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324372 tn?1222820202

Breastfeeding Thoughts...

Hey girls!

I need some support/advice here about breastfeeding, as I'm having trouble with it and feeling super guilty!  My main problem is that I'm not producing enough milk, so I had to start supplementing with formula.  Once the baby got the bottle, he absolutely refused to latch onto the breast, so I've been exclusively pumping and bottle feeding with some formula mixed in.

He's been getting really gassy and spitting up with the formula, but I tried a Gentle Formula recently and mixing it with whatever breastmilk I can make, and that seems to have done the trick.  He's much less fussy now.  

The problem is that my milk production is slowing going down, even though I'm pumping constantly trying to boost it.  I'm also taking Reglan to boost milk production and it's not working at all. :(  I was going to see a lactation consultant, and she suggested getting him to latch on again which might help with stimulation, but I've got to go back to work in a few weeks and we'll have to bottle feed at that point anyway.  Also, if I have to pump every hour and a half to two hours to keep up my breastmilk, that's going to be really tough at my job.  *sigh*

So, I would just switch to formula knowing I've breastfed him for the past 3 weeks and have tried really hard, but I'm sorta terrified about the SIDS statistics and such.  I formula fed my first, and he's fine, but I've been guilted to death by a few people this time around regarding breast feeding and now I'm not sure what to do.

Any thoughts or stories you can share?

Sheri
10 Responses
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Avatar universal
why do you think you dont have enough milk?  you have to understand that breastfed babies eat possibly every hour unlike formula fed babies. all moms feel they arent producing enough milk, and unfortunatly so many could have bf but werent educated enough on how.   you will have to feed your baby the way you feel comfortable with, and not worry about what others say (even though i am very pro breast feeding no going on a year!).  i have to praise the lactation consultants, they helped me with my son.  he was born 3 weeks early and wouldnt suck.  i worked with her nightly for a week.  wore a special contraption to help and suddenly he was a pro (funny right at 3 weeks old).  when i went back to work he became a bottle fed and breast fed baby.

now with my dd who is almost a year i have and am still nursing.  it can be challenging, you can have ups and downs, you may want to cry and throw in the towel.  its what you want for your baby and what you need for yourself that matters.  what i have to tell you is if you want to breast feed then stick with it.  dont give up even though its difficult.  if you want to pump and bottle feed the breast milk there is a mom on the bf'ing forum that is the most educated person on pumping.  while the formula babies are healthy and they get what they need, it will never be as good as breastmilk. choose what works for your family though.
Helpful - 0
467707 tn?1270928640
I used FENUGREEK and it boosted my milk production 200%... in the end, it's your choice and not a reflection of your love for your baby... none the less, I breastfed my son until he was 11 months old and he didn't have a fever or diarrhea until he was about 1 year old... and even if it was painful and tought at times, I'm glad I stuck with it.

Follow your heart!
Helpful - 0
667409 tn?1309152183
I'm sorry you're having a difficult time breastfeeding! Let me preface this by saying that every mother has to do what's right for her and her baby - sometimes it's BFing, sometimes it's formula. My thoughts are this...starting to supplement sometimes starts a cycle that is hard to get out of. As you supplement, you will produce less milk because there's less of a demand for it. As you produce less milk, you supplement more and begin to believe that you didn't make enough milk. The fact is that very few women *really don't make enough milk...but many women hit stumbling blocks and begin to unwittingly do things that dwindle their milk supply. Worrying about it is #1! Also, many women are surprised at how *often breastfed babies eat...they have heard that babies eat every 3-4 hours and expect their to do that. When they are hungry more often than that, the woman assumes she isn't giving her baby enough milk. That is so wrong! Breastfed babies receiving perfectly healthy milk can want to feed every 1.5 to 4 hours...there's a huge variation there! Breastmilk is digested so much differently than formula that many babies digest is faster and are hungry sooner. It doesn't mean there is a problem with the quality or quantity of your milk. I would recommend beginning to pump more often - every two hours, if you can. Your milk supply will increase. Also, try to feed off the breast every other feeding...if the baby is hungry enough, he will make the effort. He's had it easy off the bottle now, so he won't want to work for the food. These suggestion are only if you want to try to continue BFing. If you decide not to, that's your choice, and there is no reason to feel bad about it!! Whatever you do, good luck to you!!
Helpful - 0
324372 tn?1222820202
Thank to everyone for all the advice!  I'm still not quite producing enough milk for the baby, but what I'm doing is mixing formula with the breastmilk to bring it up to the amount the baby wants.  He's a total piglet!  He wants about 3.5 to 4 oz a feeding, and he's not even 3 weeks yet, so I'm adding about an ounce or ounce and a half of formula to each bottle.  It seems to be working okay for now.  He isn't spitting up nearly as much, but he does have some wicked gas!  He cries a little bit with it but not so much as he was.  I guess I'll just keep pumping until the bbs run out of stuff!

