Stupid, useless boobs :(

[Popples1]

My LO has just had his 8 week jabs which understandably upset us both a bit. We came home, I took our clothes off and we got into bed for some skin to skin and bf. Instead of being comforted, LO is getting more wound up, latching, unlatching and fighting me. He's been doing this for a while. I hoped having his tongue tie snipped would help but it hasn't made any difference at all. I can only assume that my low supply and/or slow let down is upsetting him. All I want to do is to be able to comfort and feed my baby and my stupid, useless boobs won't cooperate. I've been so determined from day 1, feeding, pumping etc but it's obviously not enough. I've only had two hours sleep which won't have helped but I feel like such a failure. My body was so clever growing my perfect baby and now it's letting me down. It's not fair.

 

[HBGirl]

Aw hun. I know how you feel. I have inverted nipples and hate my stupid defuncted boobs so much.

Have you tried fenugreek for supply?

 

[angelandbump]

Sending you a hug.
If you think your let down is slow, maybe pump a little before you start a feed to encourage your milk to come down. Also, to increase your supply, after you LO feeds; pump off that bust till you feel its completely empty. I have done this for months and I went from what I felt was a low supply to constant full boobs. Even after my 6month old feeds, I can get a further 4oz of the same boob.
I hope you feel better soon xx

 

[missk1989]

I know its easier said than done but try to relax. It will speed up the let down.

 

[Kelskiii]

I've been on a very hard journey with breastfeeding so far .. The best advice I can give is take fenugreek & lots of it. I struggled up until 10wks then I started taking fenugreek & my milk came on so much more. We still have hard weeks/days with cluster feeding but no where near as bad as in the beginning.

Also after dd jabs she was on off getting angry at my boobs it lasted a few days.

 

[special_kala]

You can try speeding up your milk a little whilst he is latched on by squeezing your boob gently to encourage the milk

 

[Popples1]

Thanks. I did express after 3 of the feeds yesterday. I didn't get much out but I did feel fuller today so think it helped a bit. Unfortunately I've just tried to feed him now and we both ended up in tears so I've had to resort to a bottle of formula and will express when DH gets home to keep my supply up. I'm so upset that it feels like my breastfeeding days are numbered

 

[meli1981]

I say this all the time..but if you dont want to quit bfing...then please see a lactation consultant! Mine saved my bfing bond with my second baby!

 

[Popples1]

How do I find one? Do I go via my HV? I called the National Childbirth Trust for advice but they didn't ring me back until I was already in bed so I'll try again tomorrow. I just did a night feed that was fine - he was sleepy and my boob was really full, not sure which (maybe both?) made the difference. I will NOT have this taken away from me!

 

[TCK_Runner]

I've been on a very hard journey with breastfeeding so far .. The best advice I can give is take fenugreek & lots of it. I struggled up until 10wks then I started taking fenugreek & my milk came on so much more. We still have hard weeks/days with cluster feeding but no where near as bad as in the beginning.

Also after dd jabs she was on off getting angry at my boobs it lasted a few days.

The things that have helped my production include but are not limited to:

- cutting soy, peppermint, and all other things inhibiting milk production from my diet
- eating ice cream and/or cheese at least once per day! (I like this one)
- drinking 2-3 cups per day of this bio/organic tea (in Germany called 'Stilltee') with some kind of herbs in it that claims to help production (it has worked for me at least!)
- drinking a boatload of water, I'd say I'm consuming at least between 2-3 liters per day.
- keeping caloric intake up - the days when I forget to eat I notice production has gone down
- SLEEEEEEP. OMG, cannot stress this one enough!!!! When I go to bed early, hand over one feed to my husband and sleep for at least 4-5 hours straight I produce a lot. (Especially if I wake up and pump very early in the morning, crack of dawn or before it (3-6AM etc). This morning I hit a record high of nearly 300mL/10 ounces...!!!)

I am not saying everyone can produce a lot because honestly it REALLY depends on the person, and I think it's b.s. to say otherwise... but my milk came in late, and until I tried the above I was not producing a lot AT ALL. My midwife is the one who told me that I needed to cut back on the soy products (I'm a vegetarian with some lactose intolerance, so that is difficult...) and try to take in some dairy since I didn't have any.

Also, another friend of mine said what worked for her was fenugreek and - I kid you not - beer. I haven't tried beer because I don't want to consume alcohol... but I might try an alcohol-free wheat beer sometime soon (we have good choices here in Germany for that).

Good luck!

 

[Popples1]

10oz? Wow, that's really good! Thanks for the tips x

 

[TCK_Runner]

10oz? Wow, that's really good! Thanks for the tips x

Granted I hadn't pumped for 6 hours... my husband let me sleep from 11:45-05:45 In any case, it is the best I have ever pumped. I couldn't pump more than an ounce or two the first 2-3 weeks, so obviously something changed!

 

[leigh5tom]

You've done so well to get this far and baby has had a good amount of breast milk by now hope things soon get better for you xxxx