Milk help

[Millypad]

I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl two nights ago and immediately put her on the breast to feed, as I did multiple times through the first night and the following day. Despite lots of help with midwives helping, Daisy can latch fine but never sucks beyond four or five sucks before falling asleep or giving up. I’ve been putting her on the boob every two hours to try and get her to learn and she’ll have several sucks of colostrum and then stops. After a day of taking in barely anything and getting sleepy and sluggish, one midwife suggested that we keep trying, top up with formula and self-express to try and make sure my milk comes in. Since having the formula she’s been a lot more ‘with it’ and active, and has more energy to try and take the breast, even though it’s not worked majorly yet. I’m only planning on this until milk comes through, but some of the comments have from other midwives and advice leaflets have been really damning and upsetting. Am I wrong to just want to see my baby fed at this stage? Some advice was just to ‘keep going’ which is all very well and good but if she hasn’t taken anything in eight hours, how does that help matters? My nipples are also so cracked and sore now from all the self expressing or feed attempts and I’m worried my milk won’t come in... it’s all so overwhelming! Has anyone else struggled with this?

I know exactly how you feel, my milk didn't come in until the fifth day after my son was born and he too was getting just the barest colostrum from me. We also topped him up with formula and had the same issues with advice from midwives etc. When my milk came in, my son turned his nose up at formula, he much preferred my milk, had no issues latching even though we'd been warned that once he had had the bottle he wouldn't go back to breast. I was firmly of the view that him being fed was the most important thing, I don't regret topping him up until my milk came in. Congratulations on your baby girl!

I went through this too although DS was mostly getting enough I was so scared. My milk came by the bucket load on day 3 so I imagine yours will be here soon but I also get you wanting to use some formula. DS had a couple of bottles before my milk came in and I'm still BF 2 years later! 

Good luck with it

I did the same as you. Gave a few small bottles to keep baby fed and kept trying to breastfeed as much as I could. I also expressed in to a cup and fed her that with a syringe (no needle). My milk came in on day 3 I think. I'm still breastfeeding 8 months later so it didn't effect my supply.

Im breastfeeding, expressing so my DP can feed her whilst I nap and also topping up with formula in a morning. My baby takes the breast but sometimes gets frustrated or falls asleep like yours and so it's easier to top up with the bottle to ensure she's getting fed. Shes just over 2 weeks old now and since topping up with formula shes been a much happier baby. I felt guilty at first but I'm feeling much more sane for it so don't let anyone make you feel like crap for how you choose to feed your baby. Breastmilk is great but fed is best

Are you in pain when feeding? Just wondering if it could be tongue tie and if there is an infant feeding specialist at your hospital? I wouldn't bother asking midwife as they're not trained to spot it but if things don't improve after your milk comes in and you would rather bf than ff then do find a local lactation consultant and have her assessed. I've had two babies with tongue tie and mine used to constantly fall asleep while feeding as it was such hard work for them and then they woke up starving and the cycle continued. Add in bleeding nipples and it was a barrel of laughs! On the other hand her stomach is so tiny perhaps that's all she needs plus they're designed to live off the fat on the back of heir next during the first few days while waiting for milk to come in...apparently! X