Restarting breastfeeding advice

[mn999]

Hi,

So i started breastfeeding my newborn but had issues due to latch. She had tongue tie release after a couple of weeks and I tried again. She didn’t seem to be getting much milk and j panicked about low supply and she wasn’t having wet nappies. She’s now one month and I pretty much moved over to formula apart from the off breastfeed which appeared more for comfort. A little milk comes out when I hand express. I am thinking about trying to breastfeed more (now exclusively) but worried it’s too late because I hadn’t established a supply over the first month. With my last baby last year I had an incredibly low supply too although I tried everything to boost it. Could it be that this is the same this time round too? I don’t really have time to pump with my 18 month old, and lots of times it’s just me and the kids so I thought bottle feeding would be easier at times. So this is just to boost my supply so I can combi feed more efficiently. At the moment I breastfeed for 20 minutes plus and she screams with hunger at the end still and has dry nappies still. Any advice welcome!

I built my supply with pumping. Here are the things that I personally think helped:

Spectra S2 pump. Portable. Pump as often as you possibly can and build supply

Keep track of output if you are going to store the milk, and push yourself for 5mL more each time

Sunflower lecithin one tablet every 6 hours - thins the milk, prevents blockages, makes it come easier

Brewers' yeast - 4 tablets every 6 hours
Fenugreek - 4 tablets every 6 hours (or just the brewers' yeast)

Get baby on the breast as much as possible

If you are still making some milk there's absolutely no reason you can't make enough to feed baby. This will be down to your determination. I hope the above helps.

I got my latch at 3.5 months and fed until 4.5 years.
I started with 50mL/day and got up to 950mL/day just before she latched on finally

Happy to help further

Hi OP, sorry to be negative, but I did all the things that the pp did (plus more), and had PLENTY of determination, and still never got back to feeding more than say 1/4 breast milk to 3/4 formula.

Having said that, when I finally adjusted my mindset to realise that it really didn't matter at all, I relaxed into enjoying the comfort feeding and not feeling bad about the formula.

DC is now 2 and still BFing (as well as drinking loads of cow's milk).

Please don't feel bad, whatever happens. A happy mum is sooooo much more important than whatever ml of breast milk you produce ❤️

I’m in a similar situation but not having much luck. From the advice I’ve received it will be hard to increase supply without more pumping but I just can’t find the time without destroying myself through lack of sleep or missing out on bonding with my baby by focusing on pumping. I have also been recommended to do breast compressions while feeding so baby gets more milk and to stimulate production. I was told up to 6 weeks or even 8 weeks is the crucial time to establish supply. I’m feel like I’m running out of time as we’re at almost 6 weeks but will just have to embrace the advantages of combination feeding.

@MinnieMouseclubhouse Did you continue pumping long term or just feed baby with your established supply? Did you also have to bottle feed after every breastfeed when baby was comfort feeding? I am just wondering what the future might look like if my supply doesn’t increase soon.

It's not too late! Have a look at the Lucy Ruddle book Relactation. She also has a FB support group.

And yes absolutely some is better than nothing. In fact Lucy wrote this great post yesterday

www.facebook.com/100064768834565/posts/436020995233525/

Not everyone can achieve full supply even if they do everything 'right' from birth. You might manage it if you can pump a lot as well as BF frequently but it's a pretty brutal regime, especially with a toddler to care for as well.
I never got above 50% supply (and, yes, having done all the things you're meant to!) but did BF to 3.5 years in the end so just maximising what you can manage might be most sensible option?

I found combi was more convenient anyway.

Oh, and I eventually settled at 3-4 BFs and 3-4 formula bottles a day, alternating type of feed. Until 12 weeks I did a formula top up after each BF before switching to alternating feeds.

@trrk I pumped/bfd and FF until about 10nmonths, and did exactly what you don't want to do I.e. destroyed myself with tiredness and missed out on bonding (it didn't help that she would only sleep in the pram so I was either pumping or walking 😴). During that time I went through phases of giving a bottle each time, plus phases of trying to only give a bottle a few times a day, but never really got into a rythm.

These days she gets a big bottle before nap/bedtime and BFs when she's tired/fallen over/getting over a tantrum.

Tbh it I could do it again I'm not sure what I'd do.. I really enjoy bfing now, but was it worth the affect on my MH (and physical health through tiredness)? Probably not.

(I tried the alternating feeds thing as that sounds ideal but it never really worked as DC just wasn't satisfied)

@MinnieMouseclubhouse Thanks for sharing your experience. It can be so tough can’t it! I set myself a deadline of the first vaccinations/8 weeks to decide whether to keep breastfeeding and I’m 50/50 on it at the moment. I’d love to be able to do the alternating feed thing too but my LO is always hungry after breastfeeding. Feel like I’m having to do double feeds at the moment (and triple if I bother with pumping)