I've been pumping for the last two weeks at every feeding... and I WAS making about 8 ounces at each feeding. Problem is that Joshua is only eating 1 ounce at a feeding and it was causing serious engorgment problems, and storage problems. I tried to slow down how much milk I was making by pumping every other feeding for half as long - and now I'm not lactating at all. None.
I feel so bad. He couldn't tolerate forumla before because his tummy was so immature... but I fed him some soy forumla yesterday and it was fine. I've got enough milk for about 2 more weeks of feeding, but I'm going to have to switch to formula now. I feel even more guilty for acutally being relieved... the pumping and washing of the pump added 30 minutes to each of his feedings and I was getting NO sleep. I wish he had been full term because if he'd been able to nurse I would have had no problem breast feeding for an entire year... it was just so hard to keep up with the pumping as well as the feeding.
Anyone else have the same issue and feel guilty about it? ↓
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| Name: jillw | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 6:59 PM |
| hun you can restart you supply if you want. you don't have to punp extra just let him feed on each breast at every feeding and it should come back, but if the bottle works better don't feel bad about using it ↑ |
| Name: nicole miller | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 7:02 PM |
| I wish I could let him breastfeed... but he is so small that the doctor says it will burn more calories than he takes in. He is not a very effective sucker - so it has to be bottle fed. It would be PERFECT if I could just grab him out of his bassinet and feed him (no washing of anything, or getting up, or pumping, or mixing). I've tried using a nipple sheild to transition him from the bottle, but even with that it doesn't work well enough. ↑ |
| Name: bmes | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 7:30 PM |
maybe he's not an effective sucker cause he's not getting enough practice at it, and you're not getting enough practice helping him latch on properly. Anika was terrible at first, but then she got the hang of it!! :-) there's stuff you can take also to help your milk supply come back too....breastfeeding is the most nautral thing in the world....what did women do way back when when there was no formula? i wouldn't give up yet. it's tough, but it's worth it! :-)
but also, if you're not comfortable with it, don't feel bad. just do what's going to make you and baby happy! :-) ↑ |
| Name: sunshine | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 7:34 PM |
| sorry to crash your page lol just wanted someone to talk to ↑ |
| Name: sunshine | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 7:38 PM |
| i cant realy help as im still pregnant but as long your baby is eating enough and gaining weight you have nothing to e guilty about because its not as if you are neglecting your baby you are feedin him and he is growing so that is the main thing try not to feel bed, if that makes any sense ↑ |
| Name: connie | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 10:03 PM |
| you will get more milk from breast feeding then pumping, you can do both, you can always get milk just be patience but you will get more from breast feeding ↑ |
| Name: Kristy84 | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 10:33 PM |
| I never got a really good milk supply b/c Harper couldn't latch on and they told me at the hospital to supplement w/ formula b/c it took 4 days for my milk to come in...then Harper got cik w/ RSV...I'm just now getting a good supply back and she's 9 weeks along. I mean I couldn't bf exclusively but I still nurse her often and she gets 9-12oz. from formula but she gets the other 10oz. from me. I would just try to give him a little breast milk b/c it's really beneficial, but if it's causing you not to sleep at all, then you need to do what's best for your family ↑ |
| Name: sunshine | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 10:35 PM |
| i know this isnt related i was wondering if anyone could give me some ideas on names...i dont have a clue ↑ |
| Name: mother2five | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 10:48 PM |
| I'm pretty sure you can bring your milk back if you do extra pumpings. ↑ |
| Name: mother2five | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 10:49 PM |
| Wait, how long have you been dry for? Have you asked your Dr.? ↑ |
| Name: missmara | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 11:26 PM |
| If you want to continue pumping/breast feeding, and I can't tell from your post if you do, then you should call the lactation consultant at the hospital, or contact your local La Leche League. It takes several weeks for your supply to be fully established and for the baby to be a "pro" at nursing. I know you have additional issues with Joshua being a preemie, but if you want to nurse still I really think you can. A newborn will only take in about 1-2 ounces per feeding. They say to take the babies age, for example 1 month, and add 2 to that number to figure out how many ounces they should eat (so a 1 month old will eat about 3 ounces per feeding) So the fact that you could pump 8 ounces at a feeding is amazing!! ↑ |
| Name: nicole miller | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 11:33 PM |
That's what I feel guilty about Missmara... I don't really want to breastfeed anymore. It's so much extra work to pump, and Josh's doctor is pretty clear that a bottle is the most efficient way for him to eat. I've only been dry for a day or so.
