Can I go back to breast feeding - advice please.

[kittifer]

Hi All

My DD is now 11 days old. I was breastfeeding for the first few days but was then readmitted to hospital with a heavy bleed and due to my ill health couldn't breastfeed for 2 days. During this time the hospital bottle fed her.

Now we are home again and I would dearly love to breastfeed but she just doesn't seem interested now.

Do you think I have any chance of getting her to breastfeed again or do I have to resign myself to bottle feeding.

If you think we might be able to go back to breastfeeding any tips on how I do it.

And what about my supply? I wasn't able to feed or express for 2 days and I just don't seem to be producing much any more. Can I get the supply restarted again do you think?

If so any tips on how?

Thanks for any help you can give

Bumping for you - there was a thread about this recently, I'll see if I can find the link for you.

But short answer - yes, you can, it will just take some perseverance.

You can, you absolutely can do this.

I'm no expert but here is a link to get you started and a bump for your question.

I don't have advice myself but know that a friend managed to do it in similar circumstances so BUMP in the hope someone with the right info comes along!

Kittifer - it is absolutely possible. Your baby is still so young.
Your supply can return with demand i.e. pumping and baby feeding.
Skin-to-Skin time together is a great way to get baby interested in the breast again, help the hormones to flow and to get snuggly.
I suggest you ring one of the national helplines and chat to a breastfeeding counsellor. They can talk you through the process. It will take some committment but it really can be done. I personally know mums who stopped for longer and when their babies were older and managed to return to exclusive bfing.
You will probably need to start with some pumping - ideally with a decent pump which you could always rent. Don't worry if very little comes out initially, you are sending 'make more milk' signals. Meanwhile you want to spend time skin-to-skin to get her used to your smells and tastes. I wouldn't necessarily suggest you focus on getting her to latch but just hang out with her near the breast and see if she shows interest herself.
Good Luck!

kittifer - yes, is the answer

You should still be in touch with midwives so get them on side.

Search 'relactation' on the web and on mumsnet.

Call bf helplines for real person real life help.

Here is one link

And here is another one

Thanks ladies, that's really helpful

I've got a decent breastpump on hire so I will try expressing more often (every 3 hurs or so) and lots of skin to skin with my DD ans see what happens

Good luck!! You can do it!! [cheerleader emoticon]

Please come back and let us know how you get on, ok?

Can you co-sleep safely? I have just finished reading Three In A Bed and there is a chapter on feeding which says infants generally suckle unconsciously in their sleep and it is a good way of getting an uncooperative newborn to drink more. Don't know if it applies to nipple preference/confusion though.

I heart co-sleeping. Makes continuing breast feeding, especially at night, soooo much easier. NO way I'd get up four times a night to nurse if DS was in his own bed. And nothing beats sweet baby snuggles!!