February 2015 Moms
Jantzmom
member
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Breast feeding issues
Jantzmom
member
my baby is seven weeks old, and he's still not latching correctly to nurse. He's fully breast fed from a bottle, but it's driving me crazy trying to supply enough milk for him and then feed him as well. I'm the mother of a three year old as well, she stated nursing at three weeks. Both my babies were delivered three weeks early due to medical issues. I'm running out of ideas to get him to latch. I've seen lactation specialists and attended some classes. Help please.
Answers
Sorry the LC wasn't too helpful? Can you find a La Leche League meeting in your area? I don't have one, but found a FB group where leaders and other moms advise and suggest things. sO helpful.
I've known ppl who had a nipple shield that worked and eventually they stepped it down. It can be trickier because baby is used to a bottle, not impossible. Even call a LLL LEADER. It's all free. I've found them to be more helpful than some LCs. Keep us posted!
I also have had a low supply, needing to supplement with breast milk and formula to keep him at a healthy weight. Hopeful that once latching is fixed, supply will increase. Hang in there, there's a lot of us out here facing the same problems and you aren't alone!
Any one else deal with lip or tongue tie, btw??
For the last few days I have been block feeding/pumping every 2 hours to keep the stimulation up in hopes that it would increase my supply. It's helped a little bit, I produce about 1oz of milk/breast every 3 hours. However, I didn't get a chance to pump when I woke this morning, and daddy fed her breast milk in a bottle twice in a row because we were out with family; so about 4 hours went by before I got to pump and I was only able to pump about 2oz of milk/breast. I then didn't get another chance to pump until 8 hours later and she only breastfed once during that time (daddy bottle fed the rest), and I was only able to pump another 2oz of milk/breast out. So it's like, once I hit 2oz in the boob that's my max and my body won't make anymore until I express it. But even then, it takes me 3 hours to get 1oz made per boob, so it still isn't enough.
On average, we should be producing anywhere from 25oz to 40oz of breast milk per day, and I've barely scraped by with 8oz to 10oz. Something isn't right and we've been checked for tongue tie, lip tie, cleft pallet, etc and nothing. Her latch isn't the issue, it's me somehow. So this evening I ordered a bottle of Mother's Milk Plus in hopes that it will help. Though the issue may be that I don't have enough milk producing mammary tissue and may need to try the Special Blend if the Plus doesn't fully take care of the issue.
I am really upset and discouraged because I want to breastfeed until she's a year old, but at this rate, I am barely making enough to give her the antibodies she needs from me. In the past her intake was 95% breast milk and 5% formula. Now it's more like 25-40% breast milk and 60-75% formula. I would be ok with it if I could produce enough to make it 50/50. But I am not and I don't know why....
My diet did change however. I have to do an elimination diet and had to cut out all dairy which means I'm pretty much eating a vegan diet because I have been a vegetarian my entire of life to begin with.
We are feeding our children which means we are good moms. That all the matters in the end.