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

Thank you both so much, that's good to know about expressing. I do get discouraged easily so I'll try and keep that in mind

Agree with all PP advice :) great that you can get a latch even for a small amount of time!
Don’t be too disheartened if she wants to suck something else rather than you, I have been BF for 7 months now and my DS prefers his dummy, once he’s had his milk that’s it he’s finished with the boob! Some just aren’t fussed about having boob for comfort.
Hope it works out for you

Good luck OP, please keep us updated!

@Bananacentral he's all about the business then! I think I'd prefer that in the long run if I'm honest, my auntie's babies who I mentioned earlier are heavily dependent on their mum for comfort. I don't think she gets a minute, she loves it but it would really grind me down after a while!

Thank you X

@Bananacentral he's all about the business then! I think I'd prefer that in the long run if I'm honest, my auntie's babies who I mentioned earlier are heavily dependent on their mum for comfort. I don't think she gets a minute, she loves it but it would really grind me down after a while!

Thank you X

This is so interesting to read OP! Wishing you all the best with your BF journey, whatever you decide works best for you.

I’m full of admiration for you. I’m feeding but the midwives helped me at the hospital and I have since not had huge difficulty. If it has been hard I do not know how much I would have been able to perservere. So well done for finding the energy (not easy!!) and trying. I hope things go well, but as was said before you are giving your child your love- this is the best gift.

Thanks to you both, it's so nice to hear people being supportive!

I know my mums going to find it odd. Not that she's against breastfeeding, she actually tried talking me into it whilst I was still pregnant, she'll just find the whole power pumping to get your supply back/up unusual!
She's coming on the little holiday too so she'll have to get her head around it sharpish haha.

I'm so glad it's going well for you @Bumblealong1. It's one less thing to worry about isn't it

Just give your mum the kellymom info - sounds like she’s supportive of breastfeeding and in reality that often (or, you know, always!) means being supportive when it’s not just a case of whack baby on boob and get on with things, so I think it’ll all be fine.

Make sure you drink lots of water too, it's amazing how thirsty you can get bf, and it'll really help with your supply. It's great that she's latching on for longer, keep going!

Wow! I'm so pleased for you that your milk is coming back. I echo the posts above about not getting disheartened if the pump doesn't work for you. It rarely got much out although my babies seemed very well fed from my breasts.

Mum came for a surprise visit so I told her my plans, she suggested I speak to my auntie too! I explained the process of what I need to do and she said she'd keep hold of DD when I need time to pump (whilst we're away).

She's screamed every time I've put her to the boob today and won't latch :(

Great that your mum’s on board. Don’t worry about the screaminess - could just be one of those days or could be that she’s having a growth spurt and is extra hungry. Keep going with expressing and don’t be discouraged.

Keep at it and try to feel calm. I am at exactly the opposite to you, trying my best to persuade my bf twins to accept soothers and bottles! (as well as bf, not instead). I reckon you're definitely going to win this.

How are you getting on @firsttimemamaa ?

The pump didn't come in time before I had to leave for our holiday, so not been able to do that. Our house sitter has said it's been delivered so I'm itching to get home now! Debating buying one here and returning the one I ordered.

Day 2 into the holiday and we've been doing as much skin to skin as I can. When I now put her to my boob she either grins at me or screams. If I put her dummy or my finger to her though she almost bites it off! Unsure on how I can resolve it. I've tried different positions, manipulating my boob to fit her mouth, hand expressing a couple drops then put her to boob & trying when she's in different moods throughout the day.

I'm getting a little more when I hand express now (both boobs). Still been trying the most with my most comfortable side though.

@villainousbroodmare did you make the decision to not give them originally or did they never accept them? It's so frustrating that they don't understand it will help haha. How old are your twins?

Hi Mamaa! My pair are nearly three mo. I've actually been giving or at least offering one bottle a day virtually every day since birth. The boy takes bottle or dummy without much fuss. The girl doesn't think much of either. I've decided to relax about it all though. I keep offering when they are in good form. I think that stuffing anything unfamiliar into the bawling mouth of a 'hangry' person is never going to be popular! We will all survive no matter what. We're moving house v close to my workplace, so I reckon that if Sadhbh stubbornly and totally refuses to ff, the nanny could just put them in the pram and come to my work for a quick feed.
Just keep trying but in a goodhumoured manner. They definitely absorb your tension.

