Breastfeeding problems - Help (update)

[Tiggy26]

Hello ladies,

(apologies in advance as this is a little long)

Until 2 weeks ago I was breastfeeding with no problems at all and baby Antonio was really content getting the milk he needed from my breasts.

One morning after his feed I decided to express some milk to put in the freezer for occasions that offered no feeding rooms if we were out and about, it was a slow start but in the end I was getting a further 2-3 oz expressed after his feed on the breast and he was content.

3 days later I had to stop expressing after his feeds as he was completly emptying BOTH my breasts in one feed so I continued like this for a couple more days without expressing.
By the end of the week things went from bad to worse, after Antonio had breastfed from both my breasts he was crying for more food I spent ALL day with Antonio feeding from my breasts and in the end I ended up with blisters and they were so sore I could hardly touch them (I know he is latching on corretley as he had been feeding very happily until then)

It was obiouse he was still hungry and I started to get really down as I couldnt provide for him from my breast (what happened to all this supply on demand basis???? ) I couldnt let things continue like this as the poor Antonio wanted more milk so me and OH went to Tesco and bought some Aptimil. When we got home we sterilised a bottle and gave him the Aptimil, he was very happy after this.

I was still worrying about the amount of breastmilk he was getting (or not in this case) so I continued to feed him Aptimil and for the following 3 days I did nothing but express the breastmilk to see exactly how much was coming out.

To my shock!! the most that is now coming out of my left boob is 2 sometimes 3oz if im lucky and on my right boob 0.5oz No wonder he was so hungry! Antonio is getting through 4-5oz bottles of Aptimil and my breasts can only produce 3.5oz combined if im lucky!! I understand that babies can get more milk than what is being expressed but not to this kind of amount/difference surely? and if so how come he was crying for more food?

I have a few questions:-

1) How can I increase my breastmilk supply?
2) When im making up bottles of Apimil, is it best to mix the formula with the water & then put in fridge until needed or just put the water in fridge and add the formula mix when hes ready to feed?
3) When you go out for the day how do you store your milk/formula? & do you mix the formula with the water before you leave or take a pot of fomula with you and add it when needed?
4)if you combine breastfeeding & fomula what is your routine? do you do 1 bottle fomula and then the next breastmilk & so on...?

Really sorry this was so long, any help would be really really appreciated.

T xx

 

[Melanie]

First of all what you pump is not a true indication of the amount of milk you are producing. Some women just cant pump, your baby is much more effective at getting milk from you than any pump will ever be.

If you want to exclusively BF then you need to stop supplying formula now, its likely that supplimenting this early in your BF relationship is causing your milk supply to dwindle. Try taking feenugreek or drinking mothersmilk tea to help up your supply, eating oats and drinking plenty of water will help alot too.

I think its probably likely that your baby wasnt starving, he was just going through a growth spurt, your boobs just needed some time to adjust to the new demand.

I cant help with the formula questions because i've never use it sorry hun.

 

[beanie]

there is nothing wrong with your milk supply hun, its normal. 6 weeks is a prime growth spurt stage so Antonio will have to feed loads to tell your body he needs more milk. It is also a time when your boobs stop feeling so full and engorged as your milk supply has settled though even though your boobs might feel soft this does not mean they are empty. This settling down may also explain why you are not expressing as much but

Like Melanie said you need to stop topping up with formula, as this means he is not telling your body what he needs. You have to let him feed as much as he wants, though I smpathise this is tough and can be sore on your boobs, get a good cream like lasinoh or camisillon (?). I would get your latch rechecked as when baby grows they can change their latch and it might not be working for you.

One last thing, when introducing a bottle it can seem that baby gulps it all down and then settles - therefore giving the impression that they were starving and you are not producing enough. The thing to remember is that a bottle works differently from a boob, whereas a breastfed baby has to work at getting the milk out with a bottle they find it just comesout. Therefore their mouth fills with milk which they automatically swallow, which then causes more milk to fill theirmouth. Then they have a really full tummy so sleep it off.

The best thing to do with a growth spurt is get a god book or dvds, get some snacks (flapjack is a good one or porridge as they contain oats which help boost your supply), drinkplenty of water and take plenty of rests. If you can feed baby lying down I always recommend bedding in with baby for a day, and make the most of it. Goodluck and hang in there

 

[lisa&alex]

i didnt know that oats boost your supply.. does anyone know why they do?

 

[beanie]

oats are a type of galactagogue, like fenugreek. a galactagogue is anything that increases your milk supply. not sure of the exact science behoind it but its a fab excuse to eat flapjack all day

 

[valentine]

Hi Tiggy,

Sorry to hear you've been having a hard time.

I agree with the Mel and beanie, that 6 weeks is a prime growth spurt time - my DD was never off me and I did feel like a dairy cow, it was horrendous, it totally sympathise.

