Relactation

[lauramumof2]

Does anyone know anyone who has successfully relactated after unsuccessfull breasfeeding?
Im just curious....

 

[Dee1985]

Hi Laura i gave it a go when Harley was 6weeks old. if i had stuck it out it would have worked im almost certain.

when he was 6weeks i still used to be able to squeeze out tiny amounts of milk. beanie helped me and gave me so much support. Harley didnt no what to do at first but he did latch on a good few tim es in the end. and ild say all together had a good 30 mins worth of suckiling. but the only reason i didnt stick to it is because it wasnt for me. i wanted to do it so bad but once i tryed it it was to much hard work with the heat wave at the time Dior teething and driving me potty and with kris and my mum telling me i was unfair on harley for confusing him i gave up.

but if any one is thinking of it.
get to the docs, there are pills that help you get your milk flowing agai.
you will need to hire elictric double breast pump. (alot stronger then average breastpump)
and pump as often as poss. and try and stop using a bottle to feed and use a cup.
Hard work but would be well worth it

are you thinking of it Laura?

 

[lauramumof2]

I was thinking about it, i really feel that I should have gave it a better go but because of the wound problem it wasnt working but now im better i might be able to give it a better shot.
Im still not sure, I dont want to confuse him and it might, no, will upset his sleeping pattern which is getting better.

 

[Lucy]

Sorry, reviewed my message and decided to delete

 

[*saulino*]

Hi

I think if youw ann try go for it dont think there si any harm , if it dont work then you can just go back to bottles, good luck
Katrinaxx

 

[lauramumof2]

thanks Katrina,
He hates it so far, im trying to get him to suckle every feed but he wont entertain the right boob and only suckles the left for a few seconds, realises there is so milk and goes nuts. He wont suckle at all in between feeds.

Im going to speak to the health visitor on Wednesday, or I might leave a message with the mw, she is the bf counsellor. Im running out of time.

I just have this funny feeling about it, everytime I read a post about someone and their bf I feel really sad that im not. Its a weird feeling. With Jess i was 100% sure that she was a bottle fed baby. She was in a perfect routine and knocking back milk like nobodys business. She was also ready for weaning just at about this stage and took to it quickly, all the signs are there but with Joe, he is nowhere near ready.

God, ive went on again

 

[Lucy]

Hi Laura

Just replied to your PM.

Your baby suckling is the best way to get your milk back but would you consider pumping as well? This would help to bring back your supply.

Lucy

 

[Dee1985]

Laura i think its great that you are giving it ago, i wish i at least tryed it.

good luck x x x

Lucy was the post you re-read and deleted a reply to my message.

all that info i gave was only info i got from another member so please correct me if it was wrong

 

[Dee1985]

ps, here are the links from when i gave it a go, there might be some usful info there

http://www.pregnancyforum.co.uk/forum/v ... elactation

http://www.pregnancyforum.co.uk/forum/v ... on&start=0

 

[Lucy]

Hi Dionne

No, it wasn't a reply to your message it was a reply to Laura but I explained to her why I deleted it.

You gave great advice

Lucy

 

[Urchin]

Laura if you decide to give it a go we are here for you

It may well disrupt his sleep for a little while at least, but you could work through it. Course it might not affect him at all like that, there's only one way to find out

 

[lauramumof2]

Laura if you decide to give it a go we are here for you

It may well disrupt his sleep for a little while at least, but you could work through it. Course it might not affect him at all like that, there's only one way to find out

the sleep thing makes no odds, if its not one thats up its the other looking for her dummy thats right beside her and making me hunt for a rabbit in the dark.

I appreicate all your help, everyone. Im going to give the midwife a call

 

[lauramumof2]

I didnt get the midwife,,I got the hv. She said she doesnt think I really want to start bf again and that there is something else behind my anxiety about it. She said it would be very difficult and not a great idea with him being nearly the age for weaning. She is coming to see me tomorrow to discuss it.
Im not too happy , i feel like a fruitcake now.
Im all confused now.

