Please help, im sat here crying and I dont know what to do.

[Frasersmum123]

I am currently feeding DD who is 20 weeks Expressed BM. We were going fine but she has upped her quantities and I just cant keep up. She is currently drinking 6oz every 2.5 hours, which means having to express that quantity. I just get her settled to sleep and I have to express a feed. I know that im stressed about it, which isnt helping, but I am beginning to feel like a dairy cow!

I stopped putting her to the breast about 8 weeks ago, her brother (23 months) started to become extremely jealous every time I fed her, which resulted in him either screaming or hitting her, and both her and me becoming upset, it just wasnt working. I have tried putting her back to the breast a few toimes over the last 10 days but its not working. I have also seen a BF support worker, and nice as she was it hasnt rally helped, as DD has lost the sucking action.

I dont really want to put her onto formula, as both my sons have terrible ezcema, and I am worried that FF-ing will not help that. (I know there is no direct link, and I have every respect for FF mothers, but its not a chance I really want to take)

So My HV has suggested Baby Rice, which I dont know if im too happy with either. She suggested a couple of spoons in the afternoon, just to fill her up a bit and to let me try and get a bit of a stock-up.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? I just really want to feel like this has happened to someone else before!

I havent got any advice Frasersmum - I would probably in that situation give her one bottle of formula a day - at 20 weeks I dont think its that bad and it will let you hold on until nearer 26 weeks for the weaning.

But I understand your reasons for not wanting to ff so am hoping someone else will come along with better advice.

frasermum, Ok this situation is salvageable. This is sortable. But I am not the person to give you advise - I have 3 dc all bfd long term but what works for 1 mum/baby won't always work for another. Personally I wouldn't give a 5 mnth old any solids I also don't think your daughter has lost the ability to suck necessarily.

Am going to go and find you a link to a rl person you can talk to. Also hopefully someone else will be here soon.

kkq xx

Oh poor you that is a horrible place to be.

Not an expert but I wish hvs would go away with their babyrice. 20 weeks is very young.

I would also say a bottle of formula is probably better (not to mention more filling) than a few spoons of babyrice.

Hi frasermum, If you want to talk to someone who should be able to help try ringing the number on the link below. There are a lot of people on here who are very helpful, but they may not be online right now hope this helps.... they are there 24/7.

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/

frasersmum -

You need proper real life help.

I don't think baby rice will do much, to be honest, but it would not be a terrible thing to try it now if you wanted to give it a go. It is likely to have less effect, allergenically, than formula.

It is understandable you wanted to curb the jealousy of your ds, but you have ended up on a treadmill, even busier, as expressing and then feeding from a bottle is twice as much time away from him.....You need more skilled help than a bf support worker, I think. A breastfeeding counsellor should be able to help you work out a plan to increase the success of direct breastfeeding, so hope you will call one.

Thanks everyone.

My DS is non verbal, so he expresses himself by screaming, which isnt great when you are trying to calmly feed a baby.

I will try that website KitKatQueen. Thank You.

I must admit I did buy a box of baby-rice while I was in Tesco's earlier, but I havent got the guts to use it yet.

Hi frasermum, thought I would see how u are doing - also more people on here at this time of day I think so you may get some more responses. hope u r ok. KKQx