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[CantWaitToTTC]

Hi, I'm a very nervous breastfeeding Mum.

I have been combine feeding for last 5 weeks (most feeds have been formula though) but after my son (now 10 weeks old) had his Tongue Tie cut I'd love to go back to breastfeeding only (maybe just a formula before bed to give him 3hrs uninterrupted sleep as he feeds hourly on the breast).

My supply is very low & I know I need to put him on them as much as possible to help my supply, but he seems so hungry during & I feel like I'm starving him while I wait for my milk to be enough. Should I pump in the rare few moments that he isn't on the breast? Wouldn't this use up all my supply & mean that he won't have any? Also, if I express, can I express in 1 container throughout the day? I don't want to have 10 containers with just 30mls in each (would rather just keep expressing into one throughout the day).

Sam

 

[muddles]

Can'tWaitTOTTC I can't comment on combined feeding as I don't have experience of that but I do know from my experience that the more you feed the more milk your body will produce, you wont run out of milk. In the early days (first 3-4 months) your baby will feed so much and I remember thinking I must not have enough milk but as he was gaining weight, was settled between feeds and had wet/dirty nappies I knew he wasn't being starved and that it was just him upping my supply so it matched what he wanted.

I'm not sure about storing expressed milk as I only did it in the early days and my LO would never take a bottle so I stopped bothering.

 

[muddles]

babyloulou
I know my LO takes longer to settle and sleeps for less time the more tired he is (which is the total opposite to what you would expect!) could it be that your LO is the same? I have found that if I try to put LO to bed around 7pm he will have a bf then be asleep within 10 mins but if it is anytime after 7:30pm then despite the routine being the same it will take the best part of an hour for him to go to sleep, as he will keep rolling over and standing up again in his cot then crying because he is tired and doesn't want to be standing!

If he seems to want to feed more at night rather than day time could it be that he is too distracted by the things around him during the day? Do you feed him in a quiet and dark room at night? If that is where he is feeding best could you try to do that during the day? I remember my LO used to come off the boob and turn right round to watch a passing person or the tv!

 

[bky]

Hi, I'm a very nervous breastfeeding Mum.

I have been combine feeding for last 5 weeks (most feeds have been formula though) but after my son (now 10 weeks old) had his Tongue Tie cut I'd love to go back to breastfeeding only (maybe just a formula before bed to give him 3hrs uninterrupted sleep as he feeds hourly on the breast).

My supply is very low & I know I need to put him on them as much as possible to help my supply, but he seems so hungry during & I feel like I'm starving him while I wait for my milk to be enough. Should I pump in the rare few moments that he isn't on the breast? Wouldn't this use up all my supply & mean that he won't have any? Also, if I express, can I express in 1 container throughout the day? I don't want to have 10 containers with just 30mls in each (would rather just keep expressing into one throughout the day).

Sam

Hi there. The recommended amount of supplement to drop when trying to increase your supply is 1oz every 1-3 days. I think probably a good way of increasing your supply would be to feed formula on a schedule and BF on demand. Basically you set out that these are the times and amounts you will FF and stick to that. Always BF first (or if he's very hungry 1 oz FF first then BF). As he gets your supply up he will want feeding frequently.
You could also look into getting and using some type of at breast supplementer (Medela SNS or Lact-Aid) for giving the formula. Then he will develop better habits at the breast rather than maybe expecting a bottle.
You can express into one container throughout the day. You can even leave it at room temperature for 4-6 hours. It is best to express after feeds (10 minutes per side or combined no matter what comes out), but I know it can be very difficult to keep up. The BF/FF/pump schedule is about the hardest thing you can do.

It may take a few weeks for him to really learn to use his new tongue (after the snip) so take challenging him slow or he will find BF frustrating. Babies are programmed to try lots of different things to get food easier and sometimes that means fussing at the breast and crying to get a bottle.

 

[CantWaitToTTC]

Thank you both so much!!!

 

[gertrude]

Just a quick update from me - pickle is still not gaining weight at a healthy rate and she's now on the 2nd centile (she's gaining just not enough). I've made the decision to gradually move to FF and not to continue fighting with the BF. I've been getting very down/stressed/despressed and confused and that in itself was affecting my relationship with her.

I just wanted to thank you all on this thread for your support and help since she was born. I wish the outcome was different but her health right now comes first.

I will continue with the first and last feed of the day being breast but every breastfeed needs topping up now so I'm sure that's only a short term thing.

I'm very sad that it has ended this way but what I want doesn't match what she needs and she comes first.

