Newborn Feeding issues - Help!

[Jodi2325]

My newborn is 3 weeks old and I am getting really depressed due to inability to settle and soothe my baby. I started breastfeeding but then had to top up with formula due to weight issues. I therefore decided to stick to combi feeding after speaking to midwife and started to give my baby two full bottle feeds. Unfortunately, from 2 weeks, my baby has started to have severe pain following the formula bottles that lasts a good 20-30 minutes. Solely breastfeeding doesn't seem to be an option now as I can't keep up with how hungry my baby is. My milk supply just doesn't seem to be good enough to sustain her in day, but surprisingly it does get her through the night. I have spoken to GP midwives and HV and despite following their advice, I am struggling. My baby is on corelief and we have decided to switch to comfort milk out of desperation. My baby hardly sleeps and cries most of the time. She never seems to be content. Has anyone else experienced this? Unsure what to do for best and mentally I am hitting a wall due to exhaustion. I am thinking of possibly stopping the breast feeding due to fact it isn't sustaining her but the thought of her having more formula bottles and this pain is soul destroying and making me hesitant. I have tried pumping and expressing but hardly anything comes out. Thanks

That sounds like such a difficult situation.

When your LO had the initial weight loss, can you remember the percentage? Did anyone mention the possibility of tongue tie?

She possibly is reacting to the dairy in the formula. Ask your GP for advice

I wouldn't beat yourself up about how you feed your baby, BF is the ideal but it doesn't work out for everyone for all sorts of reasons. It does sound like she could have a touch of reflux (silent reflux if she doesn't throw up a lot). Typical signs of this are arching back in pain, non-stop crying and vomiting milk back up again. Its a really shitty time for parents and babies but is very common and treatable (we used gaviscon in the end which worked wonders but the GP can also prescribe medicine if nothing works). What we used to do was feed smaller amounts but more often (formula fed), burped after every meal even if it took 45 minutes or more, elevated her sleeping area with a book and kept her upright for at least 20 minutes after each feed. Don't go buying these anti reflux bottled and special anti reflux formula - total waste of money. You may want to also look into intolerances and your GP should be able to advise on the best formula. I hope this helps somewhat!

The percentage was 8.6%. We got discharged before she started having issues with her stomach. All they keep saying is that it is normal. GP has said it will be her developing digestive system and didn't much help. I am not convinced that is the case though as I know plenty of parents who have formula fed babies from start and never had these issues. Similarly with Combi feeding, I know my supply is likely to have been affected by this but i don't think it's cause of her pain. My thought was to try her on this comfort milk for a week or so and see if it makes a difference and then get back in touch with GP if not. Just really difficult to keep seeing my baby in so much discomfort and getting response it's normal, ride it out.

Also I was told she wasn't tongue tied as I asked when born. Thanks

Agree that it could also be the protein in the milk. Have a read of this article from Allergy UK as well as the previous link. Both have similar symptoms so it can just be a case of ruling each one out.

She is never sick but is definitely windy so unsure if reflux. Possibly colic?

It's really frustrating to be told its normal (if it's reflux). We felt totally helpless and before we knew it was reflux we needed up in A&E with DD thinking something terrible was happening to her! Eventually they grow out of it as their body develops but do keep pushing your GP for help if you feel its getting worse because there are things that can be done and prescribed, they just don't want to tell parents that straight away.

I'm sure more knowledgeable people will be along regarding whether this could be reflux or cmpa.

But perhaps you could try skipping the formula bottles, if you're convinced they're causing her issues. If you put her to the breast every time she fusses, your breasts will get the message and up the supply. The kellymom website used to be full of useful information.

If you want to go to more formula then try a different one. My Dd was better off cow & gate but it didn't suit ds who was better on aptamil. They also got on better with different bottles.

Sorry, crossed posts. It could be silent reflux (no vomit but the feeling of burning in the oesophagus is there which causes the discomfort for them). Try the little tricks I've mentioned but do also explore dietary avenues too. You will get there, its just a lot of trial and error.

I know how hard this is, and how stressful and upsetting it is to have this tiny person who cries and who you feel is not satisfied. My first was just like this (he's now a strapping 12 year old - taller than me already!!).

If you do want to carry on BF - and you don't have to not should you feel under pressure to - I'd recommend calling the NCT breastfeeding helpline or finding a lactation consultant for support. In the meantime, it might help to know that the more you bf the more milk you will make. It's supply and demand situation. It is entirely normal for a 3 week old to feed hourly - it's not necessarily because you don't have enough milk (and pumping is not a reliable way to know how much you have). At 3 weeks old her tummy is still absolutely tiny - it can probably hold little more than 20 to 30 ml of milk at at time.

Please be kind to yourself. You are doing a great job. Neither of you (you or her) have done this before.

Have you tried a hakka to get extra milk? You just hook it onto the other side whilst the lo is feeding and thst can stimulate additional supply. Expressing, especially this early is difficult and its a learnt skill, I remember thinking it should just come out 😂. You need to do quick pumps until the milk starts to flow then long pumps to get the most of the let down then rinse and repeat and can be easier with a manual in the early days.

On the formula route you could try and mix 50/50 with formula vs espressed to try and get your LO used to the formula?

Also, as others noted, it's totally normal for small humans to want to feed 24/7 as it stimulates your supply.

At this point you could probably up your breast milk supply to fully feed her. You'd just have to feed loads and expect some grizzling for a few days. I'm only suggesting this if she's okay with breastmilk but not formula. I combi fed but by a couple of months we pretty much stopped the bottles because once breast feeding was established it was easier than formula. I could never express anything so don't pay much attention to that. Good luck with it.

If you do decide to go for fully BFing, I'd do it with the support of a BFC. Give one of the BFing Helplines a call, they should be able to support you.

Thanks everyone. This has been very helpful.