need help to go back to BF after FF

[tigereyes]

i know this must be the most ridiculus thing but i just wanted to give it a try... maybe someone can help me out and support me in succeeding....
i EBF my LO since birth for the first 4 weeks.... then i had to add bottle along with BF... i just got lazy in buying a pump to express but baby was fine with both FF n BF... another 3-4 weeks passed and i had to travel a lot... which made BF practically impossible.. hence baby was switch to FF with once or twice BF per day... now its been almost 3 weeks and the baby has totally refused to take the boob... he would cry n cry until i give him the bottle... i try to put him on the breast but he totally refuses it... the milk supply has diminished... now if i press/squeeze hard i get a few drops but i know that once he starts sucking the supply would be established...
plz help me... the guilt is killing me n i feel so helpless and frustrated as i wanted to EBF my baby..
is it not possible to BF now..?? shall i give up?? plz help me...

 

[iiTTCii]

It's not impossible, but it will be hard work.
I tried going back to breast feeding after 4 weeks of not breastfeeding. LO was tongue tied so struggled with her latching on in the early days.
I would pump every 2 hours for 30 minutes at a time, day and night but I would only get a quarter of an onze at a time (using a double electric pump). After a few days, I was exhausted because as well as pumping, I was obviously having to do everything else.
Don't let me put you off though, I'm just letting you know its hard work. I read a few threads on here where women successfully did it.
Get as much help as you can and be prepared to be glued to that pump for a couple of weeks until you build your supply back up.

Good luck x

 

[Nevaie]

You could try a nipple shield (will feel more like a bottle nipple to him) and maybe even a supplemental feeder until your supply builds back up. The feeder helped me for a while when my baby was little but ultimately my daughter never did go back onto the breast after medical issues (she fusses too much, even with a steady stream), so I pump now. I've heard of plenty of others who had success though, so there's always hope

Edit: I'd also like to note that I HAVE rebuilt my supply quite a bit. At one point it was down to almost nothing - 2 ounces a day if I was lucky. I started pumping as often as possible and taking supplements and I'm back up to being able to provide about half of her intake per day now. If I were able to get more pumping sessions in each day (only manage about 4 a day currently due to time and her screaming when the pump turns on) I'd probably be able to do even better. If I were able to just breastfeed instead of trying to fit in pumping/feeding/cleaning bottles and parts and everything else that comes with it, I'm confident we'd be back up to 100% breastmilk. It can be done.

 

[tigereyes]

i hope itworks... i tried to pump but didnt get a single drop.. so i gave up... i have the tommee tippee manual one... i was using Avent bottles but since two dys i have switched to Tommee Tippee bottle (as its shape resembles that of a brest... well i thgt that might work in helping him getting back to the boob)... but he was been refusing to ake it... after constant effort and staying firm on using tommee tippee bottle... he has finally started taking a little formula from the new bottle... i wish n hope that it reminds him of BF n he returns...

 

[fieryphoenix]

It's definitely possible. I'd recommend getting a good double electric pump, rent a hospital one for a couple of months if possible. Pump as often as you can, every two-three hours, especially at night. Once you have a bit of milk coming in, then you can try a nipple shield and get baby latched on. Check out the bf forum too, theres lots of advice and supportive folks there!

 

[detterose]

Your milk supply wont come back overnight. It's all about supply and demand. Your best option is renting a double electric hospital grade pump and pumping every 2-3 hours and trying to get baby to the breast. Lots of skin to skin contact. Lots of water and regular meals. Fenugreek capsules. Oats. If you can get your hands on Domperidine, that is meant to help with milk supply as well.

I agree with trying a nipple shield, that was the only way I could get my LO on the boob after giving him bottles. One lady on here spent days in bed with her LO having skin to skin contact and trying to nurse and regained her supply after a good month or so.

Don't be discouraged by the small amount of milk you get pumping, it will increase over time, but like I said, it will not come back overnight and the most important pumping/nursing sessions will be early in the morning like 1am where your prolactin levels are at their highest.

It's hard work, but if you want to EBF, then go for it and good luck xx

 

[cat_reversing]

hey, just wanted to say 'do it!'
it may be hard work but will be worth it in the end.

 

[tigereyes]

no matter how much i try.. i cant get the baby to the breast...
he simply refuses to take it n cries n cries until i give him the bottle... i dont know how n what to do??? and on top of that i have two older kids... it gets even more difficult to manage in their presence...
i wish i could do something... i've tried putting it in his mouth while he is still crying but he just wont latch on... what to do??

 

[daddiesgift]

It's hard work. I felt guilty for stopping with #2 so I tried to get it back up, like you having a few drops a day. I eventually had to come to terms with the fact we just had to move on. The guilt does end. My baby latched but just didnt suck strong enough. I used a hospital grade pump I got from hospital, I recommend lubricating your nipples first as pumping with no milk is hurtful. Take fenugreek tablets and drink mothers milk tea. Even baby never latches again you can still build up your supply to pump exclusively.

 

[tigereyes]

my baby is 3 n half months old... and every passing day seems like a big loss to me... shall i try starving the baby untill he eventually latches on??? but its not easy to make n see him cry hez generally a very happy n smiling baby has anyone tried doing this??

 

[daddiesgift]

Hun, getting a baby to latch after having only the bottle is going to be really hard. Especially if its been months of no breast nipple. That's why they say nipple confusion and not to use a bottle. I tried after a week of only bottle and my LO would latch but he'd never suck right because getting milk out of a bottle is much easier than the breast. Your LO is use to the bottle nipple and the fast flow of that. I'm not saying its impossible but I just don't see it being easy. I really think you should consider providing your milk in a bottle and holding baby skin to skin when you bottle feed. You will still be providing your milk and having bonding time.

See a lactation consultant or nurse about the latching but please do not starve the baby or work yourself into a depression. It's not that babe doesn't want breast it's LO doesn't know how anymore. It's not going to think "I'm starving I better take this breast and get the milk" it's thinking "what the hell is this? And why is it shoved in my mouth? Why am I not getting my bottle, where's my milk? I want my milk!" Even though babe had the breast its now had the bottle longer and breast feeding is a technique learned, not remember for our whole life.

If your LO is happy with the bottle then please do not beat yourself up. All that matters is our babies are loved, fed and happy. It doesn't matter how that's done as long as it is.

 

[fieryphoenix]

Bump