Restarting breast feeding- please help

[Emilyjane89]

i gave birth to my little girl on the 7th. I started out exclusively breast feeding but my mental health took a wee dip after the first night home cluster feeding. I stopped breast feeding on day 2 and went to formula I then ended up back in the maternity unit for 24 hours as my mental health dipped further. I was devastated that the milk I was making wasn’t going to her so the midwife got me pumping and giving her it by bottle. It’s now 24 hours since being home and I’m struggling with it. I miss breast feeding. I’m still producing milk from both breast but when pumping my supply dropped from 3oz from each brest to and 2oz from both together and I had to do a mixture of breast and formula feeds. I really want to breast feed her again. I’ve breast fed my other kids. I really enjoy it. Can I do it will my supply go back up. I did put her on the breast this morning and she latch absolutely fine but I’m not sure if there is enough milk for her. The other thing is my breasts have never felt full or engorged since given birth even during the point when I was producing 3oz on each side. I have experienced any of letdown sensation this time either.
Can I go back to exclusively breast feeding? Im worried I’m losing my milk supply and won’t be able to re establish breast feeding.

Edit to post….it meat to say I haven’t experienced any letdown sensation thirst time

Call the National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212

I'm sorry you've been struggling with your MH. You are doing such a good job. Ask your midwife for a referral to the infant feeding team.

There is no reason why you can't BF. Put her to the breast as much as you can. Have lots of skin to skin. Feed feed feed. Some mums don't feel letdowns with subsequent children.

If they want to start medication for your MH and say it's not compatible with BF, please check with The Breastfeeding Network as quite often doctors are wrong.

Have they referred you to the perinatal team?

I’m absolutely gutted I stopped in the first place. I actually dread making a feeding her formula milk I feel so guilty. I know formula is bad I have used it with previous kids…I did breast feed 2 of my kids but I was really young.

Formula isn't bad, don't think like that.

You have to do what is right for you.

We all know breastfeeding is best, but it's not always best for the mother if they are struggling.

Don't feel any pressure. Babies do well on both.

You can start BF again if that's what you want, you can exclusively BF, combi-feed or formula feed, nobody will judge you.

You need support in person, please reach out for it.

do you think my supply will go up. She had no problem this morning but I wasn’t sure she got enough.

yes I was referred to the team when I was in hospital. I have a meeting with a psychiatrist next Thursday. I’m going to try not going n any medication yet and dart out with talking therapy. I had a lot going on in life mixing in with pregnancy/baby hormones has knocked me. But the guilt of stopping breastfeeding has really hit me hard.

Formula is absolutely not bad. Breastmilk is just better from a nutritional point of view. Formula is perfectly adequate nutritionally. When you consider maternal mental health and the need for flexibility, support and sleep! then lots of mums find formula is actually the better choice for their family.
Don’t worry about needing to mix feed for a bit while your supply builds up again, or even stopping breastfeeding and switching to formula if your supply does recover or trying to increase your supply is taking too much out of you. Your baby will be happy as long as they are fed, loved, and looked after :)

Your breasts will never be empty. They work on a supply and demand basis, the more you put her to the breast to feed the more you will make.

If she was settled and content feeding this morning it sounds like she was getting plenty. If she is having plenty of wet and dirty nappies I wouldn't worry. Sounds like you are doing great.

Yes the more you put her on the more you'll make, I got my supply back up twice with dd after switching to
Mixed feeding to protect mental health

Hi,

It sounds like you've had a really stressful start but you're doing amazingly, either way your baby is fed!

It took me 7 weeks to breastfeed my baby and I did my best to keep my milk supply going by expressing until then. Once I was able to start breastfeeding then my supply overtime changed to keep up with her. It's early days but you will have enough milk for her and your supply is still getting established so keep going.

Can I suggest contacting la leche. They have a website and if you are on Facebook they have groups for different areas. You can post on the group and a leader (as well as other women in the group) will respond almost immediately. They will also tell you where the nearest drop in meeting is where you can get support face to face. They have really been such a big help to me. Or you can call their helpline or drop them an email.

www.laleche.org.uk/get-support/

Just seen my typo, I know it’s not bad and has everything in it to support her. I just want to give her what I’m making for her and have that bond

You can absolutely breast feed. Just get support from your local NCT group or Health visitor.
But please, don’t be so hard on yourself if you do need to give her formula.
It’s not bad just a different of getting your bed fed.

I never particularly felt a let down and I'm still breastfeeding my 20mo. Loads of skin to skin, feed on demand and leaning into the cluster feeding will help establish your supply.

It must be tough going from bottles to breast where you had that visual reassurance that she was getting enough but try not to worry about it, focus on if she's having plenty of wet and dirty nappies and putting on weight rather than other things like how long she feeds to guage how it's going.

