6 weeks in and still not feeding

[PeterTavyPiper]

Hello ladies, I'm new here and am finding some of the advice on this forum incredible! I wonder if anybody can help / advise with this problem.

My DD just turned 6 weeks today. She was a low-birth weight baby and we were kept in hospital for a week due to her weight, problems feeding and my late milk supply. We ended up having to feed formula with a tiny bit of EBM as she couldn't latch. I am rather big and she is tiny with a very small mouth. My supply as a consequence has never been brilliant (despite trying fenugreek) and even now we are still feeding half EBM and half formula (prescribed low birth weight stuff). She is gaining weight but not as quickly as we would like.

The main problems are my slow flow / supply and her issues with latching. We have tried skin-to-skin and biological nursing but I need to be able to physically put the breast / nipple into her mouth so some positions don't work. This past week she latched to me for the first time without a nipple shield (amazing and hopeful) and she always seems interested to start with. Since then she has fought me every time I try and gets very upset. I'm pretty sure it must be that she is frustrated by lack of milk as I know she can latch now. I'm getting concerned that we are running out of time as I've read supply will be established by 6 weeks. However, I've also read stories of babies 'getting it' as late as 4 months so I'm determined to keep trying.

Any stories of hope, suggestions to increase supply? When I express I can get anything from 40 to 120ml. Not great but it is something. I'm finding it hard and upsetting that she is so tearful at the breast. I'm also finding the constant expressing difficult - for little gain it seems - and over the past few days we have had more formula feeds than EBM so I'm scared we are fighting a losing battle.

Thanks ladies.
PTP
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[*Ali*]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Congratulations on breastfeeding this far.

Have you checked out our FAQs below relating to this topic?

Making breastfeeding work - delays in milk production
Relactation: I stopped nursing, but regret my decision. Can I start again?

The most important thing I think is to get some in real life help from a qualified lactation consultant. There is only so much anyone can do without seeing you feed so there really is no replacement for IRL help.

Have you considered a supplemental nursing system? If you can get her to latch on with that it will stimulate your body to produce milk whilst feeding her the formula or EBM through the tiny tube.

Have you tried pumping to let down first so the milk is there flowing when she latches on?

Have you looked into dangle nursing? (Where you kind of lean forward and dangle the breast over her so gravity helps the flow of milk). That position helps with slow flow.

Hugs. It must be so hard to want to breastfeed so much and not be able to do so as much as you would like.

[PeterTavyPiper]

Ali, thank you so much for your reply.

I actually hadn't even considered the SNS so thanks for that suggestion. This really might be an answer as she does latch on but just gets incredibly frustrated when there is nothing much there. I've tried pumping just before a feed, as you say, and she goes for it but then either pulls away or falls asleep!

Dangle nursing was the way I got her to attach in the first place. It's not the most comfortable but I'll do anything to get this to work.

I'm going to push for a visit from the local breast feeding consultant - they've been a bit slow to come to my aid to be honest but I need help before I give up in despair.

Thanks again so much for your ideas. Much appreciated.
PTP
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[*Ali*]

I hope you get some irl help soon.  It really can make all the difference. Well done for persevering.  Good luck and let us know how it goes