kill her

OP posts:
Original poster
PeckaRolloverAgain · 02/03/2008 18:20

sparkly, how many bottles was callum having at the most?

what is very upsetting is that she will even refuse ebm alot of the time - can she really have related the upsetting feeling at the boob to the taste of my milk ?

i have had to throw a couple of ebm bottles down the sink - soul destroying!!

OP posts:
SparklyGothKat · 02/03/2008 18:44

he was having 2 of formula and 2 of ebm at one point.

moondog · 02/03/2008 19:18

Brill to hear that you have got him off the formula completely Sparkly.

Original poster
PeckaRolloverAgain · 02/03/2008 19:44

god, this is an emotional roller coaster. after refusing feeds most of the day just had a lovely, snuggly, milky, lying down bedtime feed. ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

OP posts:
emma1977 · 02/03/2008 20:41

He has never been a breast-refuser as such but feeding would often be a trauma for both of us with his screaming, arching his back and pulling off frequently because of the reflux.

It all sounds very hard for you, but all the best in giving it a go.

berolina · 02/03/2008 20:45

Pecka, I have done this (also involving breast refusal), search for messages by me in June/July 05. ds1 was mixed fed for 4 weeks, then excl bf to 6.5 months, is nearly 3 and still bf. CAT me for more info if you like. Got to run now.

ChasingButterflies · 02/03/2008 21:03

Hi Pecka, not had this precise problem, but when my ds was a bit younger than your dd, he refused one breast - is exc bf, so wasn't nipple confusion, lord knows why he did it! A wonderful bf consultant got him feeding almost immediately from that side after he'd had none at all from it for a week by dabbing the breast with EBM so he could have a bit of a taste before latching on. It really seemed to encourage him and it was a lot easier from then on. As I said, not the same circs, I know, but maybe worth a try to tempt her? Good luck

Pannacotta · 02/03/2008 21:11

Pecka, havent done this myself, but just wanted to say I did find DS1 was not a great feeder to start and woudl often wriggle around, pull off etc etc. I did find that night feeds and feeding him durin ghte day worked best for us, until he passed this stage.
Obviously you need to find out about the tongue tie, but it might be worth trying to feed lying down?
Also try to feed/express every 2 hours to boost your supply.
Might be some info of use here
www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/index.html

fishie · 02/03/2008 21:25

pecka hooray for you, your good sense and determination. there is a fair bit of stuff in bf topic, search relactation. also have a bath together. someone else might be able to help with the link to breast crawl vid, but sorry can't remember what it is called.

Pannacotta · 02/03/2008 21:29

sorry just read my post, I meant to say "night feeds and feeding him lying down during the day worked best for us".
Good luck and keep posting...

AitchTwoOh · 02/03/2008 21:32

no help but lots of encouragement. go pecka, go pecka, go pecka!

Original poster
PeckaRolloverAgain · 02/03/2008 21:32

expressing as i type and got 3oz so far out of right boob - maybe supply not as low as i thought? or is this because she hasnt been removing the milk?

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 02/03/2008 21:39

3oz is good going! Your supply must be pretty good, remember it's supply and demand so you can't "run out" of milk, the more you feed and/or express, the more milk you make.
That said, babies are usually better than expressing at stimulating supply so sounds like you have plenty of milk.

ib · 02/03/2008 21:46

Pecka, I cut out the bottles when ds was about 7 weeks (I think). I was never ever able to express 3oz from one boob in one sitting, so it doesn't sound like your supply is an issue.

Ds is 14 mo and still bf loads.

Original poster
PeckaRolloverAgain · 02/03/2008 22:04

only got a dribble out of left boob but not worrying about that as that was the side she had her long bedtime feed on.

anyone know anything about supplemental lactation aids?

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 02/03/2008 22:19

SOme info here
www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html

Caz10 · 02/03/2008 22:24

how's it going pecka? rooting for you.

Dalrymps · 02/03/2008 22:28

Just wanted to say I mix feed and sometimes ds has days when he screams like im trying to murder him when I try to bf him too. I have no idea why, usually I try a calming cuddle and try to relax and try again, if that doesn't work sometimes offering the other side works and once he has drunk from that side he'll go on the other, or i've heard some people let lo suck their finger a little then are able to latch them on. Have to admit though, sometimes he just refuses, then I usually leave it 15 mins - half an hour and try again, if no luck then i'll just give a bottle and try again the next feed, often he feeds brilliantly again the next day as if nothing happened .
Good luck anyway!