My son finally was satisfied with my milk!

[Nicolalove353]

My son is 11 weeks old and I have had to supplement formula since he was 4 days old. We had problems with latching and now that the latch is better, my milk supply is low. I have never been able to satisfy my baby with my breast milk and that had been so hard. I have recently started taking medication to up my supply. I just fed my son and he is now asleep in my arms without his bottle! I'm so happy I could cry! I have had such a hard time bf. I hope it just gets better and I can get rid of his bottles.

 

[Nicolalove353]

Well that was short lived. I'm sitting here crying as I give him a bottle. He slept for about 30 min and then woke up. He seemed hungry again so I nursed again. About 20 min ago he started crying super hard. I tried to nurse but he wouldn't latch. I changed him and that calmed him down until I sat back down to try and nurse again and he started screaming. I walked around and that calmed him down a bit. He started fussing again so I tried putting him down in his crib because he loves his mobile and I know he is super tired. That only lasted a min. I spent the last 15 min trying to get him to latch and walking him around to calm him down. I finally broke down and gave him a bottle. He is now sucking it down.

I feel so horrible. I feel like I'm never gonna be able to get rid of the bottles. It makes me feel so horrible and a failure that I can't feed my baby with just my milk. How do I wean off bottles with out my baby screaming.

 

[annio84]

It must be really hard for you so big hugs, but here are a few things i think you should bear in mind,

1stly, from what you said even that 30 minutes was an improvement so try to be positive.
2nd breast feeding is hard work so well done for persevering.
3rd, all any of us can do is our best and doing your best for your baby is more about responding to their needs and making sure they fed, warm and loved than it is about how any of those things are acheived so stop calling yourself a failure because you're not.

Are you getting any help at all with feeding? i know you mentioned medication but maybe a lactation specialist, or we have 'little angels' volunteers, could help make a plan to cut down the bottles?

Good luck!

 

[Hope83]

^wss!!
Also have you looked into supplemental nursing systems (sns)?!
This will help boost your supply as baby will nurse while getting supplements thru a feeding tube which is attached to your breast.
I did that with both my babies in the early days to boost my supply.
Also take fenugreek and domperidone if you can. Both are good for milk supply and can be taken together!

Do you pump at all?

You are doing a wonderful job! Dont be so hard on yourself. Others may have given up a long time ago. Unfortunately nursing comes easy for some mommies and others have to work twice as hard. Like I said, you are doing great!

 

[babymonkey18]

I agree with hope83! You are doing great. Gotta take the small victories.

I have supply issues due to hemorrhaging badly at delivery. I am taking fenugreek and domperidone like pp suggested. Also blessed thistle and eating oatmeal for breakfast every morning.
I pump after every single feeding (except once in the night so I can sleep) for 20 m. I rented a hospital grade pump to get the best vacuum and it's double pump so it cuts time in half. During the day i also try to "power pump" a couple times...20 m pump, 15 m off, 10 m pump. my nipples hurt and my life revolves around the pump, but it's gotten my supply up, for sure. I figure it is worth this to have a long lasting bf relationship.

I got the supplemental nursing system and it probably has saved my breast feeding relationship with my baby. It takes a lot of patience at first...you have to get the hang of getting the tube in the baby's mouth. after a few sessions of baby eating the supplement from your breast, they start to begin seeing the breast as a good place to get food, and stop being frustrated. It's taken a good wk but I already see huge differences. And this way, it's not just maintaining the breast relationship with your baby, but it's also stimulating your nipples to increase supply as baby suckles, even if their "reward"is coming from somewhere else. I think you can get it online for only $15. I was able to go to a lactation consultant and that's how much it cost me. Try to see an lc if that is an option for you. If not, maybe you can get help from someone in la leche league. I just want you to have the proper emotional support...i definitely needed it.

Please feel free to pm me if you want. My baby is only 12 days old but I spent days 4-10 sobbing...i understand where you're coming from. Don't give up!

 

[babymonkey18]

Also, you said your son is almost 3 months old...maybe he's going thru a growth spurt?! I know babies tend to cluster feed at those times. Keep trying to get him latched if possible. I know it's so so hard not to get frustrated. another thing I've learned is a screaming baby won't latch do if you know a good way to calm him (i used to let my son such my pinky just for a few seconds to calm him down enough to try and latch again). you're seriously doing so great...don't give up and any breast milk your baby is getting is great!

 

[babymonkey18]

Sry to post so much lol but one last thing: bottle feeding is hard...i hate watching my baby take a bottle. But you are not a failure if you have to give a bottle. #1 thing is healthy baby...so if you end up having to use a bottle just move forward to the next feed and try the breast again.

