Relactation

[Oxygen7880]

Hi ladies. I would really love to get your thoughts on my situation. My gorgeous daughter is almost 5 months old. I breastfed her for 15 days after she was born. I felt really ill after Labour. I developed an infection and was on antibiotics. I couldn't eat or drink and I also developed pnd. I just felt like I was in a dark place at the time. Breatfeeding was hard and I now know my milk was prob affected by me not eating or drinking.
Anyway I am in a much better place now. I couldnt be happier with my baby girl. She is fine taking formula and sleeps through the night. However I can't shake the feeling that I wish I was still breastfeeding her. I have read a little about relactation. I did try to put her to my breast this morning but she just turned away. I feel so guilty that I stopped. She used to latch brilliantly.
Am I crazy for wanting to try again? Have I left it too long?

 

[DianaB]

You're definitely not crazy for wanting to try again, my story with DD1 was very similar. I developed a very bad postpartum infection and was on several antibiotics before I finally got rid of it 2 months later. The infection killed my supply and DD1 started to drop weight so I gave up breastfeeding. Giving up was the worst thing I could have done for myself and sent me into a depression. When she turned 3.5 months old I started relactating exclusively with a pump because she wouldn't nurse. I won't lie it isn't easy and was probably one of the hardest thing I've ever done and there's also no guarantee that you will get a full supply back (I went from nothing to around 22oz a day). As a positive note as well if you plan on having more children, problems the first time around don't always repeat the second time around. It pretty much went smoothly for me the second time around.

 

[irish_cob]

I managed to relactate when my daughter was about 12 weeks old - she was formula fed from 5 weeks as I was admitted to hospital - but she would not latch on, she was just too used to bottles I had to give up on the idea and she was eff from 5 weeks.

This time round though I'm ebf and I've fed through PND and being admitted to hospital again. I was hospitalised on psych wards both times due to severe PND/anxiety, the second time it was a mother and baby unit so my baby stayed with me.

 

[Oxygen7880]

Well I am on day 6 of pumping every 2/3 hrs and once through the night. Rented a hospital grade pump but I can't afford the cost each month so will invest in one to buy since its going to be a long term thing. No milk yet, just small yellow blobs. Taking fenugreek 2caps 3x per day. I know it can take weeks so im going for it. Its exhausting I wont deny but I want to give this a real go. I know the chances are I wont get a full supply back but I figure any amount of breastmilk I give her is better than none.
Giving plenty of skin to skin and she latched for about 5 seconds when I wore a breast shield during her bottle ( I was sneaky and tried it when her eyes were closed!), but shes obviously used to the bottle now and associates it with milk. Will keep trying the latch but even if she wont, I will feed her what ever breastmilk I am able to produce, in a bottle.

 

[leigh5tom]

Good luck to you! I think you're doing something very selfless and admirable. I certainly couldn't do it, I hate pumping milk at the best of times let alone every 2/3 hrs.

Fingers crossed you get done milk soon, just imagine how good it will feel to feed your baby the very first bottle of milk you've expressed for her xxxxxx

 

[mummytobe_93]

I successfully managed to get my daughter breastfeeding again after seven weeks but I was pumping so already had supply.

If you pump and get supply up and try and get your baby to the breast as much as possible she may eventually take it. It's very different to a bottle so she may find it very difficult. When I was getting my daughter to learn how to latch again I tried in the bath quite a lot which helped relax us both. It wasn't easy it took days and days of crying but we got there in the end.

Good luck!

 

[Maddy40]

Oxygen you are doing a great job You baby may be used to the flow of bottles which is different than the breast. You may find the Medela SNS supplementary feeding system to be of use. Basically you hang a bag of milk (formula or expressed) around your neck, tape a tiny plastic tube to your boob and when bub latches onto your nipple you slip the tube in as well. When bub sucks she gets a constant flow of milk via the tube which (hopefully) makes her want to stay on the breast. The stimulation of being on the breast helps you to start relactating.

The process is a little bit complicated but it's certainly possible. There are a couple of FB groups for SNS users and those seeking to re-lactate that might have more specifics.

In my case, due to my poor supply on one side my baby will not stay on the breast at all and gets very distressed. I use the SNS system on the "sad" boob and it helps him stay on and get a good feed. It also helps maintain the tiny bit of supply that I have on that side. I am absolutely sure the system has saved my BF relationship with my son

 

[fdcsw126]

Mummytobe how did you get your lo to latch I'm trying to get mine and sh screams, I ebf. The first 4 weeks before she was hospitalized and bf has went down hill ever since the last 2 days she screams every time I try to get her to latch

 

[Oxygen7880]

Just a quick update. Almost 4 weeks in now and am managing to pump 4oz per day. I know it's only a tiny proportion of what my girl takes per day but I am really happy to be able to give her last bottle of the day as mostly breast milk,
I'm still pumping like crazy. My girl wont latch even though I have done lots of skin to skin time and lots of baths together. I don't think the sns system would work for us since I can't get her to latch.
Anyway off to pump!

 

[leigh5tom]

Amazing! You are doing such a great job. What a lucky girl your little one is to have such a hardworking and selfless mummy xxxx

 

[mummytobe_93]

Sorry just seen your comment. It took days and days to get her to latch on properly the best way I found was when I kind of squeezed my breast and put my nipple in her mouth that way. It took a thousand bad attempts and her screimg before she would take it. Also I would give her an ounce of milk via bottle if she was screaming to take the edge off hunger and then attempt again. If she got too worked up she wouldn't take it at all so I had to try and get her quite calm.
I found lots of skin to skin and trying in the bath helped and not giving up. Even when I was exhausted and she was crying for a bottle I just kept on trying and trying. Then funnily enough she stopped taking bottles after I got her back breastfeeding xx