I feel even worse now (I've been crying for the last hour). I tried to feed him milk-based formula instead of the soy and he got sick. The poor kid is already tiny and then I'm just screwing up his feedings even more. I started a detailed chart for his doctor of what i'm feeding him, when, how much he eats, and whether or not he pukes it up though.... I'm hoping the doctor will ease my mind about how much Josh is eating. ↑ |
| Name: missmara | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 11:37 PM |
| When does the doctor think it will be okay for him to nurse? ↑ |
| Name: nicole miller | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 11:47 PM |
| He didn't say - I think it goes by weight though. I'll ask Friday. ↑ |
| Name: bmes | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 11:51 PM |
| i would talk to a lactation consultant, instead....alot of doctors aren't really up to par on the whole breastfeeding thing! ↑ |
| Name: missmara | Date: Feb 21st, 2007 11:58 PM |
| If you think he'll be able to nurse soon, you may want to try to stick it out. Nursing without having to pump is a lot easier. There's nothing to clean, and you can nurse while you doze in bed by using the side lying position. You can even nurse during meetings! That's what I used to do. In fact, after awhile you can nurse while cooking or while reading a magazine or while doing just about anything. It becomes effortless, kind of like how when you first learn to drive you can only drive, but after awhile you can change the radio station and light a cigarette or eat a burger all while driving! ↑ |
| Name: nicole miller | Date: Feb 22nd, 2007 12:13 AM |
| Well, I'll ask the doctor how soon he thinks Josh will be able to start trying to nurse. I know that right now they are really worried about him gaining weight - so everything else is falling by the wayside. ↑ |
| Name: oh_so_excites | Date: Feb 22nd, 2007 12:57 AM |
| sorry you messed it up! i hope it all works out!! :) ↑ |
| Name: Mom2Be2007 | Date: Feb 23rd, 2007 4:06 PM |
| I had the same problem and I just pumped every 2 hour for about 10 minutes. I am now up to pumping 4 oz. a day. Hopefully my milk supply will continue to go up. ↑ |
| Name: Mom2Be2007 | Date: Feb 23rd, 2007 4:12 PM |
nicole-
Kylie actually isn't able to handle the regular milk-based formula. Parent's Choice has a formula called Parent's Choice Gentle (Enfamil it's called Enfamil Gentlease Lipil) it's a formula with partially broken down whey proteins. Kylie spit up the regular milk-based formula and always ended up getting and upset stomach. Since we switch her to this formula everything seems to be going okay. ↑ |
| Name: connie | Date: Feb 23rd, 2007 5:12 PM |
| hey nicole, you should beable to breast feed him any time the lacation nurse told me anytime I wanted to I could start/plus supplement till my milk came in. ↑ |
| Name: missmara | Date: Feb 24th, 2007 6:10 PM |
| How's the pumping/feeding going?? Did you get to talk to your doctor? ↑ |
| Name: nicole miller | Date: Feb 24th, 2007 8:26 PM |
| I talked to the doctor yesterday. Josh gained 5 ounces in 3 days... so he says that it's probably okay to start practicing breastfeeding. I've tried a couple of times, but he just doesn't seem to have a clue what he's doing. He's so used to the bottle (where the nipple goes much further into his mouth and the milk comes out easier) that he seems frustrated and shakes his head back and forth like "umm... where is it?" I have a silicone nipple shield and will try that for one of his feedings today. Hopefully it works and I can give up the bottles... there is 15 of them sitting in the sink right now that I've got to wash... I wont miss that! ↑ |
| Name: nicole miller | Date: Feb 24th, 2007 8:37 PM |
| I made a post in "breastfeeding" and asked for some advice on how to get him to figure it out... hopefully I get some good tips. ↑ |
| Name: missmara | Date: Feb 24th, 2007 11:09 PM |
| I responded in BF crowd:) ↑ |
| Name: nicole miller | Date: Feb 24th, 2007 11:49 PM |
| Ditto Missmara... I updated about his 3:00 feeding. ↑ |
| Name: connie | Date: Feb 24th, 2007 11:53 PM |
hey nicole, Xavier does the head shake thing to before he lacates on, I know the lacation nurse said you have to be fourcefull all the begining to help them lacate on.
Do give up it will happen, and if it doesnt dont worry either. My milk seem to slow down as well so I started pumping again and it started to produce more.
I hope all is well, :) ↑ |
| Name: LeshaPa | Date: Feb 25th, 2007 12:03 AM |
I am sorry to here you are having such a hard time of it. How little is Joshua? Dr. are the worst source of information about breastfeeding. My father-in-law is a pediatrition and he is simply concerned with a regular weight gain which is best done with formula. My first (caleb) was born at 34 weeks and he did just fine. Weight gain was very very slow. I had to have several fights over not giving him a bottle. The nurses also are for bottle feeding because it is easier for them.
If your milk dosen't come back by morning, you can get a pill it bring it back in. I forget the name of it but the Dr. will. The other less traditional way to bring up your milk supply is it have a beer. The yeast in the beer also helps. Only one beer. Don't get your newborn drunk. ↑ |
| Name: connie | Date: Feb 25th, 2007 12:05 AM |
| I heard drinking tons of water helps too, I know I try and drink a glass while I am breast feeding( before or after) ↑ |
| Name: connie | Date: Feb 25th, 2007 12:06 AM |
I heard drinking tons of water helps too, I know I try and drink a glass while I am breast feeding( before or after)
Of water i mean ↑ |
| Name: nicole miller | Date: Feb 25th, 2007 2:17 AM |
I'll try the water... but I don't think I'll be having any beer. I'm an alcoholic - and I don't think i'd want EITHER of us getting drunk. lol
We tried nursing again at 6... but no luck. He got a bottle and I pumped. ↑ |
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