I know lots of parents combine both feeding methods successfully and mix feed, but if you do want to breastfeed exclusively, you'll have to stop using the formula totally and just bed in with your baby to up your milk supply. But I think you probably do have enough milk as expressing is never a good indication. I don't know why Antonio was crying after emptying both breasts, but likely this was just due to his growth spurt and you should just let him sookle to stimulate your milk supply.

Even now I'm not sure how much milk DD takes. She's on 3 meals of 2 courses a day and takes 3/4 breastfeeds too - usually with her midafternoon snack one, she's on for about 3 mins usually. Today she was being looked after by someone else and she took 7oz! This is the amount I would have expected her to take first thing in the morning or at bedtime, but it could be that its easier to take from the bottle, or she was just hungrier today or maybe she gets out 7oz in 3 mins usually! I'll never know but I'm not going to worry about it.

Good luck hon

Valentine Xxx

 

[trixipaws]

what mel said- expressing is not a true indication of what baby can get out. i breast-fed for 8 months and had an absolutely abundant supply, melissa never emptied even one breast- ever- yet was gaining half a pound a week until she was 4 months old. yet i could barely express more than 50 or 75ml and the most i ever got out of one breast was 100mls.

but iv heard boys are hungrier tho. sorry i cant help with ur other questions, hav u asked Redshoes? she combined breast and formula feeding with her little boy im sure she'd be happy to help. good luck!

 

[poppy160]

We've just started to combine breastfeeding and formula feeding, I don't feel I am getting on with breastfeeding exclusively. We are doing formula during the day and using breastfeeding for night feeds. Ella has done really well at adapting, although she's become very colicy which I believe is due to combining the two, but I'm hoping it will settle down soon.

I agree with the others - Expressing does not tell you how much milk you are producing, I can only get about 4oz from both breasts but she is satisfied after a breastfeed.

We haven't gone out alot, just out to grandparents so far, and we take the carton with us and make it when she is due a feed.

 

[Squiglet]

I'm a useless expresser...I expressed under 2oz yesterday so I could leave lil miss with my friend for an hour. She drank the lot, burped and passed out so I would assume thats all shes getting at each feed but lil miss was weighed today and was 13lbs and only 2 months old so thats half a pound a week.

apparently my milk looks like normal milk whereas my friend said hers was more watery, so I would say its also consistency not quantity too...

Also when they grow, the feed all the time...regardless. atm, lil miss is feeding every hour again and sleeping loads so she is due to grow again any day now.

breast feeding is about persistence more than anything else, and it is tiring. keep putting your LO to the breast whenever you can although now you have introduced formula, I would use a bottle before bedtime to make your LO go longer at night.

 

[hotluck]

I was doing nothing but breastfeeding for the first 3 weeks and it felt like I was constantly feeding Jeni. Then I was really ill and she had to be bottle fed for a day. We found that she had a lot less feeds with that, so now she has both bottle and breast feeding, and she is piling on the pounds. As long as she is still breast feeding, I am happy

 

[Gem & Leland]

2) When im making up bottles of Aptimil, is it best to mix the formula with the water & then put in fridge until needed or just put the water in fridge and add the formula mix when hes ready to feed?
3) When you go out for the day how do you store your milk/formula? & do you mix the formula with the water before you leave or take a pot of fomula with you and add it when needed?

for your forumla ...

sterilse your bottles and boil kettle , leave for 30 mins and put the water in the bottles ith the teats and lids on , store at room temp.

when it comes to feed time , i heat up the water for 20 secs in microwave( this is for 5oz) i then add my formula.


there are loads of different ways tho , this is just how i do lelands and weve had no problems

as for going out , i keep my formula and water seperate and do same as above , if i cant heat it he has it had room temp and is fine with that and it still mixes ok too .

aptamil do cartoons too , ive always got one of these and a steri bottle ( pre sterilsed bottles) in the car and in the change bag incase i get caught short !



this is only what i do tho chick , some wont agree and say make fresh etc u have to find your own way but i was told mixed formula is only good for an hour .

 

[Tiggy26]

Thanks for your replies ladies,

All I ever wanted to do was exclusivley breastfeed & I am still going & refuse to give up breastfeeding however at the moment we are combine feeding.

Yestuday I managed to get him settled with a lunchtime breastfeed & a 6pm breastfeed. From 8pm onwards though it was the same story....he just couldnt get enough! at 9pm I had him on my right breast for 50mins & then the left breast for over an hour & he was still not satisfied so I offered him 4oz of Aptimil and he had the lot! as I said before, I know he is latched on correctly as until now everything was perfect & had no problems, plus all the midwifes have said he is latched on beauitfully, its also the same story from 2am till lunchtime, he just isnt happy until hes had more than what my breasts will/can offer

at every feed I am offering Antonio my breasts first & if after 1hr 30mins of being on my breasts he is still not happy I then offer a formular feed.

I will continue to express some milk as im trying to keep my milk supply going/increased as well. Antonio is currently putting on 1lb a week so im happy the weight is going on.

T xxx