Anyone give up bfing really early to formula...

[cbass929]

So i started out bfing in the hospital night 2 he feed for hours on and off with only minute in between, so exhausted tired with a hungry baby i asked for a bottle. It seemed as if before my milk came in he wasn't getting enough and would consistently eat his hands, so LC told me to nurse until he pushed away and if he acted hungry to give him formula until my supply built up.
Well i'll be honest bf was taking a toll on me and getting past those first few seconds of soreness when he latched on was hard, so i thought of giving up just at day 4. We took him to the dr at 3 days (him being born at 37 weeks they wanted to check up on him sooner), he had lost a weight just from over night, so 4 days old had to take him back, still went down a little. So his dr told me to keep up the breastfeeding its the best for him right now just after every feeding offer him formula to ensure hes getting enough to fill him up. And i was to bring him back monday at 7 days old, that he should be gaining a ounce a day! Was told to still stick with breastfeeding him first and then offer formula if he acted hungry still. So i did, but had really got down because i didnt know what i was doing wrong he was eating like crazy regular pee and poop diapers. I never had this problem with my first two but from the start i ff. So i really started getting doubts about bfing and was ready to throw in the can! But his dr stressed how important my milk is to him at this stage and then my dad did to so i started feeling guilty. i went saturday and some of sunday without bfing or pumping still trying to debate what to do, so i started bfing and would offer the formula after again. Monday came, he gained a ounce in 3 days! They were still not happy. From Sunday until Wednesday i gave him pumped breast milk or bf him and only gave him very little formula if he acted hungry still. I had to take him back again on Wednesday and he lost half ounce in 2 days (not much but when hes not gaining every little bit hurts), She was very clear he did not need to go over 3 hours at all for any reason without eating, when giving him pumped bm or formula push to have him eat 3-4 ounces (he's eating 2.5 to 3 ounces and have gotten him to eat 3.5 ounces once).She urged me to contact a LC to have them come out weigh him before and after feedings to see what his weight is. I haven't done it, instead i have decided to strictly ff until he has to go back tomorrow (friday)and see if he has gained any, i am pumping every chance i get to try to keep up my supply in case i decide i want to continue the hard road of bfing. But i want to see if he gains weight from just having formula!
Has anyone else gone through this with their lo?

I have tried very hard to keep myself together because im trying to do whats best for my son and i feel like i keep getting results i don't want!
Anyone start out bfing and switched early? why?

I asked for advise over in the breastfeeding forum but, whew, some of them are a little rude when it comes to the do's, don'ts about bfing and i'm looking for help, support, and advise not to be knocked down by my choice to give my son a little formula because he was still hungry!

 

[mommy0629]

Ok hun, I'm not going to try to tell you to either bf or ff because I think it's every mother's choice, but I'll offer you some solid advice.

My story - I ff my lo and also did with my ds. With ds I planned on bfing but didn't educate myslef and the hospital staff at the time had no clue. The nurses took him to the nursery for his first feeding and gave him a bottle of formula while I slept. When I tried to bf the next morning he was having absolutely NONE of it, screaming the place down and wouldn't even attempt to latch on, so I asked for formula and pumped my colustrum to add to the formula for the two days in the hospital.
This lo had bm for her first 3 weeks. She was a preemie though and although she latched pretty well, she didn't have the strength or energy to take enough so I had to pump and bottle feed her after every bf session. It was a LOT and then pumping started to not go well (my supply was dropping from her not actually bfing enough) and the frustration was a lot so I gradually switched her to formula.

First, your lo loosing weight the first few days after birth is TOTALLY normal and they all do it (even if ff right from day one), so I feel bad for you that you got made to feel bad about it. I forget the % that's normal, but they start to slowly gain it back after I think about day 5 or so and then the weight gain will sort of pick up the pace after that.

Everything you're experiencing with your lo right now is normal including him wanting to feed what seems like constantly, that's how your supply gets built up. There really is no need to top him off with formula unless he was getting to the point of failing to thrive (that can't be determined yet unless he's really lethargic) or your milk wasn't starting to come in at all. A newborn loosing some weight in the first few days isn't failing to thrive though, just what happens when they go from having a literally constant food supply (umbilical cord) to having to learn to feed by mouth.

Having said all that though, if you don't want to bf, then don't. Formula is fine and if that's what you feel more comfortable doing, then that's what you should do. Just wanted you to not base your desission on not having enough information (I'm sure you got plenty of it over in the bf section though lol). I'm sure they also told you it gets easier once your milk comes in?

What I always say to moms in your situation, who are still on the fence of which way to go, is at least keep pumping until you're SURE because once you stop and a few weeks goes by, that's it, there's no turning back. If you want to keep pumping and feed your lo formula in the mean time, that's fine and you can freeze your bm or feed it to him with the formula until you make your desission. Baby's first few weeks are HARD and bfing during that time for a first time mom is HARD and exhausting, so you really have to be dedicated to it (ie., someone else does the housework etc.) but, that's all normal.

Hope that helped at least a little bit

 

[overcomer79]

Can I just ask you why you want to bf?

I think that is important. If you are doing it because everyone else is telling you that it is better for LO then being pressured into it is ONLY going to make you miserable!

If you are doing it for that reason then you should switch to ff.

If it is something you are really intent on doing, then what LO is doing is totally normal. They cluster feed. No one told me about that with my son either but the consultants were very happy about it and told me that was normal.

You have to answer that question. I'm sorry you are having a time

 

[sara_558]

I bf for the first 5 days but just found it so difficult. My plan had been to try & do it but I ended up having an emergency c section and having been awake for 2 nights in labour prior to csection when LO wanted to feed constantly through each night I got really stressed.

I persevered but it was really painful when LO latching on and whilst feeding. Didn't get much support in hospital and then on first day at home after discharge we ended up moving to formula. I felt so guilty but LO and I were so much happier and settled from then on.

It was only when health visitor came about 2 weeks after birth that she explained with a c section things can take longer to kick in including breastfeeding. If I had known this I might have tried a bit longer but there we go!

My mum and DH just kept telling me that at the end of the day I had to do what was best for LO and me and whatever we were comfortable with. Doesn't stop the guilty feelings though..

Sara

 

[Leesy]

I switched to FF when LO was 3.5 weeks old. He was being topped up on formula from day 1 as he was feeding & feeding constantly. Once at home he would spend 30 minutes or more on each breast and then guzzle a whole 50ml of formula and that amount kept increasing. I was getting down about it and sooooooooooo tired! Then at night when he would wake to feed we would start and I would fall asleep sitting up on the couch with him on the breast and then wake up in the morning about 5 hours later. This happened 4 nights in a row and each time for a longer period of time. I just decided to switch and it was the right thing to for us. Only you can decide if you want to stick with it or switch to formula though. I'll give BF a go again with the next one but it if doesn't work out I will not beat myself up about it! Good luck. xx

 

[bubbles123]

As others have said, you need to decide if you want to BF, FF or Mix feed. If you want to BF then stop giving formula and put the baby to the breast whenever they want. If you want to mix feed carry on as you are and you know what to do if you want to FF.

I second what the pp said, you have to decide for yourself if you want to BF. It is so hard with everyone telling you you should BF but it is your decision, you have to do it and live with it. I mix fed both of mine, doing what you are doing, mainly pumping and than topping up with formula until they were a month old when I went to FF and that worked well for us.

 

[Vickie]

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