I have tried to breastfeed him with some of the feedings as well, and I've done all the "latching on" techniques, but he just gets mad.  Not to be TMI, but I have very large nipples, and they darn near gag him because they are so big, so I think he just prefers a nice small, firm nipple in his mouth to my massive one!  He's a sweet boy but has a rotten temper, so after a minute or so of trying to get him to latch on, he starts howling like you've cut his leg off! LOL!

Now I'm just trying to figure out how to deal with his voracious appetite.  I fear feeding him too much even though he is crying for it, because over 4 oz for an 8 lb 2 week old seems excessive and I don't want his tummy to hurt from overeating.  I'm trying to keep him at 3 oz every 3 hours, but he throws a tantrum half the time for more food, RIGHT NOW. *sigh*

How about bottles for you ladies?  I've tried Avent drop ins, Platex drop ins, Platex Ventaire, and Dr. Browns.  All of those have a slow flow nipple and my son still downs his 3 + oz bottles in about 5 minutes, and with all of them he burps a lot and seems to have gas.  I had high hopes for Dr. Brown's but he seems to actually suck that one down quicker and get more gas with it.  The Ventaire seem to be the best so far about gas, but he still does swallow air with those too.

Any ideas on my little piggy?  I'd love it if he would slow down just a tiny bit, but feeding him more often, less amounts, doesn't seem to work.  He's very specific about only wanting to eat every 3 hours exactly, and he wants to suck it down as fast as possible!

Sheri



Helpful - 0
671251 tn?1236116671
Hi Sheri,
I breastfed both my boys many years ago. I remember being very worried about not having enough milk. A nurse at the hospital who wanted to feed my baby formula told me my baby was "starving to death" and she was going to take him into the nursery and give him formula. I told the head nurse about it and my doctor told her to "mind her own business" the next day! She made me feel like I was the only woman who didn't have milk right away. After I got out of the hospital and was worried about not being able to feed my baby enough milk, a neighbor of my mother-in-law who is a nurse and had a baby was kind enough to come by and talk to me about nursing. I think my hormones played a big part in my worrying. She suggested that I feed my son a bottle of sugar water along with the breastfeeding. It gave him extra calories and helped make him feel fuller till the milk came in better. I think I gave him some sample formula that the hospital had provided too. After we got through that, the milk did come in fine. I breastfed him for a whole year. It was good because we found out years later he is very allergic to cow's milk. We had milk goats and he drank goat's milk after he was weaned from the breast. I don't remember having problems with breastfeeding my second son, but I might have given him some sugar water at the beginning too.

