Advise wanted: BFing by day, pumping at night

[Ninagrrl]

Just a forewarning, I'm tired so this is going to be long winded and a bit of a scattered thought process. I'm desperate for some tips to help settle DD easier, establish BFing better and maybe get just a bit more sleep.

So we've had latching problems from day one. My daughter rather BF but takes a bottle just fine since she's had a combination of this since day one. She was in the NICU for 8 days so only got a couple swallows of BM before they had to give her formula to keep her blood sugar levels up. My milk came in around day 3 and from then on she was on a high cal diet so they were taking my pumped BM and fortifying it to be high cal.

Anyway, when we came home, I had horrible latching problems with her not opening wide enough, lifting tongue and keeping mouth open wide and not closing down. I was frustrated so I stopped BFing for a couple days and then started again. I changed positions I was using. Originally I was doing football hold but had tried cradle and failed completely so I went back to football but she was only latching 50% of the time and usually would end in frustration and a bottle. Then one day I decided to run through all the positions one after another just to see which felt more natural. I started with cross cradle and she latched first try. Now she latches every time sometimes right away and other times it takes a couple minutes but I have never not latched her. But she wants to stay on there constantly and is hungry if I stop BFing. I have been BFing during the day and pumping and bottle feeding at night.

Putting supply issues aside, I'm just talking about sleeping time. I'm feeding her previously pumped milk, changing her diaper, feeding her more pumped milk (about 3 - 3.5 oz split), then extra time burping as she seems to need a little extra at the end of a feed. Then I pump, wash parts, eat and drink, and by then she needs more burping and settling. This whole process takes 2-3 hours before I can get to bed and then I'm getting up an hour or two later.

I don't know why I am fighting just trying to BF through the night. I guess I'm afraid she will feed constantly and co-sleeping is not an option as OH tends to roll over onto me and it's hard to wake him up enough to get him to move as he suffered a brain injury as a baby and has a sleep issue. I also have to use a nipple shield and a pillow and have to go out into the living room with all this stuff in tow so it's a big process. It probably will take about the same time but if I need to pump after BFing like I was told to do, this adds another half hour onto the time and I'm already on edge from how little (really low quality) sleep I'm currently getting.

Can't I just BF and pump during the day to help with supply and just BF at night without pumping? She is going through a growth spurt and right now I'm stuck awake out in the living room with DD sleeping in the swing because she won't settle for anything else and getting NO sleep just so that she isn't screaming her head off. This is an old used swing so I don't dare leave her in it while I'm asleep and honestly, OH is NO help at night as he has hypersomnia from his TBI and turns into a nightmare at night when he's tired. I get a nap most days but tomorrow is BFing group and I don't want to miss it because I want to weigh my daughter and doctors office won't be seeing her until 2 month appt and I can do that at the BFing group.

Sorry this was all over the place. Anything at all anyone thinks is helpful is appreciated. I need sleep!!

 

[Noo]

Nursing is the best way of upping your supply - day and night (particularly at night). I can't imagine the hassle of bottle feeding, pumping and washing stuff during the night. You're doing 3 times the work of nursing and its less effective establishing your supply than nursing. Is there a reason you're pumping?

 

[Ninagrrl]

I was told to pump whether or not I BF or bottle feed to help with supply until BFing was established because of having to pump her supply in NICU and then with the latching problem I was only successfully BFing once or twice a day before so I HAD to bottle feed. They just weren't clear on when to transition from pumping ALL the time once I'm BFing all the time. BFing so far is time consuming but I imagine that's normal, mostly to establish supply and that I can expect that for a couple months maybe? I feel like I'm just making this whole process longer and more stressful then needed. The lactation consultants here advocate to pump, pump, pump even if you are successfully BFing until well established then to pump whenever to either increase supply or to work on storage supply. I have a rented pump until she is 2 months 1 week and then I don't have a pump anymore.

 

[Pielette]

If there is a latching issue then pumping makes absolute sense to ensure that your supply manages to keep up and of course to bottle feed. But if you're now successfully BFing each feed you don't need to pump. She is much more effective at establishing your supply than the pump is.

It is time consuming at first and she will want to be on the breast a lot. It can be rough but you need to let her feed feed feed. BFing is supply and demand. It will pay off though! Time consuming at first but a couple of months down the line and she could be feeding for 5-10 minutes and you're done.

