Help losing will to keep b.feeding

[Simskdd]

I'm a mom to a 5week old girl. To cut a long story short my breastfeeding journey is yet again following same path.

With my son I had to top up from week 2 u til age one after breastfeeding. My supply was never enough for him. He had terrible tongue tie that had to be snipped 2x.

Now my daughter had her snip for tt last week. She too has to have top ups. I'm so upset this time as I was assured by feeding clinic that this wouldn't happen with their support.

I have pcos and when testing my prolactin levels I have been told they are excessive. By that logic I should have an oversupply. But I don't. Help from gp and consultant re hormones has been we don't know or specialize in breastfeeding.

Has anyone else had these problems. I honestly feel like giving up. It's just so disheartening when she doesn't want to latch on. It's also so disheartening knowing I'm not enough too.

Help!

That must be hard. I can only give you the obvious advice, put baby to the nipple as often as you can, try and keep them there after you think you are empty to stimulate supply, possibly pump in between to increase supply but really your baby is the best at that. Good luck.

Breast feeding is so very tough in the early days. What makes you think your supply is not enough?

I had to top up both of mine in the first few weeks then gradually dropped the top ups as supply increased
I bf first then topped up 30ml. They had to have a top up every 3 hours after a bf but if they cluster fed or want bf in between I just bf. I presume you’ve been given a feeding schedule from the hospital?
I did loads of skin to skin. Bf in the bath if you can because the warm relaxing water helps. Get someone to pass the baby.
The most important feeds are in the early hours of the morning. It’s hard with the tiredness. Get you dp to make you a hot drink and whatever else you want and just feed in the early hours.
Drink loads, whenever you feed baby eat and drink yourself. I thought I was drinking enough with my second but I really wasn’t.
Use plenty of nipple cream. There was a great article linked to on here about bf in Mongolia and basically whenever a baby murmurs there it’s mother feeds it and that’s really good advice.
Try different positions to feed in.
I thought feeding my second would be a doddle, I was still feeding my first when I was 6 months pregnant. It was really hard I’d forgotten how to feed a newborn, she had a rubbish latch and gave me cracked nipples but by 8 weeks we were doing well and by 12 we were pros again. You’re doing really well and you’re at the really hard stage.

There's a really good Facebook group called IGT Low supply support group. It's full of very knowledgable experienced women who have had problems with their supply, including hormonal problems like PCOS. There's a list of blood work to ask your doctor for, and a file with the optimal levels which are often different from what the 'normal' lab levels are. They have loads of files full of information on causes, diagnosis and treatment.

Hi thanks all, I'm doing my best to pump when I can but trying to take it easier. I think the stress is making things worse. I've been in touch with feeding clinic but not had much luck really recommened that I do what I'm currently already doing. Pumping after feeds, drinking water and skin to skin

There's quite a lot of information online about reducing top up feeds. This looks like a good one:

breastfeedingtwinsandtriplets.co.uk/2017/06/07/dropping-top-ups-gradually/

You could also ring the la Leche league or breastfeeding network support lines to ask their advice.

To be quite honest, I wouldn't worry about pumping. Just offer breastfeeds as often as you can and as your supply increases you'll be able to reduce bottle feeds. The only way you'll know if baby isn't getting enough is if the nappy output reduces or if he's not gaining weight. You can't measure breastmilk by pumping or timing feeds.

Here's the links to the phone lines

www.laleche.org.uk/call/

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/breastfeeding-support/