Don't feel guilty for a second! I also wouldn't get too worried about your measurements (of how much milk you are producing). Just try your baby back on the boob, I was under the impression that the more the baby suckled, the more it stimulated your boobs to make the milk. Sounds like you are doing a good job xxx

it seams now that my left is producing more that my right. I pumped a couple of hours after having her in the breast this morning (first time in 3 days) and I got 2oz from the left but 20-50 ml from the right. Just had her on the breast again the now and I started with the right but I could tell she wasn’t getting much with her swallowing and fell asleep. I put her down and she woke up straight away looking for more milk so put her on the left which you hear and see her properly feeding. I’m worried that my supply may be drying up on the right.

My breasts have never really went overly hard or feeling full so I’m finding it difficult to tell if they are emptying or even feeling full. Previous breast feeding with my other kids I never had any issues with fullness or supply…..I could never get the boob in their mouth without covering them first lol.

How soon after trying to breast fed her should I express or should I just focus on exclusively breastfeeding the now? She normally feeds every 3 hours but at night she’s been sleeping longer. For the last 3 days she’s been on formula and breast milk.

Oh wow 7 weeks. It’s good to see from your experience that milk production went up once you started. Did it take long for the increase to go up?

it seams now that my left is producing more that my right. I pumped a couple of hours after having her in the breast this morning (first time in 3 days) and I got 2oz from the left but 20-50 ml from the right. Just had her on the breast again the now and I started with the right but I could tell she wasn’t getting much with her swallowing and fell asleep. I put her down and she woke up straight away looking for more milk so put her on the left which you hear and see her properly feeding and swallowing and she went to sleep content. I’m worried that my supply may be drying up on the right.

it seams now that my left is producing more that my right. I pumped a couple of hours after having her in the breast this morning (first time in 3 days) and I got 2oz from the left but 20-50 ml from the right. Just had her on the breast again the now and I started with the right but I could tell she wasn’t getting much with her swallowing and fell asleep. I put her down and she woke up straight away looking for more milk so put her on the left which you hear and see her properly feeding. I’m worried that my supply may be drying up on the right.

I relactated after stopping breastfeeding altogether for a few weeks, so it's definitely possible. I'd recommend doing the 'babymoon' thing where you have baby skin-to-skin pretty much all the time and allow them to nurse for as long or as often as you like to reestablish your supply. I actually took my baby to bed with me for a few days (I had a terrible bout of flu and felt too ill to get out of bed to make bottles, so I thought I'd just try offering the boob when DH wasn't on hand to make a feed and ended up starting breastfeeding again.) But you could try having baby skin-to-skin in a sling or something, I don't think there was anything magical about being in bed (although I suppose it made me relaxed 😆)

I wouldn't worry too much about one breast producing less milk. My left breast was always the 'good boob'- never got much out of the right. After a few months I only fed from the left and it seemed to be fine. I don't think I ever felt a let-down either but DS seemed plump enough so he must have been getting milk.

Good luck OP.

should I just focus on exclusively breastfeeding the now?

Yes!

Forget pumping - it's not representative of how much milk you are producing.

Put her to the breast as often as you can and especially at night between 1 & 3 am. This is the time when prolactin levels are highest so feeding then will really stimulate supply. (I'm not saying wake her up to do it, just that she'll probably need feeding around then, and make sure this is from the breast, rather than expressed or formula).

You are doing great - she will be your guide; if she's latching well, feeding & content, wet & dry nappies - all is good. All the same signs you had before.

However, I'm really sorry to hear your MH has suffered. Don't put b/f ahead of that - if you feel that b/f is adding to any issues, formula feeding is absolutely fine.

You are not letting your DD down - and you need to be well to care for her & your other DC.

Whatever happens is fine. Best of luck - & congratulations 👶🏻

Yes don't put breast feeding ahead of your mental health!

That said I managed to ditch formula top ups and get back to exclusive BF and you still have milk.

Definitely lots of skin to skin, and as much time on the boob as possible. I'd still keep up with the crap side. Lots of ladies have a crap one but my friend was entirely lopsided until she stopped nursing.

I used to have an amazing lactation cookie recipe which was brilliant for boosting supply. The link expired but there's plenty out there. I recall brewers yeast was an important ingredient (I found it in Holland and barratt) oats and maybe flax seed.

I believe fennel fenugreek can boost supply but sometimes lessen it.

Both mint tea and milk thistle are definitely bad for supply.

Do make sure your drinking plenty of water and eating regularly but also don't worry. Your body will do what it needs to and worrying about it won't help it do it.

Good luck OP