Pls help - Panicking! I've ballsed this up haven't I?

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

Without typing the whole sorry story out and giving my crap (in hindsight) reasons, I did not BF 19 day old DD between 8pm last night and 2pm today - she had formula.

She has gone back on the boob okay but have I now wrecked my not yet established supply?
What have I got to do to fix it?
MW spent an hour with me today watching me feed and everything in that respect is dandy. She thinks supply will be fine.

Feel such a twat. Want to cry - again.

Don't cry! just feed away,feed as often as the baby will take it, and don't worry.Oh and chuck out the formula.You will be absolutely fine.

Just keep feeding! Don't worry, just feed, feed, feed. Offer 2nd, 3rd, sides at each feed and you'll be fine.

Oh, LOTF! Don't cry!

Don't fret - if you're back to full bf, and you bf her every time she needs it, there really shouldn't be a problem.

If you make a habit of long gaps between feeds, you'll likely have problems - but not as a one-off.

How are you? Any lumps/redness/soreness in your breast/s?

No, no, don't worry, you'll be fine. Just feed her whenever she wants.
If you have been feeding her regularly before, then it'll not make your supply dry up. I promise.

You really think so? No, you know so, yes?

Also, when does it get easier? ie: when does baby feed more rapidly and go longer between feeds?

I don't want to leave your post unanswered, but I am not an expert, although I am [still] bfing my DD at 17 months.

I think the answer is just boob, boob and more boob. Your supply will get back up if it has in fact dropped. Drink loads to stay hydrated, get comfy on the sofa and cuddle that baba! The more you feed the more the supply will build up.

People can totally stop bfing and then re-establish their supply, so you will be ok if you keep at it.

You're doing really well, by the way - even your mw is impressed. Do you have a bf support group near you?

No - you've not wrecked it. Just keep on going. But try not to stress about it cos' that will do you and the supply more upset than that 1 missed feed...

Sounds like you are doing well.

... and xpost everyone else !

Oh please don't worry - it's ok - it's very likely you can get back to fully breastfeeding again if you want to, with support. You will probably need to feed as much as possible and have lots of skin to skin contact - can you bring her into your bed tonight? And possibly tomorrow as well. Don't worry about bad habits now - she is so tiny and habits don't get formed at this age.

Do have a cry if you want to - it's bloody hard and emotional in the early days, don't beat yourself up. You are NOT a twat. (Hugs if wanted)

If you just keep feeding her it should be fine. My supply was a disaster initially with ds1 (he didn't eat) and I managed to relactate by expressing after every feed. My milk only established properly when he was over 6 weeks!

I had to express because he didn't eat enough, if your dd eats well she should stimulate you enough to produce everything you need.

Can you take yourself to bed with her and spend a day just feeding?

No, no soreness or anything.
They went very hard and lumpy and she loved sorting that out, but since that backlog there appears to be sod all in there.
She is constantly attached now, hungry.

Not expecting to get much sleep tonight.

If she was feeding well before and you had no problems with supply, you don't need to spend a whole day in bed with her- just feed her on demand and even if your supply has dropped a bit it will get back and increase itself very fast.
Really, it's not a big deal!
Did you at least go out and had fun?

No fun as such - but while she was tanked up on formula I did get some housework done for first time since she arrived, which was satisfying!

I have her in my bed anyway. Love it.

Can't do a bed day anyway as have 4, 3 and 1yr old too.

I thought it would be bad as I missed a whole nights' feeds and night is the best time for milk isn't it? The production I mean?

Your supply will go right up again tomorrow.
As to when do the feeds get shorter etc,well its all a bit of a blur,they just gradually get more and more efficient at feeding over the months.My dd was three this week and she still has a long feed at bedtime but in the morning it is just a few minutes.I think by 6m my dds were pretty quick with their feeds aside from the bedtime one where they just liked to stay on!

I thought they got more efficient around 6-8 weeks?

I don't know if I will be able to carry on for as long as I wanted then for practical reasons.

IIRC they start to be more efficient at feeding at around 6-8 weeks. It then progresses iyswim. I think DD at 6 months was quite fast and now at 15 months it takes her about 3 minutes per breast, if that (except if she wakes up in the middle of the night).
After 2, 3 months max you'll see a lot of difference.

I think it was at 5 or 6 months when I was worrying if she was taking enough as she was spending maybe 10-15 minutes per feed.

Awesome, thanks.

I'm glad about that as at the mo I'm exhausted, what with the other kids!