It must be disheartening that they aren’t latching but you are doing fantastic and all the skin to skin will help.

Are you putting her nose by your nipple? You usually have to position their face lower than you would think as you would imagine you put their mouth by your nipple but you don’t.

Would you consider contacting a lactation consultant and book and appointment for when you get back from your holiday? A good LC may be able to just do something simple with the positioning to help her to latch. It sounds like you are doing everything right, sometimes you just need an expert to get you on the right track. Enjoy your holiday

villain well done feeding twins! I’m tanden feeding a 2 year old and 4 year old but twins is a different ball game!
My first had dummies and bottles but my 2nd and 3rd have never had either. It does work out so don’t stress if they won’t. I found it easier with the two that didn’t have the dummies and bottles than the one that did!

*she isn’t latching should say!

A little bit of a better day yesterday, she latched 3 times. Once for a few minutes and the other two times it was 30 seconds or so.

Bought a breast pump today (same one from boots but had to 10% off coupon) so will return the one from amazon when I'm home. I'll give it a go tonight!

Had a look for the pukka tea in the local supermarket and Holland & Barrat but no luck.

I've done the nose to nipple & it worked for those 3 times but then didn't work other times. I think where my implants are make it difficult to position myself & her. I tried tummy to tummy and football hold. I have more success with latching her as she's lay on her back then I'll slowly turn her towards me.

When I get home I'm definitely going to get some help from a lactation consultant, I think it'll help me loads!

Glad you had a better day, that’s great she’s actually latching. You could try feeding laying down, you need to position her further down than you would think as you are aiming for her to lift her chin right up. (A good way to picture it is as if you are really thirsty and lifting your head/chin up to drain a bottle of water-that’s the sort of position you want her in).
Other positions to try are laid back nursing/biological nursing and kangaroo hold.

That’s great you are looking to see a LC as they will be best to advise good positions for you with your implants and once they’ve seen you and your DD.

Good luck with your pump!

You're doing so so well! Pumping is great for stimulating supply if the baby isn't latching consistently and this will buy you more time to work on the latch. A LC is a great idea- mine was invaluable. I have a small implant in one boob (to correct some serious lop-sidedness) and it was trial and error a bit with that boob at first. The older she gets the easier it will be because you'll be less worried about supporting her as well as getting your boob in her mouth! Laidback breastfeeding really helped us-

www.biologicalnurturing.com/video/bn3clip.html

www.babycentre.co.uk/x25010335/what-is-laid-back-breastfeeding

Thanks for that laid back article, I've just tried it with her. But I held her in my arms with the breast out. I was making noises and talking to her making her smile and she started moving her mouth towards my nipple, she got her mouth around it but then it's as if she didn't know what to do next and got frustrated and started to cry.

I've tried lying her on my chest but she just falls asleep! I think because when she's fussy I put her there and she snuggles up and goes to sleep!

Been using the pump around every 4-5 hours, I know it should be more often but it's all I can manage for now. Drops have been coming out but it's REALLY painful. The few times she has latched & I've expressed it hasn't hurt at all. So maybe I'm not doing it right or the pump is rubbish.

Also my right breast (the one that leaked more/for longer) is going hard as a rock and gets quite painful - that's usually when I pump. I did hand express it this morning and it actually squirted rather than drips! How do you know if your engorged or have mastitis?

I've been pumping/hand expressing to make them a little softer then trying to latch. Not had any luck since my last post.

I read on KellyMom this morning to use nipple shields to help the transition. Thinking of trying that, what do you think?

Just read your thread and wanted to say you're doing amazingly well!!

The pump shouldn't be painful, maybe you're being a bit too enthusiastic? I watched YouTube videos to learn a good technique.

Are you breasts lumpy? If they are try to massage the lumps as you express to avoid a blockage and mastitis. (If you feel unwell, temperature etc then it likely is mastitis and youll need antibiotics.)

Do you have a la Leche league meeting near you? They're a much better support group (I found anyway) than the NHS groups that run. I'd say health visitors have limited knowledge on relactation.

Also nipple shields are definitely worth a try as she might St a stronger latch. They're much more similar to a bottle teat which she's used to.