Do I have to face facts?

[Suzi11]

That I can no longer breast feed?

My DS is 14 weeks old and had been BF since birth. To cut a long story short, about 3 weeks ago he started bobbing on and off my boob and was only feeding for 5 mins max before getting frustrated.

Eventually, after seeing lots of health professionals, he was found to have a urine infection. He'd dropped right down the weight centiles but everyone put the non feeding down to him being poorly. Previous to this diagnosis I had tried a few bottle of formula and expressed BM which he took a little of. Therefore, I was advised to continue trying BF but also bottle feeding to bring his weight back up. He was given antibiotics and after a week of taking them he is taking 6oz bottles, has put on 400gr and the infection has cleared up. However I cannot get him to breast feed at all. When he is hungry he'll nuzzle my boob but when I offer it he will not latch, seems uninterested and will scream if I keep pushing it. He will however take a bottle instead of either formula or expressed BM. I'm so sad to stop BF, I really loved the bond and I know my supply is drying up.

Has anyone every successfully got there LO to breast feed again after stopping due to illness etc.? Or do I have to face facts? I mean at the end of the day I just want him to be happy and healthy.

Hello I had to combination feed my son after blood loss during labour and then not producing enough breast milk (eventually after about 6 weeks my supply built up).

Initially I had to give him bottles (as he had lost to much weight) and he wouldn't latch again at all. At my last midwife appointment it was a lady I had never met before and she suggested nipple shields as the baby latches like a bottle.

It was amazing he took to it straight away and after my milk had built up I was able to exclusively breast feed but using nipple shields.

Hopefully your little one will be the same :)

Oh thank you just! Hadn't thought of nipple shields. Ordering now, fingers crossed they work.

Yes! DS has meningitis after birth and was unwell for a while. I was pumping on a hospital grade pump but they did give him bottles of formula in the hospital before my milk came in, in a desperate attempt to feed him as he was going to have to be tube fed imminently.
He established breastfeeding really well after this and I fed him to 14 months.

Hi there,
The best information I have seen about restarting breastfeeding I have seen from the La Leche League. They have a brilliant book called "The womanly art of breastfeeding" in which I think it is discussed.
I know it is possible to restart it but from what I have heard it can take a LOT of hard work. I would try and contact a lactation consultant and also your local La Leche League group.
The link below has some information for you on relactation, the kellymom website is a great resource for breastfeeding.
Also I was told by my lactation consultants that the best bottle to use for trying to encourage breastfeeding also is the Dr Browns bottle with narrow neck teat and to use a paced bottle feeding technique. There are lots of videos of this on youtube :)
Also I would recommend a good probiotic for infants as your LO has been on antibiotics. There are several good ones that come in a powder form. Generally the best ones are kept in the fridge but a good pharmacist should be able to help you out there :)
You could also try pumping to help improve or maintain supply. If you didn't want to spend a lot on an electric pump (I was recommended a good one by the neonatal department of our local hospital) then there is something called a Haaka pump which uses a vacuum and suction to bring out milk which are relatively very cheap. Although I think the electric pumps are supposed to be better. A good lactation consultant would be able to advise you best on this.
I hope it all goes well for you and resolves as quickly as possible :)

Oops forgot to link!
kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/relactation/

Just a quick response but would also recommend the Hakkaa breast pump. And also the probiotics, we used bio gacia baby ones (drops into milk once a day), and made a massive difference after my DS has issues after having antibiotics when little.