I'd still try to get him to take the breast when you are fullest and he is hungry. They say to point the nipple toward the roof of his mouth to get him to latch on correctly. It's very convenient to breastfeed and is much cheaper than formula.Don't try to lose weight yet. You need extra calories now. I remember eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes and my milk supply would be abundant. Drink lots of fluids. Milkshakes are supposed to be good. A friend of mine said she did not have enough milk so gave her boys a bottle of formula a day to supplement the breastfeeding. Any amount of breast milk you can feed your baby is good for him. Hope it goes well for you and the baby.
Helpful - 0
501096 tn?1320874932
It's wonderful if you CAN breastfeed, but it doesn't work for everyone.  There's enough in life to feel guilty over without adding something that is beyond your control to the list.  If your baby didn't have latching difficulty, I would say bf part-time (so many people think it's all or none).  Since that's not an option, just go with formula and don't worry about it.  Also, just because it doesn't work the 1st time, doesn't mean it won't work the next time.  Try again if you have another baby.  I've heard that you produce more milk with the 2nd even if you never bf the 1st at all.
Helpful - 0
480331 tn?1310403529
Oh, also, Sheri...I too was concerned about SIDS.  Try not to worry, just make sure your baby lays on his back when you put him down, and swaddle him to help with the position.  SIDs is a "mystery" not one source can attribute to it's cause, but there are many speculated causes.  Here is a website that may be helpful regarding SIDs.  

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sids.html
Helpful - 0
480331 tn?1310403529
Hi Sheri!  I had the exact situation.  First off, my son wouldn't latch on, I was so worried he wasn't getting enough to eat!  I'm of the mindset that breast milk is the best, and it is!  So I wanted to exclusively breast feed him.  Well, of course when I saw he wasn't taking from my nipple, I supplemented with formula (Similac).  But, I did contact a lactation specialist through my peds office, and got some terrific tips and actual hands on instruction how to position my baby.  I also had the same problem pumping.  I had an excellent Lansinoh breast pump, double electric...but sometimes the supply and demand was a problem.  For me, I was exhausted...getting good rest (if possible) is the absolute best and most natural way for your breasts to "fill' and produce milk.  The saying is true, the more you pump, the more you produce...so don't give up.  It may be too soon for your full milk supply to come in...I know mine didn't start until maybe 3-4 wks after my son was born....As far as going back to work, and pumping your milk supply...you can absolutely do that, just find a private place and pump away for 10-15 minutes...Don't worry what anyone thinks...these days the workplace is very acceptable and compassionate with a Mom of a newborn and the "pump at work" process.  It is tiresome, but hang in there, and get your rest!!  Oh, and my Mother in law insisted I eate homemade chicken soup to promote breast milk...She had 5 children (set of twins) and breastfed exclusively...so God love my hubby, he was making me homemade chicken soup the first few weeks after we came home from the hospital...and I have to tell ya, I produced some milk!!!  Good luck!  Pam
Helpful - 0
666970 tn?1273759854
HI Sheri,
I'm so sorry that breastfeeding is a struggle.  It was for me too.  I also didn't produce enough and then had several infections.  Once my daughter started on the supplemental formula (because she was losing weight) it was an even bigger struggle. I ended up pumping every two - three hours around the clock for three months and then fed her the expressed milk with a bottle. After three months I switched to just formula.  I felt so guilty and looking back that is the biggest memory I have from her first few months is my frustration and guilt over not being able to do it.  My point is, be gentle with yourself and rejoice in the fact that you have a healthy baby.  He will be fine on formula and you will be happier if you can get over the guilt - difficult, I know.  But that is my regret more than not being able to breastfeed is tainting that special time with guilt.

My daughter is now a healthy, happy 2 year old :)
Good luck to you.
Helpful - 0
231441 tn?1333892766
Sheri,

don't pay attention to people who try to make you feel guilty.  You are doing your best to breast feed.  If it really doesn't work there is nothing wrong with using formula. It is perfectly ok.   Your baby got the most important part which is the colostrum and first few week.

Ok, there is another drug to try.  This is motilium - domperidone.  Ask your dr about it.  It may help also.

Drink plenty and try not to stress about it all.  Express what you can for as long as you can, but after that accept that you've really been doing your best, whatever the outcome.

Take care.. Your baby will be fine.


Helpful - 0
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