Bottle feeds

[wannabmummy]

I'm expressing a lot at the moment and giving it to Theo because he has been so hungry over the past few days and I was getting so stressed out with it because he would literally scream that he wasn't getting the milk fast enough from my boob!!

So basically I want to know if it's normal for him to take this much milk??? He had 200mls of EBM at 12 then 180mls at 5 and another 200mls at 9am??? That seems like a ridiculously large amount of milk to me, and I am running out of expressed milk fast, and don't really know what to do!!

Any suggestions?

 

[BevG]

6 week growth spurt hun, he wants to nurse all the time to up your supply so he can grow

 

[wannabmummy]

But he won't latch on which is why I've had to express and give it to him... He gets so cross!! Xx

 

[l_maclean]

I'm no use with mls in afraid, and can't see how old he is. G drinks a lot from a bottle, i think its a comfort thing.

But keeping up with feeding by purely expressing is very hard. It would be easier if you can get him back on the boob - we're having some nursing issues just now, and the Kelly mom website has a lot of good advice.

Like hand expressing a wee bit before he goes on so the letdown has started for him, or using a dropper to get some expressed on the nipple.

Xxx

 

[l_maclean]

Google 'my baby won't nurse'

Xxx

 

[Nurse 26]

I'm no use for advice hun, only getting the hang of expressing, its not easy! I would say maybe growth spurt too. Xx

 

[TORino]

No good in mls - how many oz is that?

I express 5-6oz for a feed for Tilly so we can send her to granny's for a couple of hours.

I find it difficult to get it off tbh. It takes me ages. I do it an oz at a time. Sometimes I get nothing at all!

The HV said I won't have much spare after she feeds cos she's a big girl.

 

[wannabmummy]

200mls is about 7 ounces and he is only 6 weeks old tomorrow! I am literally losing this breastfeeding battle. He won't latch at all, I am crying pretty much every day at the moment.

I've started on fenugreek now and I have just bought some nipple shields in a last ditch attempt to get him latched on and if that doesn't work I might have to combi feed because I just can't take this anymore :,-(

 

[l_maclean]

I had to give formula yesterday cos G wouldn't latch. PM me if you wanna chat. Xxx

 

[TORino]

Aw

I had thought you'd nailed it too with your help from the lactation consultant

When you say he won't latch, does he not suck at all? Or does he mess about after a while?

I have battles at feeding time and I have to wrestle her every feed pretty much these days. And she messes about, drags the nipple, screams occasionally etc it's horrible to watch really.

You have done really well to express that amount and feed it to theo, so pat on the back for that.

Could you get some support from one of your colleagues perhaps? Or see the lactation consultant again?

Xxxx

 

[Nurse 26]

you have done amazing so far to stick with it hun, and brilliant for being able to express that much, i only get 1-2oz at a time. i hope the nipple shields work for you hun xx

 

[wannabmummy]

Nipple shields didn't work I can't get the hang of them and meanwhile theo is getting more and more frustrated. He hasn't been on my boob at all today, he just refuses so I've been pumping like mad to keep up with him. Tor, he latches but literally like 20 secs after he has latched he gets annoyed and comes off! I spend about half an hour battling with him like this until he falls asleep because he's worn himself out. Don't know what to do

 

[wannabmummy]

I take that back I have JUST managed to get him on my boob but I had to give him 6oz of EBM first!!! This is a nightmare!

 

[Nurse 26]

Sounds like a slow 'let down'. I get this too and harry gets frustrated waiting for milk to come especially as they get it quickly from bottle, no idea how to fix it! Glad you got him on though!

 

[TORino]

If you expressed a bit first would that help do you think?

why is this feeding business so hard?? It's so frustrating that something that's meant to be so natural is so bloody difficult. You have done really well to feed him breast milk for 6 weeks though so feel good about that.

Keep trying him hun, hopefully he'll get it in the end.

 

[l_maclean]

Which brand of shields did you get? Some are better than others - however if it's a slow let down that's frustrating him, they may not help.

Could you express even by hand a but, just before you put him on, that should mean there's milk there waiting iykwim. Another thing the Kelly mom site suggests is using a dropper to pour some milk down your nipple so there's some right from him starting to suck.


Xxx

 

[JensBump]

Here's a page regarding possible reasons for a slow letdown http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/letdown/

It does get easier in time but those first few weeks are tough - you are doing a great job