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Offline mydennis

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It's getting frustrating
« on: January 03, 2006, 16:24:12 pm »
Ok, My daughter is 10 weeks old, and a great baby.  She sleeps through the night and has been since home from the hospital.  She only cries when she is hungry or tired.  I always planned on breastfeeding and was delighted when my milk came in with a vengeance in the hospital.  Bf was going fine until we had to move house when she was 2 1/2 weeks old.  It was taking her ages to gain back her birth weight.  The midwife told me I could give her a top up of formula in the evenings when my mild supply really seemed to lessen.  I did this after a feed or two and would pump just after because I was worried that it would lessen my milk supply.  I was constintly feeding her and pumping, and my supply still seemed so small.  I live in Ireland and my family is in the states.  We spent the holidays there and I just stopped pumping all together.  I was topping her up with formula after each feed, but she was thriving so it didn't bother me too much.  We're back home now since Sunday and now my let down is so slow. grrrr  :evil: I had my dd out for a walk today and slipped into a cafe to feed her.  The let down was taking too long and she was crying at my breast so I caved in and gave her a full feed of formula  :(   Any tips out there???  I want to have a life too, I don't want to spend my entire days feeding and pumping, someone still needs to do laundry and clean.  Mary
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Offline First Time Mom

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It's getting frustrating
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2006, 17:04:59 pm »
You may have to take her off the bottle if you want to BF. My supply came in slow (had a C-section) and once it did- was never heavy (not even drips) but I kept my lo on and was persistent. In the first 2 weeks I would top her up with formula but I used a small cup instead of a bottle. In week 4 and 5 I felt my supply was low in the evenings so I would give her a bottle to top up and I found she started to fuss at the breast because the let down is slow (bottle is no work for her!). I find sometimes she gets frustrated at the slow let down and will start crying but I just persist and keep bringing her to the breast, eventually she takes it. She's now 7 weeks and I rarely give her the bottle so she's much better at BF.

You didn't mention how long you waited until giving her the bottle (in the cafe), I would suggest you don't cave in with the bottle, if she's hungry she will learn she must take her meal from the breast and suck to bring on the milk. It is LOTS of work and does take a big part of your day so you do have to decide if it's what you really want. Look at your reasons for wanting to BF and remember that formula is all good stuff. There is a heavy push for BF now from everyone but you have to do what's right for you, baby will NOT suffer from not BF!
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Offline LindseysMom

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It's getting frustrating
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2006, 17:12:52 pm »
Hello.  I know how you feel as I have been there.  The best thing you can do is to quit pumping, quit giving any top off formula, and feed your baby as often as she wants to for a couple days.  The formula is decreasing your milk supply because any thing that she drinks that is not from you is telling your body that it does not need to make milk for her.  Even if she wants to nurse every hour for a couple days it is ok.  It will take a couple days to increase your supply.  Just plan a couple days where you and she can stay on the couch or in bed and nurse, nurse, nurse to her little hearts content.  And if she still seems fussy after she feeds then put her back on your breast and let her suckle you, not a bottle of formula.  If you are not offering both sides at each feed I highly recommend that you begin doing so, it really does help stimulate your milk supply.  Also, it is normal to feel less full at night or on the evening.  The less full your breasts are means the higher fat content of milk you have is which makes sense for the night time to hold babies longer.  Please look at http://www.kellymom.com for some really helpful info about breastfeeding.  Hang in there, you can do this.  :)
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Lynne
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annamum

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It's getting frustrating
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2006, 22:46:37 pm »
Great advice already, I wanted to add only that you should keep drinking a lot of water to be well hydrated. I found out that not sufficient amount of liquids can make my let down very slow and if I drink enough water I don't have that problem.
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Offline 15milner

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It's getting frustrating
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2006, 23:10:34 pm »
i just want to add that you are headed for a growth spurt soon, they are designed to increase your supply.

I agree with feed, feed, feed as an alternative to pumping (i never really got on with that) and the formula.

I was always told that even if a baby takes a full bottle of formula after a feed, it is not an indication that the baby was not satisfied, it was a natural sucking reflex.  Others may suggest pumping an seeing how much you pump - it is not a true indication of your supply, a baby is able to suck so much more that you could pump, they are so efficient.  I was never able to pump more that 1oz EVER.

Make sure you are drinking enough, rest when she is resting and eating enough.  I know you are worried about the housework / laundry, but you need to put milk first.

Last thing - I was never really aware of my letdown after a while.  just because you can't feel it anymore, may be more of an indication that you are adjusting to bf and not a dwindling supply.

I have said much more that I thought I would.

Hope I have made sense.

alex
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