in need of encouragement

[kajastarlight]

things are so frusterating! My LO was 3 weeks early and a sleepy baby and my milk didn't come in for 3 days. So he lost weight from 7lbs 10oz to 6lbs 15oz. The next week he did not gain at all and his pediatrition told me I had to suppliment. So i pumped and pumped and bf and gave him pumped milk. First we tried supplimenting through a tube while he was at the breast but that didn't work out. So I bottle fed it to him and pumped and pumped so I wouldn't loose supply until we could just breastfeed. But he was so sleepy! I felt like I was torchering him to stay up and nurse. Then it changed to gassy, fussy, won't stay latched with letdown, pops off and cries as milk continues to shoot out of my constantly engorged achy breast. I thought it was nipple preference but he would get pissed off at the bottle sometimes too! Yep. I went from not enough to oversupply. I only found that out because I researched why he had bright green poop and then all the other symptoms and signs fit.
This has been a nightmare and I am so freaking frusterated I want to quit! But I DON'T want to quit!! Please if anyone has had similar problems they overcame any tips or words of encouragement would be great. I hate this but it will get better... right??

 

[Kazy]

Hi kaja. I don't have experience but I know the beginning of breast feeding is the hardest and you can do it! Do you have a lactation consultant line?
I have read that sometimes when you have an over supply you only feed from one side per feeding and possibly pump a tiny bit so the letdown comes and then start nursing.

 

[AnonymousCAT]

Sounds like you are going through a very rough time. Bf is so hard in the beginning. I don't have the same experiences as you but I similarly struggled. With the support of my midwives and lactation consultants and a lot of persistence and perseverance I was able to get through the rough beginning and am still going at 6 months. Without my determination and stubbornness though I could easily understand why someone would not persist with it. It was not fun and was honestly one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. My DS was 5 weeks early and was in nicu. He didn't successfully latch until he was almost a week old so I established my milk with pumping. My milk was slow to come in too and had an under supply. He was obviously very sleepy and would need to be simulated through each 1.5 hr feed once latched. I pumped after feeds as well to protect my supply as he wasn't emptying the breast. I was recovering from a c section so was exhausted. I first slept 4 hrs straight when he was 14 weeks old. I went through an over active let down, weaning a nipple shield, repeated clogged ducts and one bought of mastitis. If continuing to bf is important to you I would get some professional help ASAP. You can do this! But you might need help. With all I've been through bf is really easy and enjoyable now and I am so happy I stuck it out. The joy I see on DS's face at each feed makes it all worth it. He loves it. Good luck to you!

 

[kajastarlight]

Thank you ladies. Today went a little better, i think. He nursed for 30 min. each feed and doesnt seem as gassy. Fx things keep getting easier!

 

[ttc126]

Hope things are better for you! I just wanted to share that my ds2 was also born at 37 weeks and decided to be super sleepy too. He was 6lbs 11oz at birth and at discharge from hospital was 6lbs 5oz. Then at two weeks old he was 6lbs 7oz. He didn't get back to birth weight until a month old!

We would wake him every two hours then bf each side 10 min. Then I would offer 2oz pumped milk in the bottle. Then I would pump to keep up supply. It was rough but finally he got less sleepy and his mouth got bigger and he started gaining like crazy! At 4 months he's 14lbs 12oz!

Stick with it! You can do this!!!!!!!!!

 

[noon_child]

It is totally normal for milk not to come in till 3 days (if fact that is about the earliest it will come in) and he lost a normal amount of weight too so it sounds like he did get colostrum but has struggled since your milk came in.

1) before you latch him, if you can, get your breasts to let down in to a cup or cloth (by manual expression or pump but don't keep pumping, just to get letdown going). Then when you latch LO he won't get suddenly overcome with a high volume of milk.

2) block feed him (every feed within a three hour window should come from the same breast - any longer than that and you risk engorgement in the other breast)

3) read up on normal and problematic breastfeeding signs on the LLL website or Kellymom.

4) see if breastfeeding charities like LLL would come out to visit you and observe feeds (this was a lifesaver for me)

5) stop pumping - it is confusing your breasts in to making too much