complicated - can you express after 2weeks bottle feeding?

[Noor~ul~Usman]

Bascially my little one can't seem to latch on properly and gets so stressed out about it if he doesn't get it the first or second time that he goes bright red, screams non stop and his whole body goes into spazams until you clam him down and rock him off to sleep

Because of this we got kept in 3 nights in hospital whilst they ran blood tests to make sure there wasn't any other reason for his behaviour. I resorted to bottle feeding for 24hrs because a) I was so worried that he'd hardly had anything to eat for so long and b) because it was the only way to proove to staff that he WOULD feed if they discharged us.

It worked but since getting him home he only bf'd for me 3 times (3 times for me in hospital and maybe another 4 times prior to that with midwives forcing him on me - most of their attempts were unsuccessful - as were mine) He used to come off really easily so they weren't long feeds and I spent most of the time painfully engorged

I bottle fed completely for another 48hrs and then bought a pump and tried expressing (nobody had really suggested it to me so it just suddenly clicked that it was an option ). I got quite a lot off and fed him that but then the next 2 days I just didn't fill up again By now he was a week old. I managed to get 1 ounce in total all day and by the second day I was quite sore.....so I gave up I knew there was no way he could survive on 1 ounce a day.

I am under a little bit of unintentional pressure to continue trying to bf from 1 or 2 friends who are just worried about the babies health but to be honest it's more that I really had my heart set on expressing when I got the pump and it's broken my spirit that I only got to use it properly for one day

Well it's been just over 2 weeks since I gave up and my breasts have reduced back to normal but I'm still leaking a little bit.

I felt kind of foolish but I tried expressing again yesterday because my boobs had been sore for the last 48+ hours.....and I still got off 1 ounce all day.....so the supply is the same as it was 2 weeks ago

I know that it's a pitiful amount though and wanted to know if there was anything I could do to get it up more????

Baby is just changing up from 4oz a feed to 5oz a feed but at least if I could express 1 feed of natural a day I would do it to keep his immune system boosted a bit more

He's not fussy with contents of a bottle. He takes formula, natural and even water all in his stride with no fuss

 

[Noor~ul~Usman]

Just seen another topic where they suggested fenugreek to increase milk supply.

Checked my cupboard as I used to have this with all my other asain spices but it seems I threw it out a while back as I hardly used it

Holland and barrett do it in capsules so I'll go out and buy some tomorrow I think

But I'm still really interested in what I can actually (realistically) expect since it's not just been a few days it's been about 15-16???

 

[purple13]

i can't type much cos connor's yelling at me - time for bed (for the 2nd time tonight )

but i just wanted to say that its quite possible to relactate and express; you would need to pump as often as you can though. definitely try fenugreek - oats, fennel tea & blackthorn juice are also good.

its been known for women to relactate months after giving birth, and even to lactate not ever having had children. our bodies are rather remarkable things that's not to say its easy, but if you want to try it you should most certainly give it a shot.

can i just add - did you try nipple shields when you were feeding? only that my LO couldn't latch either and shields proved to be the one (and only) way of solving that problem. i spent most of the first few weeks trying and failing to bf properly with expressed milk and formula bottles making up the shortfall. noone advised me to try nipple shields and i really regret not giving them a go sooner.

 

[Noor~ul~Usman]

nobody suggested nipple sheilds or even a breast pump to me

midwives just kept trying to force him on

thanks for your post though it's got me a lot more positive. my friends thought that I should be able to do it but didn't know what to use. I'll go and get those things today and start right away. I already have fennel seeds so i'll check if I can just boil these in water to make the tea or if I need to buy it

I think I'll keep expressing into a bottle since he's used to that and I'll have to top him up (at least to start with) anyway.
TBH I think I prefer that to bf'ing because it creeps me out a bit once they start getting really aware of their surroundings. I see them more as 'little people' than 'babies' and duno if I'd go through with it for the full 6months.
It was different when he was all new and wrinkly but already he's starting to try and hold things (usually unsuccessfully) and looking around a lot more

Is there anyone on the forum who has been through similar? Or like I breast feeding support group I could intrude on?
I just need someone who's been there as like a support buddy as non of my family has had this problem. They either breastfed and it went well or they gave up straight away and used the bottle.

 

[handbagqueen]

(typing 1 handed so sorry for any mistakes!)
i went through very similar- although slightly different as it took me a while to give formula so lily nearly had to go to hospital

i was told about nipple shields but was given the views that they were bad and would decrease my supply- wish i hadn't listened as i since found out they've been used since victorian times (obviously not in plastic!) and from people on here i've found that it is possible to exclusively bf with them, its just a bit more fiddly when you go out!

i won't lie to you it was really hard, it took me 8 weeks to wean my baby off bottles and onto boob (might take you less though- my baby is just a princess!). my supply was nonexistent to start with- just about covered the bottom of the bottle but a combination of using milk plus, drinking loads of water (some people say this makes no difference but i noticed a difference when i drank at least 2 litres a day), eating oats in morning, resting and pumping constantly i got my supply up. it was such hard work and i was so close to giving up a few times but i did it so it is possible.
you will have to commit to spending quite a bit of time at home to begun with, i still went out for short times but for a good few weeks i was trying to feed lily on the boob for a bit first until she had enough, then topping her up with a bottle and expressing at the same time- your boobs need to know its time to produce milk so when your baby feeds you need to express.

oh and one last thing- invest in a double pump- i went from manual to single to double and it was so much better and quicker- bit more expensive but really worth it if you're going to be expressing every 2-3 hours- just think of the money you'll eventually save on formula!

 

[keli]

Good luck

 

[Sandi4Paul]

i find water helps too (also typing one handed)

SAndi

 

[Laur_250]

I also had to bottle feed formula as its the only way they'd let me have Reggie out of SCBU and in with me after 2 nights of being in seperate rooms to prove i could feed him before we could go home after 2 days of unsuccesful latching.

I was told to express every 3 hours even if not much coming off to maintain supply and eventually my milk came in and using a good pump i was able to fully give only expressed milk until he was 6 weeks old.

Reggie wouldnt latch still until like purple13 a MW suggested nipple shields as they feel to baby like a teat, and using them i was able to drop some of my expressing and use them to bfeed and at 6 weeks i stopped using them and he latched to breast without them and has been bfeeding now ever since without

So it is possible to either get baby trained back to breast or continue to give bottled expressed milk, just invest in a good pump.xx

 

[Noor~ul~Usman]

Thanks ladies

I think it'll be expressing to be honest but we don't currently have much of a social life so it wont be a problem

If I'm using fennel tea (purchased from H&B while I was there) AND fenugreek capsules...how much of each do you reckon I should take?
So far today I've had 4 fenugreek tablets and 2 cups of fennel tea.

I thought I'd use both so that I'm not chugging down so many tablets a day
There's nothing wrong with that is there???
Advice I found online only mentions using one or the other