Breast Feeding discussion

ooobedoo

Can anybody help?

My daughter is 11 days old, was 11lb 1 oz at birth(by c-sec) and was in the special baby unit due to breathing difficulties. I was on the ward and was called down to feed her, the nurses had to top her up with formula by means of cup feeding.

She and I are now home and we are having some difficulties in feeding, she can take up to 2 hours feeding, she is down to 10lbs, She can only get to 9lb 14oz before the midwife makes me put her on the bottle, I really don't want this. I have been trying to express but am only managing to get about 20ml, should it be this hard? How can I get the hind milk by expressing. I want to breastfeed really badly. The midwife made me give up breastfeeding with my first child as he dropped so much weight, should I just give up or keep going. My daughter is producing wet and dirty nappies.

larmy16

I found that the more worried you are about expressing milk, the more you tense up and the less you can get out. Actually as a single parent, I wish I had known that you can combine the two, breast and bottle. My friend did this successfully, however I took everything so damn literally (being a first time mum) that I thought my son would die if I did not breast feed him!:rolleyes:

Just try to relax and you will find the milk will flow, keep going, it usually comes right in the end.

I only had a manual pump but I understand the mechanical ones are far more successful. Sure someone will be along with some advice soon. I am talking 18 years ago. I had so much milk it would shoot across the room!

sunshinegirl_3

Hi

Don't give up. Do you have any BF Support groups near you? The HV can't make you switch to formula if you don't want to. Keep going. Why are you trying to express as well as BF? Surely if you continue to feed her as much as she wants (and if that means you seem to be feeding her constantly, so be it!). If there isn't a local BF support group, the La Leche League were very helpful and friendly when I went to them for help with my little one.

Good luck, and don't be bullied by those HV's. I tried to have someone else with me whenever I went to see them or they came to me so I had some moral support.

Alleycat

Hi, as a seasoned breastfeeder (gave up when dd was 19 months) the most important thing for you right now is rest and less stress. If your HV is giving you a hard time about the weight issue, ask her to back off a bit. If you are worrying all the time, this will really interfere with your milk production and can make you lose your confidence. It will take time to get established, several months probably before your milk is flowing full throttle, so you need to be given the time to feed as often as your baby wants. Don't feel that you need to getting into a really rigid feeding programme. My dd used to be a really muncher and would happily spend hours at a time off and on me. I know its hard to find the time, but if family could help out with your other child to give you some space (and offer lots of cuddles whilst feeding if they are feeling a bit left out). A good diet is important as well. Make sure you are drinking lots and getting plenty of fresh fruit and veg (chocolate also helps!!).

If you are struggling to express as well as keep your baby full up, it might be worth seeing if you can drop this a bit. Some people say that to increase milk production you can express as well, but if you have the time, the best thing I think is to let your baby do the stimulating themself. Suckling is comforting and great to soothe your baby is she cries, has problems sleeping etc. I used to feed dd off to sleep every night and whenever she woke up (which was a lot!). It IS hard and very tiring, especially if you have all this pressure to feed your daughter up, but it will get better and easier I promise.

As another poster has suggested, see if there are any breastfeeding counsellors or groups in your area that you can go to if you feel like it. Often the support of other breastfeeding mums can really help you feel more in control. Lastly, no one can force you to give up breastfeeding if you don't want to. Most breastfed babies lose more weight initially than formula fed but as long as she looks healthy, is alert and has plenty of wet and dirty nappies she will most probably be fine. My little one was 6lb2 when born and dropped to 5lb7 and was happy and healthy. She's now a strapping nearly two year old with plenty of life in her (too much some times!).

Doozergirl

As long as she's wet and dirty then she's fine All babies lose weight to start off with! I had trouble expressing, but apparantly it takes some time for you to really produce enough to express properly and many women give up before they've even really begun?

It is easier said than done, but try to relax and not worry about how much she's getting. If I was stressed I sometimes had to deliberately try to shift my mind down a gear and concentrate solely on her because I could physically tell that the flow wasn't right when I was uptight.

Persevere, have confidence in your ability to provide everything she needs and don't be bullied into believing that you are not doing the right thing

You are her Mummy and you'd never do something if you didn't feel it was right. You're the best!

Danni

I successfully combined breast and bottle, so there's no need to give up yet. I agree with getting some support though- and don't be bullied by your health visitor!

sleepystar1975

Hi Ooobedoo Hunny
Like the other two ladys have said, the first (and hardest) thing to do is chill out. The first few attempts at expressing are never impressive, I spent 30+ minutes pumping away one my first attempt, thought I must have took enough to feed a small village, then cried my eyes out when it was 15measly Millilitres!
(right, I'm going right back to my early days of paediatric nurse training now....so excuse the flying dust)
Babies always lose a bit of weight in their 1st 1-2 weeks, and as long as Mini-ooobedoo is making wet and dirty nappies, she is taking enough to nourish herself. Trust your own instincts, as long as she seems content and well enough and is going 4 ish hours before wanting a feed, then you are doing well.
Also, have you tried warm compresses on your boobs before expressing, and are you getting engorged? Another tip to try is expressing near baby, or a picture of her. Get yourself comfy...NO distractions (can hubby/partner distract your son), have plenty of fluids yourself.
Most Maternity wards will advise on where you can find local help (La Leche League/National childbirth Trust/surestart or other breastfeeding groups).
If your Madwife does end up suggesting bottles, would you be willing to compromise, and try one or two top up formula feeds after a breastfeed?
If you want to talk, PM me and I'll email you my comtact number.
By the way, congratulations on your new arrival....has she got a name?
Take care, and keep your chin up.
Lou

CharleneUK

Congratulations on the birth of your baby girl!!

What type of pump are you using? Manual was pants for me, but the Medela electric was heaven... .What type of problems are you experiencing? If it's sore nipples, nipple shields were life savers for the first couple of weeks. incorrect latching on? This may be why she isn't getting enough milk? (weight dropping etc) having said that, if she is producing lots of wet and dirty nappies, that has always been a sign of getting enough.

As the previous posted stated, try and get in touch with La leche, they are quite good. I hope they'll be able to help you.

You can PM me anytime, I'll try and help as best I can.

Good luck.

Rachie_B

sorry to hear you are having problems

what kind of pump are you using ? as that can make a huge difference

i tried a few before settling on the Avent Isis one which was fab ! and fast

but may not work for everyone ?

i tried an electric one recommended and it was useless for me !

maybe worth a try of a few

also baby is only 11 days,it takes a good while for some mums to feed successfully let alone expressing aswell!

it doesnt come "naturally" to some and sometimes we are made to feel "bad" about it,i know i was,but i was determined to keep it up

dont give yourself a hard time ,or allow anyone else to either

Rachie_B

lmao @ me contradicting charlenes post!

just goes to show what works for one ........

lol