Thank you everyone and hope you all have a fantastic BF experience

xx

 

[babyloulou]

babyloulou
I know my LO takes longer to settle and sleeps for less time the more tired he is (which is the total opposite to what you would expect!) could it be that your LO is the same? I have found that if I try to put LO to bed around 7pm he will have a bf then be asleep within 10 mins but if it is anytime after 7:30pm then despite the routine being the same it will take the best part of an hour for him to go to sleep, as he will keep rolling over and standing up again in his cot then crying because he is tired and doesn't want to be standing!

If he seems to want to feed more at night rather than day time could it be that he is too distracted by the things around him during the day? Do you feed him in a quiet and dark room at night? If that is where he is feeding best could you try to do that during the day? I remember my LO used to come off the boob and turn right round to watch a passing person or the tv!

Thanks for your reply Muddles. I tried moving his bedtime earlier but he literally refuses to settle before 9 whether I take him up at 6:30, 7 or 8!! He seems to not be willing to settle until it's really dark outside even with the black out blind. As for the daytime feeding he just doesn't seem interested in it at all! I've tried doing it in the bedroom in the quiet like I do at night but he just pulls off! He either pulls off and moans or pulls off and just smiles at me. He never seems hungry in the day anymore (and he was such a greedy baby to start with) however night times are getting worse and worse! Last night he fed every hour and a half until 5am!

 

[Nervous_1]

Just a quick update from me - pickle is still not gaining weight at a healthy rate and she's now on the 2nd centile (she's gaining just not enough). I've made the decision to gradually move to FF and not to continue fighting with the BF. I've been getting very down/stressed/despressed and confused and that in itself was affecting my relationship with her.

I just wanted to thank you all on this thread for your support and help since she was born. I wish the outcome was different but her health right now comes first.

I will continue with the first and last feed of the day being breast but every breastfeed needs topping up now so I'm sure that's only a short term thing.

I'm very sad that it has ended this way but what I want doesn't match what she needs and she comes first.

Thank you everyone and hope you all have a fantastic BF experience

xx

Aw bless you hun, if you can keep up the first/last feed of BM it will still help her a lot, albeit not with her weight so much.

You've done so well for getting this far, huge congrats! I hope your LO starts to put on tons of weight now and things become a lot less stressful for you all

 

[summer rain]

Just a quick update from me - pickle is still not gaining weight at a healthy rate and she's now on the 2nd centile (she's gaining just not enough). I've made the decision to gradually move to FF and not to continue fighting with the BF. I've been getting very down/stressed/despressed and confused and that in itself was affecting my relationship with her.

I just wanted to thank you all on this thread for your support and help since she was born. I wish the outcome was different but her health right now comes first.

I will continue with the first and last feed of the day being breast but every breastfeed needs topping up now so I'm sure that's only a short term thing.

I'm very sad that it has ended this way but what I want doesn't match what she needs and she comes first.

Thank you everyone and hope you all have a fantastic BF experience

xx

I'm really sorry things didn't work out for you and you have tried your best xx

 

[gertrude]

thanks ladies - without your help I wouldn't have made it this far!

she's only 7lb 5oz at 6 weeks old and has dropped a few weight centiles so I can't use more time. I'm still keen to continue my contribution for as long as possible and I'll be expressing when I can to try to keep it up too

Thank you again x

 

[roonsma]

You've done brilliantly Gertrude, to get this far is an amazing achievement.

You sound very sensible in your decision, if it hadn't been for my LO gaining weight i'd have done exactly the same x

 

[Lover]

Hi girls, I'm wondering if anyone can offer advice about feeding just from one side? My son seems unable to take my left breast as my nipple is flat/inverted and he can't get a good latch so I was thinking of feeding him exclusively from my right and just carry on pumping from my left 3 times a day to build up a freezer stock for when I go back to work? I will keep putting him to the left side in case he finds he can latch once he's a bit older. I've got some Medela nipple formers coming from Amazon (although I'm pretty sure they've been lost in the post as I ordered them ages ago!) but I'm not sure if they'll work.

Thank you x

 

[JellyBeann]

thanks ladies - without your help I wouldn't have made it this far!

she's only 7lb 5oz at 6 weeks old and has dropped a few weight centiles so I can't use more time. I'm still keen to continue my contribution for as long as possible and I'll be expressing when I can to try to keep it up too

Thank you again x

Ahh well done for getting this far, sometimes, Breastfeeding doesn't work for some reason!

