Urgent Advice - About to begin expressing

[loopylou86]

Right, LO is 4 days old and I managed one feed on the breast and that was after he was born. He just won't latch on and I have given up. He would have had no food ever if I hadn't formula fed him and I feel so rubbish for giving up.

Anyway, I have invested in a breast pump and got two bottles yesterday afternoon, both 2 oz. I then leaked LOADS during the night. I have decided today to 'try' and not formula feed and express only, I am determined to.

I started this afternoon and expressed 2 x 3oz feeds. I then expressed 2 1/2 hours later but only managed 1 x 2oz feed. As I have used two of the bottles, I only have 1 x 3oz feed left. I am going to try and express later tonight but am worried if I fail, I only have one feed for little man.

Will I be able to feed him formula if I really can't get anything? I dont want to keep messing his system up and primarily want to express not formula feed. I know you can do 50/50 but can you mix and match so one bottle formula one express. I am so worried about tonight and doing it all wrong. Its hurting me so much not being able to breastfeed him

 

[lukesmom]

Im not 100% tbh hun,I bet someone on here will be though.My MW told me yesterday because my milk supply had run down due to me not drinking enough to BF for 10 minutes each side and then top the feed off with a 1oz FF so Im assuming that you can mix the different type of feed.Sorry I didnt have any advice.xxx

 

[MelanieAnn]

Hi Loopy Lou

Can you call one of the breastfeeding helplines? It might be a good idea to talk through some of the questions with an expert!

There are several issues here: Getting baby onto breast (which you might want to pass on until you're feeling a bit more sorted out), how to express and maximise milk production while expressing (there are lots of tricks); how to give supplements whether EBM or FF (SNS, cup, syringe); how/when to give the FF if you are out of EBM.

This might help in the mean time: https://www.expressyourselfmums.co....leID/54/exclusively-expressing-breastmilk.htm

https://www.breastfeed.com/articles/pumps-and-pumping/exclusive-pumping-2656/

https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html

 

[lynnikins]

I Ep'ed for a while and basicly I was expressing every 2- 2 1/2 hours as that is how often he would feed , dont stress about using formula if you need to but you need to give your body the signal to produce by expressing everytime your baby feeds for a good 15 min each side and keep going for 5 min after the milk seems to stop to give your body the signal to up production , remember if you end up with too much you can always freeze it for later use ( just remember to label the bag with the amount and the date you expressed it )
try to get as much skin to skin time as you can have with your baby its important for your body to get the cues from baby and if you can do this without a bra and baby on your chest you might find baby finds his own way to your nipple and latches himself if its in a presure free enviroment.
I find doing something else always helps when im expressing like im normally watching tv or online ( forums are a bit difficult with a manuel pump but ive found a way that works lol i really should buy an electric one )

I use tommie tippee closer to nature stuff bottles and pump and found there isnt any nipple confusion although when we started p/t BF again then i did use nipple sheilds till he got the hang of it but that didnt take long.

Good luck hunni

 

[loopylou86]

Thanks all.

I am unable to BF so will be expressing solely. I am just worried I will try to express and have nothing there and need to give him a bottle of formula instead. I dont want to keep confusing him but I guess the more I express, the more my body is being told we need more milk and the more it produces.

I have given up on trying to get him to latch on but will attempt one more time with nipple shields, if that fails, I cant do much more expressing it is! xx

 

[Mrs Muffin]

I know it's hard hun but keep trying to latch baby back on, lots of skin to skin cuddles and then give him the ebm. I had problems getting him to latch, he lost weight and was too sleepy due to jaundice. For about 3 weeks I struggled with the latch, got him to feed with nipple shields. I had to pump and express after trying to bf. Once he fed well with the shields I would then, every so often, try without them. We got the hang of it eventually and gave up expressing and nipple shields.

 

[marley2580]

Have you tried taking a bath with him? That's often the best way to get a reluctant baby to latch on.

 

[Mrs.W]

Thanks all.

I am unable to BF so will be expressing solely. I am just worried I will try to express and have nothing there and need to give him a bottle of formula instead. I dont want to keep confusing him but I guess the more I express, the more my body is being told we need more milk and the more it produces.

I have given up on trying to get him to latch on but will attempt one more time with nipple shields, if that fails, I cant do much more expressing it is! xx

we had a similar thing and don't feel bad if you have to give him a little formula, after MW agreed I should express, that evening my expression before bed (his first feed for during the night) was less than an ounce I think, and after days of him screaming virtually all night, to realise he was hungry, for me to then still not have any milk (that he can get) when he wakes,upset me so much. Keep up with expressing every 2 hours and trying to get baby to latch on inbetween, if you're going to long term express use/borrow an electric pump, preferably double pump (this is what I should have done). It is so hard to think straight when you're so tired and disappointed I had closer to nature bottles and tbh the first time he latched on my boob after his first bottle (ebm) was the first time I felt him suck properly, this wasn't a long term improvement for us, but I believe it is for some babies. I was always 10000% going to exclusive BF, never considered FF (was actually anti-FF, ), or having to express, but the way I looked at it, I didn't want my poor baby crying with hunger, having worked out what the problem was (this is just my opinion, I can still feel the upset now of that night). As mentioned above have you called one of the breastfeeding helplines? or how about your birthing centre, I could call them 24/7? The midwives there were helpful for me. Thinking of you xx

 

[MsEmski]

I found this pumping schedule invaluable in the early days:

https://www.hollister.com/us/files/pdfs/breastfeeding/establish_milk_supply.pdf

I EPd for around four months, in the first two weeks, I used a single, electric pump and found it to be really hard going. If you're really serious about it, invest in a hospital-grade pump- it's really the best way. They simulate let downs etc. I hired one on a month-by-month basis from Medela and was really happy with it, and their service.

When you're expressing, try having your LO nearby. In a bouncy chair is easiest, I sang to mine and bounced him with my feet. As has been suggested already, get loads of skin-to-skin, we took baths together as it was Winter and too cold to do outside of the bed.

Try and eat a really healthy diet, eat lots and lots of oat-based foods- porridge, flapjacks etc. Drink lots of water (especially whilst pumping as it can be thirsty work). And try to get as much sleep as you can. Nap when your baby does (we co-slept and still do) and follow all the advice that's given to breastfeeding women.

I had lots of advice to keep trying Oz on the breast. I hurt so, so, so much all the way through a feed (not just the letdown) that I didn't. It wasn't until his four month growth spurt that I found that I had to (he'd eaten all the fridge and freezer supply!). Fortunately, he took to it fine and I ended up breastfeeding again!

If you need any other advice (or just encouragement) pm me.

Good luck- you'll be fine.