Breastfeeding question

[firsttimemamaa]

I'm really disappointed I never tried breastfeeding to begin with.

Does anybody know if I can start even though my milk has dried up? Is it similar to restarting after a break?

I've tried researching online but I can only find advice for those who have just taken a break from breastfeeding.

Thanks in advance X

How old is your baby?

She's 8 weeks tomorrow

kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/relactation/

This may be a good start.

It is possible as women who haven’t ever given birth or been pregnant can lactate.

At 8 weeks you’ve probably got a really good chance.
Do LOADS of skin to skin, allow her the opportunity to latch.

Look up ‘paced feeding’ and make sure you do this with any bottles you give.

It is possible to relactate (or for a non-birth parent to induce lactation) but it is very hard work. Kellymom has some advice here- kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/relactation/

You should also look up what Dr Jack Newman has to say on the subject (he advocates the use of prescription domperidone to help).

Do you have access to any breastfeeding experts nearby?

Forgot to say GOOD LUCK! Do you have a breastpump or can you borrow one from your health visitor? Some people swear by power-pumping (kellymom also has great resources on this).

Thank you both so much.

I have an auntie who is a breastfeeding advocate, she has so much knowledge it's unbelievable. We aren't all that close but she was giving some advice to a friend of mine and that's what's made me realise how much I want to try it. I felt like she judged me for formula feeding (she most probably wasn't) so I didn't want to go to her directly for advice. I might bite the bullet and talk to her I think she'll be able to point me in the right direction of local experts etc than me trying to find them!

She did mention Kellymom to my friend though, I'll read those articles.

Honestly thank you for even giving me hope. It's enough to make me want to cry!

@CardinalCat I don't have a pump but I can always get one, is the one you'd recommend?

Ask your aunt - I bet she’ll be delighted that you felt inspired, and if anyone has knowledge to help you out outside of kellymom it sounds like she has.

Lots of luck, and remember that the most important thing you can provide your baby is unconditional love. Breastfeeding is a bonus, so don’t allow yourself to get too stressed if it doesn’t work out.

I rented a "hospital grade" one from medela (i had to pump to tube feed my poorly dc1) and I found medela Symphony very good. Good luck and do come back and ask if you have any more questions!

Definitely ask your aunt, I’m sure she’ll be delighted to help and seeing someone in person can make a big difference.

Kellymom is great reading for anything breastfeeding related. PP suggestion of reading Jack Newman is excellent too.

I would see if you can borrow a pump first, different people often find different pumps better than others. You can do skin to skin and try hand expressing in the meantime. Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Thanks everyone.

One more question, one of my breasts lactated more than the other. I've just read on Kellymom to comfort nurse them rather than a dummy when possible. Do you think it would be best to focus on the breast that lactated more just to send the signals to my body to produce milk again? Or should I try them both equally?

I've just tried her on my 'lesser' breast as that's the side I hold her on more comfortably and it had mixed results. First she cried, then I gave her a bath then tried again and she was giving me a 'this is weird mum' look but was sucking!

Oh fantastic that she’s sucking that’s amazing, so pleased for you.

Yes, definitely use breast to comfort nurse instead of dummy when you can. I would offer both I think. I know what you mean about concentrating on the one that lactated more but it’s important to make sure you are comfortable too as when you are relaxed, your DD will be too and you may hold her in a way that makes it easier to latch.

I would offer her breast as much as you can, if she gets upset try the other side then something else, like you did with the bath.

Getting in the bath with her can be a great way of skin to skin.
Laying back with her on top of you face down skin to skin and just allowing her to latch if she wants to.

Keep her in just a vest or just a nappy if you can so it’s easier to keep putting her to your chest. Wear her in a sling in the house with just your bra on so she has contact and the opportunity to suck if she wants.

Keep her on top of you for her naps (obviously not if you’re in any danger of falling asleep). When they first wake up and still sleepy can be a great time to get them to suck.

Just some ideas but it sounds like you’re doing amazing so just keep going with what you think, you know her best and what’s likeky to work for you both.

How’s it going OP?

Can you get someone to bake you these? www.bellybelly.com.au/breastfeeding/lactation-cookies/

Pukka do a herbal tea for breastfeeding as well.

May of course be bollocks, but both look tasty so possibly worth a go?

I've tried her on the breast to be a human dummy but she's not having it, it's disheartening because she'll suck almost anything!

She had her injections yesterday and wasn't feeling too great so I didn't want to upset her further.

I've looked into fenugreek, I've read there's very limited proof that it increases milk so I'm wondering whether to try it. I'll have a look at those too .

Done lots of skin to skin & going to get into the bath with her later on.

Spoke to my OH about it too, I said last week that I regret not breastfeeding. He said he was glad I didn't because I'd of been exhausted and he'd of missed out on bonding time with her. He's the most supportive person so I thought he might have said that to make me feel better. When I brought it up again to see what his view was he said he did mean it but he's fully on board if it's what I want to do & he'll help in anyway he can. So that's made me feel loads better.

Yet to speak to my auntie, I think want to mention it to my mum and sister first. I'm worried they won't understand so I'd rather tell them before my auntie asks them how I'm doing with it.

Was going to go see the HV in clinic this morning to discuss it but DD was still feeling off this morning so again didn't want to upset her & clinics over now!

