Lost with breastfeeding :(

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Hi everyone,

Hoping someone can help me.

My baby boy is 12 days old. When he was born he wouldnt latch properly & I struggled breastfeeding...as a result when i have sorted the latch my milk hasnt come in 'properly'. Ive discussed it with my midwife as in the first week he lost alot of weight...

She has advised me to express on each boob for 15 minutes after every feed...which I have been doing for nearly a week..its made some difference but only small..instead of expressing 1oz im now doing 2oz...not enough to keep a baby alive. Baby has put weight back on which is a good sign but he is still only pooing once a day.

So im breastfeeding & then topping him up with the express stuff. Its like there is only enough milk in my boobs in the morning...I can literally hearing him gulping it down. Then as the day goes on...I just cant settle him as he just seems really really hungry & upset.

Im considering putting him on formula maybe once or twice a day?

Has anyone got any experience with this? I'm really desperate. I feel so sorry for my baby and along with being a new mum and all the emotions that come with it im feeling really down in the dumps :(

Hi, have you talked to your midwife again recently? They should be able to offer more advice etc in regards to the feeding and the formula. You can also call the national breastfeeding helpline, on 0300 100 0212 (they are open 9:30am-9:30pm daily) who will be able to offer advice. All the best and congratulations on your son!

Your baby can get more out than a breast pump, so dont think 2oz is all youre making plus baby has just fed! Bf babies clusterfeed to increase your supply for growth spurts, etc, even more so in evening and through the night. What seems like fussing could just be this. Put baby to breast as often as you can, rouse baby by stroking cheeks or rubbing feet if they get sleepy. May be worth calling a bf helpline too.

On the other side of the coin - I had exactly this except a little earlier on (maybe 6 days old) and after a difficult birth and hospital stay due to sepsis.

I switched to formula and was instantly happier. So was my son. I dont know if thats the kind of thing you want to hear, but its just a different perspective.

How often is he feeding? At 12 days you might find you need to feed vv often as your baby increases your milk supply... my DD used to feed every 2 hours and continuously in the evening from about 4-8pm at that age. It's really tough but it doesn't go on for long! Hunker down on the settee, get some snacks and a good box set and feed feed feed.

Congratulations on your baby!

Sorry you're struggling at the moment. I agree with Llamapolice, get on that sofa and feed and pump as much as possible.

My DD is 5 months old now and for the first three weeks I felt like I was chained to the pump. It was super stressful and that didn't help, either. I used formula once or twice a day as a top-up. Don't underestimate the power of being relaxed when feeding or pumping - now I look at a pic or video of DD and milk sprays from my boob.

Can you book a session with a lactation consultant? That really, really helped me. Once she was there weeks old everything changed and feeding became a lot easier. I haven't used formula since.

Good luck!

I second the lactation consultant advice. That really helped me too. And you could contact the national breastfeeding line and la leche league. Also Google breast compressions as they helped too. Good luck, it's not easy but it is possible. Also nothing wrong with combination feeding of that's what you decide - just keep formula the same time each day and not for a night feed as that'll diminish your supply xx

You've done really well so far 🙂 like others have said, if you find a lactation consultant or at least get in touch with your local la leche league group, do that first. Midwives can be fab but often aren't trained in breastfeeding support in the way that an expert would be. Have a look at the milk meg page on Facebook too, she's often posted about this issue.

In addition, go back to basics. Spend lots of time doing skin to skin with baby - in bed or cuddle up on the sofa. Leave the washing up and the hoovering, get a good boxset and leave your top off! Make sure you're drinking and eating lots too. X

It's such a minefield. I have breastfed 4 and in the beginning even with the 4th it can be really hard and you feel like you aren't making enough but your body will keep making more the longer baby feeds. Some things I picked up on the way is keep hydrated! Drink as much water as you can. Breastfeeding can dehydrate you. If baby wants to feed every half hour that is totally normal. The more they feed the more they increase your supply. 1 poo a day is ok as long as baby isn't constipated. Os he having plenty of wet nappies?
If you can then just plonk yourself on the sofa for a day, binge watch some TV. Lots of cuddles and let baby feed as often as he likes. It will soon settle down.
My mum breastfed all 6 of us and the best advice she gave me when I was crying in pain and convinced i was starving the baby, give it 6 weeks. If by then it still isn't working for you then you have given them the best start.

Don't forget babys tummy is still really tiny so it doesn't take a huge amount to fill them up. If he is putting on weight now it's going well. As he has growth spurts he will cluster feed. It is the natural way to boost your supply.

Sorry that's a bit jumbled. Hope it helps.😊

Congratulation on your baby! I really struggled for the first 6 to 8 weeks with breastfeeding. like you i fwlt my milk ran out as the day wore on. I topped up with formula in the evening but I always offered boob first, as if I swapped a bf with a bottle supply would diminish. After 8 weeks we said good bye to bottles as my milk came in good and proper and I am still breastfeeding 11 months later. I found the blog from this lady really positive and helpful, it got me through the difficult first weeks
www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com
Also, I could never get a lot of milk when pumping - but I knew there was enough as baby was putting weight on well (and I had a hell of cleavage) 😂
You are doing great op- just do what feels right for you and it does get easier. (I could have killed anyone who said this when I was in the middle of cluster feeding hell, but it did get better!)

I can also recommend Fenugreek tablets. They worked like a miracle for me, I was FTM worried for milk and this made all the difference.

I just wanted to thank everyone on this post for your help. It really helped to understand my baby was cluster feeding and wasnt starving at all!

Have now been successfully breastfeeding for 4 weeks :)

Well done OP!! 🙂

Great news, well done op!

Brilliant news, well done OP & many congrats on your baby

That's fab op, it's always nice to hear a success story :)

That’s wonderful news. I was just coming down to type that your baby was probably just being a normal baby!

There really needs to be more information about clusterfeeding. I had never heard of it before I had my daughter (and I did NCT, including a dedicated session on feeding..!) It’s so easy to think your baby isn’t getting enough milk when it’s not true.

I hope your update provides comfort to other new mums in the same situation. Congratulations and enjoy! xx