Nipple Confusion Help

[lady3]

Anybody have any good advice to help me with breastfeeding? In the first week that Marlie was home, she was sleeping for so long and not feeding enough. I would wake her up to feed, but she was so tired, she wouldn't feed very well or long. I was waiting for the midwife to come and help but due to the hospital messing up, a midwife never came. Grrr. Anyway, in desperation, my DH and I gave her a bottle which she took straight to. Now she has trouble latching on. She can do it, and it seems that one day she'll prefer a bottle, the next day she'll be able to breastfeed. I'm worried that the days that she prefers the bottle will increase and she'll stop breastfeeding fully. What should I do? Should I take away the bottles fully, which would cause a lot of frustration for her and me, or should I just bite the bullet and give her whatever she'll take?

I've loved bfing, and don't want to stop, so any help or advice is fully appreciated. I will try anything!

Thanks ladies.

 

[mommytashaX2]

I haven't had any issues with any of my children breastfeeding so I'm not sure what recommendations would really work but I would say that if you enjoy breastfeeding and you don't want to stop right now that you should try to cut out the bottle or express your milk into a bottle so at least she is comfortable with your milk and before trying to breastfeed, expressing some of your breastmilk onto your nipples so that she will notice the taste and try to latch.. Try when shes hungriest.. After the long naps or at night, get comfortable/relaxed and make your attempt.. I had issues with my daughter taking the bottle and we just kept trying at her hungriest times and she eventually began to take the bottle, but it takes a lot of trying over and over to get results.. I found some pointers in this baby book that I have been reading so you may want to try some to see if any of them work for you...

1. Unwrap your baby. Blankets make it hard for you baby to be close enough to latch well.
2. Turn your baby's whole body to you (tummy to tummy). You may even want to try taking your shirt off and your baby's shirt and covering yourself and baby under the blanket so that she feels the warmth and comfort of your skin.
3. Aim your nipple high in your baby's mouth.
4. Touch your baby's lips with your breast to help her open her mouth wide.
5. Wait until your baby opens her mouth wide, like a yawn.
6. Bring your baby in close to you.
7. Put your hand on her shoulders, not her head.

I've just copied these points directly from the book, so hopefully they work for you!! Good luck

 

[goofy]

Hi .. I had a similar problem with my first. I had an emerg csection - i didnt bfeed for 2 days so baby was given the bottle. I had really wanted to bfeed so the way i did it was always offer the breast first - she was fussy at first but than that strted to ease. Initially i was topping up with bottle maybe once in morning or in the early evening after the inital attmpt at the breast. After about a week it was one top up. which than went to 0. My daughter bfed for 10 months. After which she lost intrest herself and i went back to bottles. I know mix feeding is not reccommended but it helped me establish bfeeding and also gave me peace of mind that she was getting something during her fussy weeks. Hope this has helped.

goodluck!

 

[KarenLV]

I was told at the hospital if you want to give your baby formula or expressed milk whilst breastfeeding,it should be done from a cup and never from a bottle as this leads to nipple confusion. Some nights when I am exhausted and my milk supply is low I will feed my boy some milk from a small medicine cup. I hold it to his lips and he drink from it by himself. I do not pour it into his mouth,thereby I avoid nipple confusion. Only give a bottle if you are ready to give up breastfeeding for good.Just continue with your breastfeeding and avoid giving her a bottle. Use a small plastic medicinal cup for top ups or supplements.

 

[lady3]

Thanks ladies. I've tried a lot of the ideas suggested, and doing skin-to-skin time was very successful! Also, changing her position to make her belly touch mine. She's not had a bottle all day today which is a first, so we'll see if she can carry on that way through the night. Currently she'll only bfeed from the right side, so I am expressing the left side. Let's hope she evens out, but if she doesn't, I'm so much happier that she's bfing now. Thanks!

 

[Serene123]

I'm very lucky, I only breastfeed once or twice a day now but she is still very good at latching on. Sometimes, when she's being abit lazy, I will just lay in bed with my top and bra off and with her in her nappy on my belly and she soon finds herself to my boob!

I'd also say, try putting her on your boob before she is really hungry. Another one of the girls on here recommended it to me, and it worked a treat. Just look for things like her sucking her hand etc.

I really would try not to give her a bottle unless you reallllllllly have to. I wish I didn't have to.

 

[Ragirl]

Hang in there! I don't really know much about this, but if you go to the thread "I Can't Stop" (started by Toria) there is a long post (by Marley I think???) about transition from bottle back to breast. While this isn't exactly the same, there might be some info you can use there. Good luck!!

 

[Ragirl]

Oops double post somehow