Pumping as well as successfully BFing can also cause oversupply issues in the early days before your supply has regulated.

 

[Noo]

If you are still having latching issues then I would continue to pump though I'd pump on a need to basis. If you're successfully BF then I'd only pump once or twice a day if you are needing to get a freezer supply. If you don't need a freezer supply any time soon I'd concentrate on establishing your supply via nursing since this is a more effective method.

 

[fatandlumpy]

Oh goodness! The nightime is the best time to BF as that's when the mlk stimulating hormones have more effect. Also (as someone else has mentioned) there's no need to sterilise anything and you can just pop them on the boob.

Invest in a co-sleeper cot (one with a drop-down side) that you can attach to your side of the bed. In that way you can scoop your wee one over to you and feed them lying down (soooooooo much easier) as and when they wake. If you're scared that you may fall asleep and roll on your wee one, then wake your OH to watch over you in the beginning. I've perfected the leaning back position when I nurse lying down.

I pump as well but only religiously first thing in the morning. I'm due back at work n Monday but plan to pump during the day at work, and nurse at night to keep my supply.

Good Luck!

 

[TriChick]

With my first, I exclusively pumped for the first month (12 times a day). The night feedings were a nightmare and left me with NO sleep, so I understand your frustrations.

This time around I've had some issues with slightly low supply. I went to see a lactation consultant a few weeks ago to address LO's constant cluster feeding and lack of weight gain. She has me pumping a little after each feeding during the day, but strictly BFing at night. She explained that lack of sleep can greatly reduce supply, and in her opinion depriving me of sleep in order to pump seemed counterproductive. I say to just let him nurse at night and leave the whole pumping routine for when the sun is up

 

[Ninagrrl]

Thanks everyone. I went to my BF support group today and the lactation consultant there said that there is no reason to pump at night. When I pump during the day after BFing I'm still pumping 2 oz more then what she is taking and that's without BFing at night. She says my supply is great, diaper output is great and my daughter gained 7 oz since last week. She was actually slightly under birth weight last week and this week went through a bunch of cluster feeds once I started up BFing again so she is obviously getting enough. I actually have a really good freezer supply started since she was in NICU for 8 days and am storing about 4oz a day for the last week in the freezer on top of everything she is eating.

She seems done cluster feeding ATM and I'm guessing it is normal but she doesn't have much of an appetite today and is sleeping a lot again but I plan on strictly BFing tonight to see how it goes. Right now she is sleeping all day and up feeding all night so I'm planning on starting night routine 2 hours earlier then usual so hopefully I can get a few more hours in. I'm lucky to be getting 3 hours in a 24 hour period and this is going on week 2 of this so it's really starting to wear on me.

 

[Noo]

Well done

 

[Ninagrrl]

So last night I BF all night. Got to bed at 11 and slept til 2:30 and then got back to bed by 3:30. Woke up again at 6:30 but that feed didn't go as smoothly and she fed, got her in bed by 7:20 but then she needed extra burping and after that pooped and she decided she was hungry again so I fed her. After that she wouldn't fall asleep unless she was latched on and wasn't really feeding. I can't sleep like that and she can't sleep in the bed with us because OH moves a lot and is a deep sleeper so him rolling over on her would be a strong possibility. Got back to bed at 9:30 and slept until 11 but I have a horrible headache and feel even more tired with more sleep than I did yesterday on 3 and a half hours sleep.

Also, she is working on trying to suck her thumb so she keeps coming off to try and stick her thumb in her mouth instead of eating. I'd be all for that as long as she ate first and then would comfort herself with her thumb after. She did succeed once last night and getting her to stop and latch back on was difficult.

By the time 1 rolled around and she wanted to feed, I was so heavy and actually had some lumps forming (painfully) so I fed her until she started getting lazy then I pumped and bottle fed her to top her off. She might get another bottle for her next feed by OH so that I can get a nap and try to get rid of this headache before he goes to work and I have to deal with DD and DS. DS isn't doing too well with me right now and does everything opposite of what I want him to do, even if he wants it. Example is if I ask him if he wants candy, he says no first and then changes his mind. Everything else is just a no.