Trying to get back to breastfeeding - can I?

[kates84]

Hi everyone,

My first time posting in this section and my first post since having my little one.

My little boy Richard is 16 weeks old. I breastfed exclusively for the first 2 months but then I started getting very ill - I have Graves disease, a chronic condition that makes me very poorly if it's not properly controlled with my anti-thyroid medication and with the pregnancy and postpartum hormones throwing things off balance, I've not been fully well for over a year - it reached breaking point 8 weeks ago and I was hospitalised.

Once out of hospital, I started supplementing with formula to save energy - Richard was always a big baby with a big appetite (he's currently 26 pounds and in the 100th percentile for length) and I just didn't have the energy at that time to breastfeed for 2 hours at a time. My husband having to go work in India for 3 weeks didn't help and it was easy to just start supplementing more and more until he's now only being breastfed at night and morning and maybe a couple of sessions during the day. It got to the stage that it's more breastmilk that's the supplement instead of the formula

Anyway I'm slowly getting a little better - I'm not recovered yet but I am on the road. I've been trying to increase the amount of breast feeding but of course my supply has dwindled down dramatically - and because there's not enough, Richard can't get enough and gets upset so I end up giving more formula and because of that my supply doesn't increase and so the vicious circle continues.

So guys, please help me. Is it possible to increase my supply at nearly 4 months? I don't think I could spend hours pumping each day because Richard only sleeps maybe half an hour most days and likes to spend most of the rest of the time interacting with me - the bit of time I get when he is happy to play by himself, I have to spend doing my job as a freelance writer, making my house semi-presentable and cooking.

I've asked my GP, health visitor and a breastfeeding specialist for help but they all say things like "do more skin to skin" (which I do loads of anyway and it doesn't help) and when I told them it hadn't helped, they all started telling me to ask the others for advice and finally just said "well, just stick with it".

Sorry this is so long and incoherent - I just want to know if I can increase my supply so that my baby is at least getting more breastmilk than formula. I've accepted that I probably wont get to exclusively breastfeed him but I feel such a failure because he's getting more formula than breastmilk. If anyone has any advice I'd be so grateful (but please don't judge me too harshly)

Edited to add - I forgot to say, my milk supply started decreasing even before supplementing because of the hormonal imbalance my graves disease and overactive thyroid causes which I still have so that's probably why the "gentle" techniques like skin to skin etc haven't had any effect.

 

[Mica]

Don't really have any advice, but I just wanted to say good luck and that you shouldn't feel like a failure. You've done what you've had to do to keep yourself and your baby healthy and thriving. I've had to supplement with formula and expressed milk for several weeks now - some days I've been able to give more breast milk than formula, but other days I can't catch up and he gets more formula. I hated that we had to use formula at all, but I've come to terms with it as I see it's important that my baby get enough to eat.
I'm currently trying to boost my supply by taking fenugreek capsules, although I don't know how they'll work. I know there are other herbal remedies as well to help boost supply.
Hopefully one of the ladies on this forum will have some good advice for you. And I don't think anyone would judge you. You're doing the best you can!

 

[kates84]

Thank you Mica x

 

[hopingforit]

You can increase supply. Try to add in breastfeeding sessions and if you have a pump, it wouldn't hurt to pump between sessions also to signal your body to make more milk. Eat oatmeal and drink lots of water. If you drink caffeine, try to cut it out or limit to one cup a day. If you are allowed by your dr ( I don't know what you can take with your meds but the following are natural) drink mothers milk tea and take fenugreek. All of those things should help to increase your supply. If all that fails, you can get a prescription to increase milk supply from your dr. BF is usually about supply and demand so the more demand, the more you make. Hopefully this works for you and I hope you keep feeling better/recovering.

 

[lovingmumma]

fenugreek is great for increasing milk supply or a yummy way is baking lactation cookies! have a google to find a recipe, but basically the key ingredient is the brewers yeast in them, after i made a batch of them i ate a few too many and woke up soaked, which hasent happened since my milk first came in not sure if they work for everyone but they have for everyone in my mums group. hope all goes well!!

 

[lunamoona]

There is a drug called domperidone which will increase your supply, it is marketed under the name of motilium in the UK and can be bought over the counter. You would be wise to check with your GP first as it is really for stomach complaints and may cause complications with your condition.

To help increase your supply in a more natural way, try giving just the first couple of ounces of his bottle to take the edge off his hunger and then put him on the breast. He will have a bit more patience to feed from you, keep him on as long as you can and then let him have more from his bottle. Put him back on after his bottle is finished to see if he will try for a bit more. This may be more time efficient for you than pumping which can be quite stressful if you are rushing.

All the best

 

[Care76]

Pumping didn't do much to help my supply, I had to take domperidone and keep baby at breast constantly. Yes, he was frustrated by the lack of milk but I would just keep putting him back. Some women need more help. My baby is almost 8 months and I tried weaning off the medication and my supply still dropped even though my supply should be stable now.

Good luck!

 

[kates84]

Thank you to all of you - I've tried some of the brilliant suggestions - fenugreek and offering Richard the breast in the middle of a bottle - and it seems to be helping so I'm very very grateful.

If it doesn't increase enough I'll go see my doctors to get the drug mentioned x

 

[Serafina83]

Hello I have been having a few issues with supply and babie not putting on weight recently. And I was told by health visitor that night feelings are really important for increasing supply! She said you body produces a hormone called prolactin at night and it's the prolactin that tells ur body to produce. Said best time to feed/pump is between 2 and 3am. Good luck x