still not doing it right!!

[princessellie]

i still cant breastfeed, i thought we were doing really well this week, been taking fenugreek to get my milk up, being feeding her loads, expressing to increase my supply and eating loads more all to try and get her to gain weight and in a week shes only put on 2oz

ive been told i will more than likely have to supplement her i might be just being stubborn but i want to only feed her BM until shes 1, but it seems my milk really isnt enough for her

i dont know what else to do, please suggestions so i dont have to give her formula

x

 

[Freya]

Domperidone medication for acid tummy apparently increases milk - but I guess you dont know whether the amount of milk is the problem? Apart from suggesting eating well and drinking lots..... I'm stumped. Can you express milk off to bank and top DD up by a bottle if you feel she is still hungry after a bf?

WOuld you feel ok with one ff a day? Say the last feed before sleep time? As a small compromise rather than supplementing lots of ff.

Sending hugs xxx

 

[princessellie]

well i will FF if i have to, obv i want to do whats best for leyla not me lol, although i do feel a bit guilty for trying to push BF on her when it isnt working, i would be alright with giving her a few FFs a day but i would much rather not have to resort to formula, im really stubborn so i will feel like i failed her if i give her a FF, i know...stupid but its just how i feel about it

i just fed her and then tried to give her a top up of 2oz expressed and she projectiled it all over me, so i dont think it is my supply thats off, since she mustve got enough in the feed, it does seem my milk just isnt good enough

x

 

[mommyof3co]

Does she seem satisfied? Not all babies will gain like others, if she seems full after she nurses and is satisfied for a good amount of time, not constantly wanting to eat i would stick it out a little more without the formula. I was the same way, I didn't want my kids to have formula, the only one that actually never had any was hayden though.

 

[princessellie]

well i just fed her then and she seemed satisfied enough, all relaxed like ur meant to look out for, but then she started screaming which is why i gave her the 2oz, but it wasnt more milk she wanted, think she was just tired cos ive put her down with her dummy and shes lying peacefully, what will the HV do if i refuse togive her a bottle, i wont get her took off me will i?

x

 

[Jemima]

well i just fed her then and she seemed satisfied enough, all relaxed like ur meant to look out for, but then she started screaming which is why i gave her the 2oz, but it wasnt more milk she wanted, think she was just tired cos ive put her down with her dummy and shes lying peacefully, what will the HV do if i refuse togive her a bottle, i wont get her took off me will i?

x

Of course you won't. I think you should just be totally honest with the HV and tell her you want to do all you can to avoid putting her on fomula as it's a decision you feel you will regret in the future.

I used to always mistake Poppy's tiredness for hunger in the early weeks so that's definitely something to look out for.

Not sure if you have already, but are there any lactation consultants in your area? I found them really helpful when I had a few problems with Poppy early on.

 

[Kunama]

Do not panic, the HV cannot take your LO from you for not giving her a top up! Have you asked HV if there is someone you can speak to, maybe a breastfeeding counciler? I have found in the past HV are too quick to demand a top up bottle to force weight on baby to meet 'guidelines'. My local BF counciler was amazing and gave me suport and lots of ideas I hadn't even thought of.
Even if you do have to give the odd FF to supplement buba, please don't look at it as failing, you can still BF along with FF, even reverting back to pure BF later on, as long as you keep supply up.

Good luck hon, it can be a long road, but you've done great to get this far! x

 

[marley2580]

Try not to worry too much about her weight gain, that should never be the only thing looked at to see if a baby is growing. Kaya had awful weight gain (still does) but she was moving up the clothes sizes, had loads of wet and dirty nappies and was generally satisfied and happy. So I told my HV to get lost and never saw her again lol. How do you feel she's doing? In cases like this mothers instinct is usually right.

 

[princessellie]

thanks everyone, well i have to go to the hospital tomorro to see a brestfeeding counsellor so hopefully she will be able to help, i personally think shes doing alright, i mean she wees, she poos, she is generally quite peaceful and sleepy, tbh i think shes a bit pissed off wit me trying to force feed her all the time lol, but then again i have been wrong before and i wouldnt be able to live with myself if i was too stubborn about this and she got ill because of it...or worse! i know it prob wont come to that like but i have always been a bit of a what if person lol

x

 

[Shifter]

If she's going through plenty of nappies and seems happy then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. We have just taken the decision to put Jack on formula temporarily and it certainly is not a failure, he isn't getting milk from me atm and needs to eat. We WILL get back to the breast in a day or two. Lots of people have to supplement with formula when it gets hard but it doesn't actually sound like you need to.

 

[emie]

i still cant breastfeed, i thought we were doing really well this week, been taking fenugreek to get my milk up, being feeding her loads, expressing to increase my supply and eating loads more all to try and get her to gain weight and in a week shes only put on 2oz

ive been told i will more than likely have to supplement her i might be just being stubborn but i want to only feed her BM until shes 1, but it seems my milk really isnt enough for her

i dont know what else to do, please suggestions so i dont have to give her formula

x

sorry to but in ..but you have to take into account the size and shape of

you and your husband if your both small as babies it is more likely to follow

suit...some babies dont gain an awful lot of weight,,why is it that health

visitors constantely push breastfeeding mothers to supplement when the

mothers milk is all that a baby needs, it changes to the babies requirements

what formula can do that,its just the right temperture too, if your baby is

happy then that is enough you have to go with your gut instinct your the

babies mother you no whats right for your baby..wishing you all the best.

you sound like your doing a brilliant job dont let the HV or MW say otherwise..

 

[princessellie]

thanks everyone, i'll wait and see what the BF counsellor says tomorrow, im pretty sure my latch is off even though everyone keeps teling me its ok

x

 

[princessellie]

just got back from seeing the BF counsellor, she has lent me a double pump, said i have to feed her as much as possible and express in between feeds, and i have to feed her at least every 3hrs, more if she will have it, i have to top her up with 3oz EBM after each feed aswell to try and get her weight back up, she said if it doesnt go up to at least 30g weight gain a day by then i will have to give her formula

come on body, we can do it lol

x

 

[ryder]

Jasmine was ff at the age that leyla is, and from 2 months-4.5 months she only gained 1lb. Then from 4-5 months- 5months she gain 3lbs and 3 inches! A huge growth spurt.

How much does Leyla weigh?

Babies ff or bf don't always have a steady weight gain, they have starts and stops etc... If Leyla is peeing lots and its a nice light yellow, not concentrated, and she is having poops and isnt constipated then you are doing fine.

 

[Ema]

Hun, Jacob is ff feed and has only gained 3oz in 4 weeks, So IMO she and you are doing great XxxX

 

[Shifter]

I don't want to tell you to ignore the advice you've been given, but I would strongly suggest that you don't "have" to put her on formula simply because of her weight gain. The fact that she is gaining a little is a good sign in itself, she doesn't have to conform to someone else's idea of what is "normal".

Like others have said, if she is generating plenty of wet and dirty nappies, isn't jaundiced and is content then you absolutely do not need to worry. Not all babies gain at the same rate. Have you looked at the BF weight gain charts sticky?