Oh jabs can be horrid afterwards (though of course better than the alternative!) - cuddles and Calpol all the way!

Great that your partner is supportive, and breastfeeding definitely doesn’t mean baby won’t have a strong bond with him in our experience.

Good luck

It must be disheartening for you but it’s really early days. Just keep going with the skin to skin as it will be lovely for you both and really beneficial for her anyway.

Can you hand express any milk at all? Try very gently massaging the breast towards the nipple then see if you can squeeze any out, if you can it may encourage her to latch.

Will she suck when she’s sleepy?

I'm completely dry so doubt I'll be able to now? I've no idea to be honest, I don't know what I'm doing

I might try when she's sleepy, haven't got anything to lose!

Yes you still can relactate so don’t worry. Women who have never given birth can lactate so it’s definitely doable.

Have you got hold of a pump yet?

Your aim is to try and stimulate your breasts as much as possible (either with a pump or massaging and hand expressing) and to try and give your DD the opportunity to latch if she wants.

Are you doing ‘paced feeding’ with the bottles she’s having? That will help if she does start to latch.

If you didn’t want to speak to your aunty just yet, is there any breastfeeding support near you? Might be worth ringing and asking if any of their staff/peer supporters have dealt with similar. Or looking for a lactation consultant with experience in relactating.

In the meantime, just enjoy your baths together and the skin to skin

I HAVE A LITTLE MILK!!!

As I wrote my last post my DD was waking up from a nap so I thought I'd try latching her.
She sucked for 2 seconds then got frustrated. I took her away and gave her dummy and she started to be sleepy again. So I tried again and she stayed for maybe a minute or so but then just let go and shut her eyes and wasn't frustrated at all.

I then pinched at my nipple and the was the tiniest amount of milk! I can't believe it, this is all in my lesser breast too. Is the a chance she'd of got something from me and that's why she didn't get frustrated?

Ive also got implants so I find it hard to 'sandwich', do you think it'll be more difficult for her?

Not yet I've been researching the different ones, every time I start the process something takes me attention away. I might just go with Tommee Tippee as I use their bottles and never had an issue.

I've found a local drop in group but I'm so nervous
about going. I go away on Saturday for a week so I'm hoping being away from house chores I'll be able to really focus on spending time doing skin to skin and getting her to latch. Then when I get back I can get into the nitty gritty of it all

Oh FANTASTIC! I’m so pleased for you, that's brilliant.

You can try just squeezing a tiny bit out by hand and leaving the drop on the end of your nipple, may just encourage her to latch. I’m guessing she’s got some and that’s why she was happy to stay on. You may find some days she’s happier to stay on and other days she isn’t but honestly you’ve done amazing to get her to latch and suck.

Your week away sounds perfect timing too!

I understand how nerve wracking it is going to a new group but I’m sure you’ll be fine.

I’ve no experience over the implants I’m afraid so I don’t want to misadvise you but I know it is possible to successfully breastfeed with implants.

So I've tried getting her to latch at different times today but it's the same she'll latch for 30 seconds then get frustrated.

I've been getting a few drops out by squeezing and letting her get it off my nipple and she latches then again stops.

I'm hoping once I've got a supply she'll stay on. I've ordered a Tommee Tippee manual pump from amazon (was on offer for £15) just to see how I'll get on with it. If all goes well I'll upgrade

Mixed feelings about today. Made up I'm not completely dry but disheartened she'd rather suck on a bib than my boob haha. At least I've made a little progress though!!

You could try breast compressions to help keep her on longer.

The fact that she’s latching is amazing and 30 seconds of sucking is really good. Honestly, that’s huge progrsss.

A manual pump should be great for now and some people get on better with them than electric ones anyway. Keep hand ‘expressing’ (even if you’re not actually getting anything) just to help encourage your supply. There will be videos etc if you’re not sure how.

After her bedtime feed last night she was still a hungry but finished her bottle (which she hasn't done in days). I tried her with a dummy but she kept spitting it out and looked like she wanted something else (obviously). I tried the boob and she latched for 3 whole minutes!! She definitely got a little milk, when she pulled away the was a little on the side of her lips. Then was sound asleep within minutes.

I'm trying her on the boob any chance I get but if she's not interested I'll try with my hands. I can't wait for the pump to get here and make some real progress.

OH was out last night so missed her latching. When he come home I told him everything but he misheard me and thought I said laughed. He didn't seem as enthusiastic which got to me a little. Then a little later on he was asking more questions - probably because he knew he'd annoyed me

Amazing! That’s so brilliant!

Don’t panic if your pump arrives and you find you don’t get anything with it - I tend to need quite full boobs to get much milk by pumping, whereas baby/hand expressing are more effective for actually getting milk out any time.

I think it’ll still be good for stimulating your supply but just wanted to say don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work for actually expressing much/any milk until you’ve got things a bit more established.

Fantastic. 3 min is absolutely amazing. You’ve done so well. She’s getting milk from you too-that’s so good! Keep us updated.

Good advice verbena about pump. Lots of women panic they’ve got no milk when they can’t express. I tandem feed 2 DC and I’m rubbish at expressing (both hand and pump)! Keep going with the hand and pump (when arrives)when she’s not feeding as any stimulation at this stage is really important.