 

[Dee1985]

Laura dont listen to her. i didnt even speak to my HV as i knew she would not support it.


i read all about it on the net and there is so much information, believe it or not i een read that any one can decide to start breast feeding even if there baby is 1

il look for the email i got sent back from a breast feeding adviser il send you it x x x

 

[lauramumof2]

thanks dionne

 

[Dee1985]

Laura here is all the information i got from by emailing midwives online.

i think its all a bit daunting and she does go on a bit but some usfull info in there

sorry its soooo long

question. my EDD was 19.05.06 but i gave birth 5 weeks early my son Harley was born
19.04.06 weighing 6lb he is now nearly 7weeks old and has been formula fed
since birth.

i never atempted breastfeeding as i knew little about it and knew nobody
that breastfed,

i now have a close bunch of friends that all breast feed, and i feel so
upset that i dont. i wish i had of from day 1

my breast still leak a little bit of milk.

so what my question is,is it to late to start breastfeeding 7weeks after
giving birth?
if not where do i start?



Answer:



Hi Dionne



Thank you for giving me so much information. This really helps me to give you the best possible advice. It is perfectly understandable for you to feel upset regarding breastfeeding. I hear from many women and what you describe is incredibly common, which is why answering questions is so rewarding for me. Some women still regret not breastfeeding their baby many many years after they have grown up!

I hope I can reassure you that what you have experienced is normal and there is no reason why you cannot go on to become a successful breastfeeder. You would not have taken the time to contact us if you were not so keen to feed your baby. Your natural instincts are spot-on and all you need is the permission to listen to them. The fact that you have had two premature deliveries has obviously been very hard for you and I am disappointed that you were not given the help and support you deserved in the early days. You could have expressed your milk until your babies were strong enough to take direct breast feeds. Skin-to-skin contact is another wonderful way to promote stimulation of your milk supply, even if you were unable to breast feed your baby Harley directly.

Relactation is simply the re-establishment of breastfeeding after a period of artificial feeding.

Your son is still a young baby and some mother’s breastfeed for many years until they complete the weaning process (the world average for weaning is over 4 years!). Your breasts only complete their period of development during pregnancy and once this has happened, with enough stimulation, you can relactate again and again. The fact that you are still producing milk is great and I will explain how you can further boost this supply.

Your milk supply is not only stimulated when your baby is at the breast. It also happens when your baby is crying, talking and touching you (so this will have been happening to you all the time). Even the smell and sight of your baby will cause you to produce hormones that in turn will stimulate milk production. These things can be easily upset by formula feeds, allowing others to feed your baby, using teats instead of a cup or spoon and getting stressed by conflicting advice. These things will have hindered you in the early weeks but you are still producing milk.

Firstly, I would recommend you hire a double pump (www.medela.co.uk hire out their excellent Symphony 2-phase _expression pump) at £49 for 10 days.
There is also a great website covering all your expressing needs with lots of help and support. It is called www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk and is well worth a look.
Meanwhile I would start to have more skin-to-skin contact with your baby whenever possible alongside offering the breast (don’t worry if the first few times you offer the breast your son does not seem interested – don’t force anything just get close).
Be careful with positioning your baby and do not let your baby suck on the end of your nipple. You should not feel sore. If you do, change position until you are comfortable.
I would strongly advise you discuss this with your partner and close family so they know what your plans are and how important their help will be to your successful establishment of breastfeeding.
Continue giving the formula milk as a top-up until you have enough breast milk to cut out all formula feeds.
If possible start using a small cup or spoon instead of a bottle and teat when feeding your baby his milk. This may seem really fiddly to start with but it will help your son to get used to sucking differently.
Express 8-10 times over a 24hr period, using the breast pump, preferably double pumping in the first few days to kick-start your supply. Keep your baby next to you while you are pumping as this will help to stimulate your to produce milk.
Do not worry about how much milk you get as breast pumps can never stimulate you as well as direct feeding with your baby. The amount you collect will gradually increase and it is a good idea to put it into ice cube trays so that even tiny amounts can be added and none wasted. (Note: when your baby is sucking directly from you the amount will be more than you see from expressing).
If possible use the expressed breast milk immediately and put any spare milk straight into the freezer ready to defrost when needed.


