Breastfeeding help needed

[cheryl]

As most of you know I had Dillan when I was 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant. So he was a little early.
Well I breastfed for just under 2 days but he is really lazy keeps falling asleep and doesn't seem to latch on properly, He doesn't open his mouth that wide. Also I tend to need a nipple shield and only have smallish nipples. I got that sore my whole nipples were covered in scabs from bleeding. So I put him on the bottle, but then I have started to express some of his feeds into a bottle, since they are feeling better. His last feed was breatmilk and he doesn't seem as sicky and seemed to settle better. Do you think I should try expressing all his feeds or try breatfeeding again. I don't know what to do it got to the point where he didn't seem settled like he hadn't had enough.
Do you think maybe I should have a go breastfeeding feeding him and just top up with formula if he needs it.
Is this ok can I mix the 2.
Luv Cheryl xxx

 

[lulu0504]

put him to the breast regularly even if your expressing as it will increase your supply. I'd get in touch with a lactation consultant to check your latch and then would try to BF as expressing is very difficult early on!

 

[cupcake]

Dear Cheryl
If you really wanna give breastfeeding a go, put him back on the boob as much as possible to increase your supply. Buy lanolin cream and it will clear up the bleeding and scabs in a day or two ( i know its a miracle!) It hurts like hell but you gotta persevere through the sore nipples. Also try getting him to open wide by tickling from his nose down to his mouth with your nipple, when he opens make sure to get the areola (sp?) in as well. You can also help him by holding your boob with your first two fingers in a "c" shape thumb on top other fingers on the bottom.
You can do it!

 

[cheryl]

Thanks ladies, i will have a go
Luv Cheryl xxx

 

[Jemima]

Keep trying, Cheryl. The sore nipples will improve the more you use then and get some Lansinoh cream, it really does help. I had the scabs too to start with - not nice!

You may find you struggle with expressing/pumping for every feed so it really would be much easier for you both if you could get him breastfeeding again. As the others have said, keep putting him to the breast. The more you do that, the more you will produce. x

 

[cheryl]

Thank you ladies, tried yesterday, he breastfed for an hour then an hour later he was hungry again, So i gave him a bottle and then 2 hours later he was hungry again, it seemed to really mess his feeding patern up. I will keep on it and see if i can get him just feeding from me.
Luv Cheryl xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

They do seem to feed loads more when you go back to bf only. I cut out bottles and I had 24hrs or so where she went back to feeding every 2 hrs from going 4 with topping up. Remember breastmilk is digested easier so to start with he'll be hungry quicker - you wont be able to knock him out the same as you can with formula. Its hard but if you can get thru that 24/48hrs of non stop feeding you'll get there. Hebe now is back at 3/4 hrs between feeds in the day and goes from 10/11pm till 6/7am. xxx

 

[cheryl]

They do seem to feed loads more when you go back to bf only. I cut out bottles and I had 24hrs or so where she went back to feeding every 2 hrs from going 4 with topping up. Remember breastmilk is digested easier so to start with he'll be hungry quicker - you wont be able to knock him out the same as you can with formula. Its hard but if you can get thru that 24/48hrs of non stop feeding you'll get there. Hebe now is back at 3/4 hrs between feeds in the day and goes from 10/11pm till 6/7am. xxx

Thanks hun, The trouble is I have to set my alarm for night time feeds as the midwife says he needs to feed more because he is so small. I am still trying but still using formula aswell. I am like a zombie as it is. Hopefully I will be able to get back to fully B/F.
Luv Cheryl xxx

 

[Zarababy1]

He's only still very young he will want to feed alot, when there small there tummys dont hold as much so they get hungery very quickly charlie fed every hour - two hours in his first few weeks and it was very painfull, i know you worry about how much he is getting and im sure it is easy to give him a bottle so you know he's getting enough, one day charlie fed for almost 2 hours straight and every time i put him down he seemed to cry i thought about giving it up but now im glad i never, giving him a bottle too top us is fine you might find you can cut out a bottle all together, if not its not really a problem if anything it will probably work better because you know he will take a bottle unlike alot of breastfed babys! just please keep up with it it will hurt at first you'll be tierd and feel like it never ends but trust me it gets better and once you get in to the swing of it you'll never want to stop!!
Also : by some lansinoh its expensive but its amazing!

 

[cheryl]

Thanks hun.
Luv Cheryl xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

You're doing really well Cheryl x

 

[aj2000]

Don'e give up hun - you're doing the right thing

It took us 4/5 weeks to get breastfeeding established but it is so worth it and is easy and natural now (at 8 weeks).

My little boy did not gain weight to start with so I offered a bottle of formular 2/3 times a day AFTER breastfeeds. I think it's important to put Baby to your breast regularly, even if they don't get much milk. Now that he latches well and is more awake he rarely needs a top up. So top ups worked for us but I know some babies find it hard to switch between breast and bottle so it just depends on your little one.

Sometimes my LO is too lazy to open wide too. When this happens I put my nipple opposite his nose - higher than usual - so that he has to stretch further for it. This usually does the trick.

Hope this helps

 

[helen1234]

if its something you really want to have a good bash at keep going, dont stress yourself though hun. is there a bf support group you can get to, there's one in brierley hill i'm going cos my mw runs it and i can walk there. i bottle fed rosie and didnt really entertain bf, its the social side that scares me but i have big poncho lol, and gonna goto the bf classes at russells, and this support group its on a thursday morning. mw said its really nice to meet other mums who are or have had the same problems. i have no idea what i'm doing so will be a new experience for me.
hope it works for you hun
xx

 

[tinytoes]

my baby was born at 37 weeks and 5 days, so not quite as early as yours but he was also a bit weak at sucking ad couldnt latch on properly. I also got VERY sore and remember bleeding into the milk / baby. Anyway, I expressed the milk for a couple of weeks and tried direct rbeast feeding when I could and wasnt too sore - most of the time I had to wear a shield but when I felt OK I'd not use it. By about 3 weeks I was giving baby a bottle of expressed milk and then offering him the boob after every feed. By 6 weeks I was back to 100% full direct breast feeding - no pump no shield - and I am SO glad I did.
It was very hard and painful, but it really did take 6 weeks for both baby and I to work out what we were doing. I dont think there's any pain like it...but it does stop. I remember both me and baby crying at one stage. But it passes (even if it doesnt feel like it right now!!..)
So my advice would be to express adn not give up, adn to keep trying to feed direct when you can. If you hurt then take a break and express but do go back. Dont stress, use the pump or shields when you need them - but see them as a temporary measure for a few weeks until things imrpove. It will get better and less painful I promise. Use the lanolin after every feed - its fab.
My LO is now a pro and latches on on his own, and is so casual about it I think even he is proud of himself.
And the sense of achievement now - 4 months on - is great. I am so pleased with me ) Now LO refuses to have expressed milk anymore - it's only boobie for him now so he clearls prefers it.

good luck x

 

[Lucy&Pard]

I agree with Cupcake - good luck!