Hi girls, I'm wondering if anyone can offer advice about feeding just from one side? My son seems unable to take my left breast as my nipple is flat/inverted and he can't get a good latch so I was thinking of feeding him exclusively from my right and just carry on pumping from my left 3 times a day to build up a freezer stock for when I go back to work? I will keep putting him to the left side in case he finds he can latch once he's a bit older. I've got some Medela nipple formers coming from Amazon (although I'm pretty sure they've been lost in the post as I ordered them ages ago!) but I'm not sure if they'll work.

Thank you x

I have no experience of this, but my Son favoured the left breast on me for 3 out of 5 feeds. I think expressing from the left and offering it is the best option to be honest! Maybe one of the other girls has better advice!

 

[CeriB]

Hi girls, I'm wondering if anyone can offer advice about feeding just from one side? My son seems unable to take my left breast as my nipple is flat/inverted and he can't get a good latch so I was thinking of feeding him exclusively from my right and just carry on pumping from my left 3 times a day to build up a freezer stock for when I go back to work? I will keep putting him to the left side in case he finds he can latch once he's a bit older. I've got some Medela nipple formers coming from Amazon (although I'm pretty sure they've been lost in the post as I ordered them ages ago!) but I'm not sure if they'll work.

Thank you x

Erin went through a phase of favouring one side - no idea why!! She went back to it after a few weeks though.

I found nipple sheilds helped LO get a good latch on flat nipples and also expressing to stretch them out a bit.

Keep putting him there and hopefully he will take it again soon. If not, expressing that side should keep your supply up, but keep an eye on it, just in case.

 

[Katt]

Hi girls, I'm wondering if anyone can offer advice about feeding just from one side? My son seems unable to take my left breast as my nipple is flat/inverted and he can't get a good latch so I was thinking of feeding him exclusively from my right and just carry on pumping from my left 3 times a day to build up a freezer stock for when I go back to work? I will keep putting him to the left side in case he finds he can latch once he's a bit older. I've got some Medela nipple formers coming from Amazon (although I'm pretty sure they've been lost in the post as I ordered them ages ago!) but I'm not sure if they'll work.

Thank you x

I haven't got experience of inverted nipples but lo did have a preference and I think most do! I did end up wonky after a while though but they have gone back to the same size now. I would keep trying lo on that side as well as expressing until you find a long term solution. Hopefully one if the other ladies can help!

 

[staceyg]

i had a flat inverted nipple which my lo couldnt latch onto i had to use nipple shields which really helped to pull it out but it has never fully come out like a "normal" nipple my lo has to pull it out before he can fully latch on good luck x

 

[cabaretmum2b]

Hi girls, I'm wondering if anyone can offer advice about feeding just from one side? My son seems unable to take my left breast as my nipple is flat/inverted and he can't get a good latch so I was thinking of feeding him exclusively from my right and just carry on pumping from my left 3 times a day to build up a freezer stock for when I go back to work? I will keep putting him to the left side in case he finds he can latch once he's a bit older. I've got some Medela nipple formers coming from Amazon (although I'm pretty sure they've been lost in the post as I ordered them ages ago!) but I'm not sure if they'll work.

Thank you x

Hey hun,

You are doing all the right things so far - keep pumping and keep offering him the boob.
Something you may find useful is pumping on your left side until your milk lets down, then offer it to LO. At that point, you'll probably have the most luck as your milk will be flowing more and your nipple will be more protuding.
Nipple shields are fantastic as a last resort - Scarlett used them for the first 5 weeks, and then all of a sudden latched, so it can be done! However, some people find it hard to wean their LOs off, and it can effect your supply if you use them too often. Maybe use a nipe shield on the left breast until your nipple has come out a bit more, then take it off and try offering the boob?
I had horrible latch issues at first - Scarlett just didn't want/know how to latch. It came with time, though, and now she is 9 months old and we're still going strong! There is almost always a way, so don't give up
Hope this helps - I'm a bit tired, so I apologise if I've rambled!

 

[maybebaby3]

gertrude you really did give bf your best shot. i'd be doing the same if i were you

 

[maybebaby3]

Lover - have you tried different positions? i had to rugby ball hold Owen on one side for a while.

 

[wantabbygrl]

Hi I have a question for you ladies. I breastfeed for the first 2 weeks and was having a had time due to my son being a sloeater. He would eat for up to 2 hrs at a time cause the doc said he was a comfort sucker and I was having a little bit of the baby blues at this time to so I went to ff but now he has been having tons of issues due to ff and now I feel I would be better able to bf again but my milk has dried up. So has anyone had experiance with relactation?