 

[Nicolalove353]

Thanks ladies. Bf is such a roller coaster. I have tried the fenugreek but I heard that it is not working unless you can smell it in your urine. I got up to 4 pills 4x a day and still couldn't smell it. I haven't heard of domperidone, I will look into it. I have heard of the sns but I have just put if trying it. My friend did it and said it was so frustrating that she finally quit bf all together. I might look into it more though.

I went to a Lc when he was first born and they did help with his latch done. I moved to a tiny mountain town when he was 3 weeks old and the closest la leche or Lc is 2 hours away

I need to start pumping more, I know that it will help my supply. I just hate pumping and if is so frustrating to do both at the same time because I feel like I need an extra hand. I have a madella double electric pump but I'm not sure if it works properly.

He is getting better with nursing but it seems hit and miss lately. He will nurse 15-20 min on each side one time and fuss like crazy another. I keep telling myself that when he gets so fussy to just give him and ounce of formula and then latch him on. I get so frustrated that by the time I give him the bottle I forget and give him the while thing. Just from when I posted this, I have told myself I'm gonna quit a few times but then got my bearings and stick with it. So many tears still when I give him a bottle. Logically I know I'm not a failure but I sometimes I just feel that way.

 

[Nicolalove353]

Also, you said your son is almost 3 months old...maybe he's going thru a growth spurt?! I know babies tend to cluster feed at those times. Keep trying to get him latched if possible. I know it's so so hard not to get frustrated. another thing I've learned is a screaming baby won't latch do if you know a good way to calm him (i used to let my son such my pinky just for a few seconds to calm him down enough to try and latch again). you're seriously doing so great...don't give up and any breast milk your baby is getting is great!

I was just thinking about this. I do think he is going through a growth spurt because he gets so fussy right away. I don't even have enough time to get my noob out before he is hysterically screaming. Then there is no way to get him to latch when he does that. I give him my pinky and give him a pacifier and he just screams! The only way to calm him is to get up and rock him but when I sit down he immediately screams. I have been getting my boob out and ready before I even sit down with him to get my nipple in his mouth before he has time to scream.

When I do remember to only give him a little formula before I nurse him, he screams bloody murder when I take the bottle from him that I can't latch him. It is such a nightmare. The last few days have been so emotionally draining.

I am proud that I have stuck through bf this far and if it doesn't work out, I know he has gotten 3 months of my milk which makes me happy. I'm not ready to give up yet and I will keep trying. I'm so thankful for all you ladies because when I talk to my friends, they just tell my to quit and I don't get support from them.

 

[annio84]

Are you feeding him on demand? Maybe you could try preempting him and offering the breast before he starts fussing? Grace has times when she will get herself so worked up and can't latch because she's so stressed and she also will settle when being walked but scream if I sit down. I sometimes feed her in my moby when she does this but I'm not that good with the moby so most often it's just a waiting game until she calms down enough.

Anyway, you're doing really well so well done you. Also, if you're thinking of quitting but don't really want to then try setting yourself short little goals, say you'll keep going until sunday and see how you feel. If you can you go on to the next week, but the only day you can quit is sunday. Breaking it down like that can make it seem a little less overwhelming.

 

[Nicolalove353]

Are you feeding him on demand? Maybe you could try preempting him and offering the breast before he starts fussing? Grace has times when she will get herself so worked up and can't latch because she's so stressed and she also will settle when being walked but scream if I sit down. I sometimes feed her in my moby when she does this but I'm not that good with the moby so most often it's just a waiting game until she calms down enough.

Anyway, you're doing really well so well done you. Also, if you're thinking of quitting but don't really want to then try setting yourself short little goals, say you'll keep going until sunday and see how you feel. If you can you go on to the next week, but the only day you can quit is sunday. Breaking it down like that can make it seem a little less overwhelming.

I normally do feed in demand. I think I will start feeding every hour and a half/ 2 hours. He gets the most cranky one he wakes up from a nap. He wants his food right then! We have done good today, so far he has only gotten one bottle about 4 hours ago. He usually would get one every 3 hours. I nursed him and he fell asleep on my boob, woke up and I nursed him again. I am hoping we can cut out his second bottle all together.

We do have some progress. I have cut out 4-10 oz of formula a day which is 1-2 bottles. The good moments are wonderful but the bad moments are horrible. I guess I need to remember what we have accomplished thus far when things are bad. I think his growth spurt is making things much more difficult.