Anyone dissapointed with their breast feeding experience??

So Sam is 3 and 1/2 weeks old and I have been brestfeeding him, I have loads of milk and he latches well but his sucking is a bit half hearted at times. He had low glucose levels when he was born and was tube fed formula in the NICU against my wishes in order to raise his glucose levels qiuckly. I was given instructions to breast feed him every three hours but he just isn't interested in feeding that often, more like 3 1/2 to 4 hours. To my dismay at his three week check up he hadn't regained his birth weight and again I was told I have to feed him every three hours but he just won't, he just messes around at the breast for 3/4 of an hour or so then finally has a good 25 minutes of sucking, so the whole process can take over an hour. I have resorted to giving him the odd bottle of expressed milk and he takes 4oz at a time (I can pump 8oz in 10 minutes with my double pump so supply is obviously not a problem). I am seriously considering exclusivley pumping and bottle feeding the expressed milk as with 10 minutes to express and 10-15 minutes to feed it is much quicker than trying to breast feed even with the washing up! I also have a son coming up for three who has special needs and since the baby was born I haven't had any time to spend with him; my mother and father in law have been looking after him but they leave in a week and a half and I just don't know how I will cope breastfeeding and taking care of him too. I had built brestfeeding up to be such a wonderful experience after failing with my first and it has turned out to be a chore rather than a pleasurable experience

[mum2beagain]

cont...

Is it such a bad thing to feed expressed milk, they still get the benefits of mommy's milk and I get to keep my sanity right?!

Sorry for such a long post, I have been on my own all day whilst the family have been on a day trip and I just needed to vent.

[amy524]

I pumped all of my milk my DD took it in a bottle 99% of the time!    It just worked better for me that way.  For both of us actually...she has acid reflux and I didn't get a diagnosis for 4 months.  She would scream and cry and arch her back while nursing but seemed to do better with a bottle.  It was just less stressful for everyone.  I don't fault you at all for feeling the way you do and I APPLAUD you for wanting to stick with pumping.  It is more of a hassle but worth the benefits.  The IMPORTANT thing is that she is getting your breastmilk.  You can still snuggle while giving a bottle.

Good luck and you're a great mommy!
Amy

[Me2mommy2b]

I agree with Amy.  She's still getting your breast milk and it doesn't matter if it's expressed or straight from the breast.  My DD was also a very slow eater and she wouldn't want to nurse often (which my ped made me believe that it's not good) but I always fed on demand and never looked at the clock.  There were times when she could go without eating for 4-5 hours.  She was fine and did start gaining weight.

[ImmortalOne]

Take your time, sometimes the problem can be the nipples of the bottles confusing the nipples on the breast.  If you cannot feed him ever 3 hours (and to be honest, making him eat is really unreasonable), then feed him when he is hungry.  Express your milk and store it for him, it is not wrong and I totally applaud you for trying to keep him on breast-milk.

I had issues with both of my girls and feeding them, I ran out of milk by the time they were 2-4 months old.  I want to breastfeed this baby but I'm hoping to not have the same problems.

[mum2beagain]

Thanks ladies, I have also worked with a lactation consultant from the start as I was so determined to get it right this time; she has encouraged me to keep going with the breast feeding as and when he wants to feed until the next checkup and see what his weight gain is then, he may just be a slow starter; he was three weeks early so maybe he just needs a little longer to get in the groove of things! Hey if it doesn't work bottles aren't the root of all evil are they! My first son had expressed milk for 12 weeks and then went onto formula and he did perfectly well. Thanks again for your encouragement, we will see what happens at his checkup on Tuesday.

[Me2mommy2b]

My DD was also born three weeks early and she was tiny!! (5.7 lbs).  How many pounds was your baby at birth?

[mum2beagain]

He was 8lb 10oz, he was huge! My first son was born 8 weeks early and was 4lb 13oz too, I am clearly destined to have big babies even though I am only 5ft myself. My husbands brother is 6ft 7in so it is obviously from his side of the family!

[milkmommy]

get a sling for Sam and carry him in it as much of that day as you can. Keep him a little higher up next to your breasts. Wear a tank top if you can and no bra so that feeding him is easy. You'll be amazed at how much more you can get done with him in a sling and bfing will be a breeze.

Try to keep him on the breast rather than give him a bottle. Giving him a bottle may make him not want to work at getting it from the breast. You can even hand express some into his mouth to get him interested.

it can take a few weeks or longer to get bfing established but it's worth it.

[twinsmommy]

If you're baby is not gaining enough weight, go with the pumping. I did the same with a NICU baby. In the hospital I had to try and breastfeed for 30 min after which we would weigh him and he only got 4 to 8ml. Then he started to desat because he was so tired. But even when he was so tired he could still take 35ml by bottle. So I understand your frustration completely. Go with what works best for you.

[RockRose]

It sounds from your description that he has "poor suck" rather than low appetite.  Twenty five minutes of concentrated sucking is a LOT,  and he's not getting much milk although you obviously have enough.

If he's not back up to birth weight at three weeks,  you really need to do whatever it takes to get him back up,  and it sounds like he really just can't suck well enough to get enough nutrition from your breasts.

Go with the bottle - he'll be happier,  you will too.  

Best wishes.

[AnnieBrooke]

If your baby drinks a little and then looks around or goes to sleep and then drinks a little again (all the while staying latched on), i.e., if he is what my sister calls a "nipper napper," try waking him up by tickling him under the arm when he goofs off.  The lactation guru who told me that trick also says use a damp washcloth under the arm to wake him up.  Not only does the baby wake up on the tickle, but he wakes up sucking.  The other idea is to have the baby be a little cold -- not feeding him while he is swaddled up, but just in a t-shirt and diaper or even just a diaper alone.  Apparently both things are good to get the baby drinking and not just playing, and feeding time goes quickly.

I envy you your supply!  I couldn't get 8 ounces in ten minutes if there was a sack of gold waiting for me as a prize.

Annie

[Facere23]

I was never able to get that much milk at one time.  And now i have to fight to get 2 oz.  I'm going crazy trying to get my milk supply back to par.  I had to switch to a bottle becuase my DD wasn't back to birth weight after 2 weeks.  And then she became confused.  We're still fighting the battle.  She gets 2 bottles of breastmilk a day for now and the rest is formula..and i try to get her to latch on whenever possible.  I hate to give rher formula, but my milk supply isn't enough for her.  I'm pumping like mad to stimulate production.  Well, i guess what i'm saying is good luck.  If you manage to get him back on the breast, let me know your secret.

[mum2beagain]

Thanks again ladies! Annie, I have already tried the damp face cloth, no clothes, tickling him etc. Yesterday was a much better day, only 1 3oz bottle, we even went out yesterday and I breast fed him whilst in a coffe shop! I spoke with my lactation consultant last night and I am just feeding him on demand now, even if that sometimes means 4 or more hours between feeds, when he does wake now he is really hungry and feed much better, feeding times are about 30 mins now.