Within a few days your milk supply will have been boosted enough to offer direct breastfeeds on a regular basis and within a few more days you can stop formula feeds altogether. Breastfeeding is maintained by a delicate balance of supply and demand and the more you let your baby feed the better will be your supply (breastfeeding MUST be baby-led). I suggest that once you have double-pumped for a few days you so to bed with your baby for 24 hours and let him have uninterrupted access to your breast. This will greatly improve your chances of stimulating your milk supply further.

There is an excellent new book, ‘Breastfeeding: the essential guide’, written by one of our midwife contributors at www.midwivesonline.com . This will tell you everything you need to know and takes you from pregnancy to weaning (and relactation). For details of the book go to: http://www.midwivesonline.com/breastfeeding_books.htm

To see your baby growing in front of your eyes and know this is a direct result of your own ability to produce breast milk is the best feeling in the world.

My top tips for breastfeeding include:

Feed your baby on demand, breastfeeding should always be baby-led
Keep your baby close and have long periods of skin-to-skin contact. This does not mean you should bed-share but you should keep your baby in a cot next to your bed for the first six months. Your partner can also enjoy skin-to-skin contact which will greatly aid bonding with their baby too. Within minutes of skin-to-skin contact a baby will relax, their heart rate and respiration will settle and their temperature will stabilize.
A baby’s tummy is the size of a walnut so he only needs small frequent feeds – it is not unusual to feed 16-20 times a day!
Do not introduce formula feeds
As long as he is waking for feeds, taking feeds well, having wet and dirty nappies and gaining weight he will be getting enough.
You do not need to time feeds, throw away the clock!
Weight charts used today are based on bottle-fed babies that were studied in the 60s. New charts are now available that are based on breastfed babies weights. This will avoid mothers being told that their baby is not putting on enough weight when in fact they are growing at the perfect rate
Weaning is a gradual process and there are no rules. Do what feels right and listen to your baby’s cues.
I hope I have been able to show you that breastfeeding is so much more than just feeding your baby milk. It is also a way of giving your baby warmth, security, closeness, bonding, immunity, protection and love.

My advice may sound very complicated and I know that you already have a toddler to look after but please give it a couple of weeks and the benefits for you and your baby will last a lifetime. The health benefits alone for your new baby are vast. As your toddler will soon be coming in contact with many more germs at playgroups etc, it is even more important to breastfeed your baby so that he can have the added protection against illnesses. Your confidence will grow with each day and once you start seeing your son putting on weight because of the milk you are providing for him you will feel so pleased with yourself! Imagine how great it will be to join your friends and breastfeed together. Ask their advice and get them to help you too. Peer support is one of the best ways to help each other when there are any problems.

Lastly but most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy the experience. With each feed (or every time you express) you are getting an endorphin rush which is basically a ‘happy hormone’. This makes you and you baby feel good and is the best stress-buster I know!

Good luck and kindest regards





If you find the Your Breast Feeding Questions service helpful then please reply on this email with your comments





The Midwives

www.midwivesonline.com

 

[Dee1985]

email beanie to im sure she would be over the moon to help. she helped me loads

 

[Sarah&Braydon]

hun i wish that i had carried on BF so i know how u r feeling if its wot u want to do then give it a try, HV are three to advice no to tell u wot to do and if u want to do this we are all here to support u

 

[Lucy]

Hi Laura

Your HV is terrible - what has weaning got to do with breastfeeding? She doesn't sound like she knows a great deal about it tbh. That's when the bf gets a million times easier as well as it's just like a drink when they're on solids and v convenient.

Dionne - what a great response from the midwife.

Lucy

 

[Dee1985]

Dionne - what a great response from the midwife.

Lucy

i no bless her she was lovely.
she was a great help