get let-down before latch on?

[lwwho]

Hi. This will sound silly but I just need some reassurance that what I'm doing is ok. My 7mth old got nipple confused after introducing the bottle and will not wait even 5 sec for a letdown. I finally managed to coax her back to the breast (and that's only during the night) by stimulating a let-down before latching her on so that she gets her milk pronto! I've been doing this for the past 2 months and I sometimes feel so dumb that I have to bring on a letdown when it's supposed to happen naturally. Every BF resource I've read says that the baby sucking is the best stimulus for a letdown. I have not dared to try to put her to the breast and see coz I am sure that I will have performance anxiety and the letdown will not come. Even stimulating the letdown is a stressful thing for me cos she will start to fuss whilst waiting.... sometimes, I have to resort to giving her a bottle. Sigh. Does anyone else in the world have to do what I do just so they can direct feed?

[Carter'sMama]

I am sorry that you are having to deal with that in the middle of the night    Starting at about 11 months my guy was getting fussy because the milk wouldn't let down fast enough as he was used to his afternoon baottle being so quick.  It is very frustrating!!  I just kept putting him back on and telling him over and over "Don't worry, it's coming".  He seems ok now with it though. 

I think you just need to try and relax!  Ya right eh?!!  I remember when I used to pump before Carter would get up in the mornings when he was an infant.  If he would strat to cry while I was pumping or before I was even able to start I would have a breakdown ... totally stress out because he was crying and then it would take forever to pump.  I started to dread every morning until he got a little older and I realized that he wasn't starving and everything WOULD be ok if I took a few minutes to pump milk that he needed for the rest of the day.   I made myself take deep breaths, shut the monitor off (unless he was frantically screaming the house down of course) and relax!

It also helped alot if DH was around to entertain him!   Could your DH get your DD out of bed for a feed while you are getting yourself prepared so that by the time she gets to you, you are already relaxed and ready to go?  Don't feel dumb for having to stimulate let down on your own.    Women do many many things to ensure their baby is getting breats milk    If doing that is what helps you right now then by all means go ahead and do it!  In the meantime just try and work on relaxing during feeds.  Look .. you've already raised a beautiful healthy strong 7 month old!!!  You are definitely doing something right!!!! 

HTH