my baby is 8 weeks old, due to complications after her birth i wasnt able to bf her straight away. Her first 24hrs of life she was cared for by nurses as i was unable to do so as i was so ill.
Therefore she was fed formula, and we just sort of carried on with it. Im still leaking considerable amounts of breastmilk. Would it be so terrible if i tried to combination feed her so 'late on'? we seem to struggle with ffing, she is on a comfort formula and at certain times of the day she's fussy with her feeds and i long to just nurse her myself. I so desperately wanted to bf and i feel i've missed my opportunity would this cause her any stomach upsets? I have never breastfed before so dont know anything about milk supply, i assumed my milk would have dried up by now but i'm still leaking more from one breast than the other but still theres lactation. I'm sorry if this seems like a ridiulous post but for weeks its all i've thought about. I just wish i could go back and change it.

So yeah, theres my dilemma. I dont know whether to just give it a go and combination feed or simply move on and accept what happened? If anyone has any experience of this or just simply knows about combination feeding i'd be grateful for the input.

Thanks in advance xx

It is possible to breastfeed even if you haven't done so from birth. It's called relactation. It will take some effort, but if you are willing to give it a try it's more than doable

Kellymom is a great resource http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html

thank you so much.
I thought of trying to express first just to see what happens and how much i can 'get out' but i'm also really nervous, i recieved no support at all in hospital, as soon as i got back from high dependancy several bottles of formula were plonked in front of me and i was basically left to it. At least your response has given me some hope :-) thanks again xx

Definitely go for it. You shouldn't be embarrassed at all for asking, i would have to ask too! I would just go for it and see how you get on. Always ask for help here as everyone is so helpful.
I hope it works out for you xx

Yes, you can. The hardest part would be to get her to latch right. It may help initially to use a nipple shield since it feels a little like an artificial nipple. Try without first and if she keeps refusing then maybe that would help for the first while

Definitely go for it if you still have milk there I'm sure when baby starts to suckle it will encourage you to lactate more it may take a while for supply to build up but I'm sure if you keep it up everything will be fine good luck to you

thanks ladies, this really has made my day! I've spoken to my husband about it and he says i have his full support. I even mentioned it to my sister just for a womans view. I was worried about what others will think, which is quite depressing really but i've spoken to a lot of bfing mums who say having good moral support is important.
I've also already had a good go on the breast pump as the baby is asleep and managed a good few drops after 10mins so im feeling alot more positive! I'm now worried about her digestive system, will it upset her at all?

So pleased that you managed to express some milk off and just think no pump works better than a baby so try bubs when next feed is due just make sure you are nice and relaxed and I can assure you that your milk will not upset her digestive system it is what it designed for. X

Don't be embarrased at all. If you have a breastfeeding support group near you I really suggest attending or if you have access to a lactation consultant. The breastmilk will not upset baby's tummy at all. Perhaps some skin to skin may help with supply and latching. There are some ladies on here that have relactated so hopefully you will get some good advice from some of them. Good Luck.

Give it a go, and let us know how you get on! Good luck!