Since DS#2 was 2 months or so he has been an extremely fussy nurser. I think he expects a let down pretty much the second he latches. Over time he is becoming worse, where he won't even really eat like 2 feedings a day as he gets so upset. I have done compressions, pumped a little before, different nursing positions, etc. and nothing really helps enough to make him eat a good feeding. He started out as a bigger baby (8 lb 9 oz at birth) and was above 90th for weight at 2 weeks. Then he went down to 25th percentile at 2 months and has dropped a few percentiles each month. We are now at 8th percentile at 7 months and have just put him on generic Zantac for reflux which I suspected wasn't helping our issue all along but was hoping he would have grown out of at this point. (He also has milk and soy protein intolerances but I have c cut those both out of my diet for months now, this was more for a poop issue and didn't seem to help with nursing).
I usually nurse him around 6:45/7, 10:30/11, 2/3, 6 and 1 nighttime feeding (though 2 lately but he doesn't really eat at 1 of them just fusses). So usually 5 feedings a day. I have them spaced out that far because if I am not "full" enough, there is no chance he will eat so he has been on 3.5-4 hour spaced feedings for months now and probably needs them closer.
As of a month ago he will FINALLY take a bottle. When he sees a bottle, his face lights up and he downs it so quickly. I think he just doesn't like nursing as he doesn't have the patience but is really happy with a bottle.
I am a SAHM with a 2.5 year old as well. So I am thinking of going the exclusive pumping route to save us all stress as I get upset when he won't nurse and he obviously gets upset and won't eat. However, I have to be realistic with having 2 young kids. I am willing to do a formula bottle or 2 a day just so I can make it to giving him some BM for a full year.
Does my proposed pumping and feeding schedule seem silly?
Give him 5 bottles a day - 7 oz each
Pump at 6:30 AM, noon, 6:30 PM --- probably only enough for 3 bottles but not sure so 2 formula bottles/day (one in middle of the night)
Do you think I will totally loose my supply? I just went on Motherlove More Milk Plus yesterday to see if it would help my let down.
This is ALL new to me and I have pumped her or there but never very much since I am a SAHM. DS #1 loved to eat (like 8-10 time a day at 1 year old!) and was a patient nurser. I nursed him for 18 months and only stopped because I was a few months pregnant with DS #2 and nursing was a little uncomfortable plus I did not want to tandem nurse when the next baby came.
Thank you!
Sorry so long!