Relactation

[BeHereNowx32]

Hi.
I have been combination feeding my baby since they were 3 days old.
Around 4 weeks ago, when DD was 12 weeks old, she started to refuse the breast during the day. I found this really stressful, and would just give her a bottle. I still breastfed her at night, and was happy with this. Unfortunately, my supply obviously dropped, and now DD will not latch on at all.

I did try to pump at first, but it took me two days to collect 5oz. I feel like I struggle for time to pump. But I now regret letting my supply drop. It must be pretty much non existent, but there is definitely still a tiny bit there.

Does anyone have experiences of building supply back up again? Will I manage through pumping? I really worry I will find it stressful, but thought I would ask.

Hi OP I had to reply to this as I was you six months ago.
Yes it is totally possible to build up supply but you must be really disciplined with the pump. So, aim for six times a day, for 20 minutes. If you can't manage six times then the absolute key times you must pump are - I'm afraid - AT NIGHT. So, pump before going to bed, pump after baby woken for night feed. I don't miss pumping at 4am - it is depressing - but the good news is that it will only be for a week or so.

Don't worry about how much you're getting you'll never get as much as your baby can get out - the key thing with pumping is that you are stimulating your milk supply.

Then eventually bring in more breastfeeds - the lactation consultant I saw said that a good time to pump was directly after each breastfeed as that stimulates more milk.

Hope that helps. Good luck it is possible! With combination feeding either the formula or the breastfeeding need to be on a strict schedule. So, once my supply built up, I gave a bottle of formula at 9am, 1pm and 6pm and breastfed all other times. You could do it the other way around but ideally the formula is on a schedule rather than the breastfeeding.

Hi OP

You will have trouble building a supply back up if your baby won't latch and suck.

Don't think that because it took you a few days to get 5 oz out that that represents what you're producing.

Will your baby go on the breast at all? Have you tried first thing in the morning when she's most hungry and alert?

What happens if you don't give her a bottle and try to nurse her? Does she go mental?

Try to get her latched. Keep trying. It is really difficult to go back to breastfeeding when the baby won't nurse. Pumping at night is very important as the hormone which increases supply is produced far more during the night.

Can you get the advice of a lactation consultant? That would be a really good idea. I hope you succeed.

Do you want to feed her from the breast? If you do, can you see a bf counsellor one on one, even privately? In my own experience, pumping is hard and thankless and I found feeding from the breast to be much easier and more efficient, but it can take time and focus.

I completely missed these replies, and actually forgot I started the thread! Things didn’t work out with breastfeeding and baby is now formula fed.
Thanks anyway, if you even see this! I wasn’t being rude.