What to do for a lazy/improper sucker??

Fuzzypeaches

I've been having tons of trouble breastfeeding. She wasn't getting enough and lost too much weight, so now I am supplementing with formula.

I do have some milk, but very very very little.

I had a nurse in the hospital and also a public health worker visit my house. Both of them watched her breastfeed and told me that she is not sucking properly. She latches WONDERFULLY, but after her first initial sucks she gets lazy. She just comfort sucks and doesn't do those deep sucks to draw out the milk.

I've been pumping like crazy and taking mother's milk tea, and also a prescription to get more milk.  But it's not working. I think because she's not sucking properly to stimulate my breast.

She falls asleep almost as soon as she gets on the breast. We undress her, jiggle her, talk to her, blow on her face, wipe her with a cold cloth. It doesn't work for more than a few seconds. She gets latched on and instantly falls asleep and just does these wimpy sucks that don't accomplish anything.

My poor boobs are sore and I am soooo tired from breastfeeding, pumping, and bottle feeding all at once. Any suggestions to get her sucking better?

ncbelle

I hate that you are having such problems - I know how stressful it must be for you.

I know you said you had to supplement - but I do think that's causing some of your problems.  She's getting used to not having to work for her milk which is why she isn't sucking.  If you are giving her 2-3 ounces of formula, she's not going to be hungry either and not motivated to suck.

I would suggest at least cutting back on the formula (see here for some tips - https://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/decrease-formula.html.  If she's gained her weight back, it should be ok to start cutting back.  You can also give formula through a dropper so she has to work more for it.  When you do nurse, try hand expressing a bit so there's milk on your nipple when you bring her to the breast.  Continue to get as much skin to skin contact as you can.  You might also try nursing in a warm bath with her.  There are more tips here - [ur]https://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html[/url].

I know you said you were pumping some as well - definitely keep that up if you do continue to supplement.  I know it's frustrating if you aren't getting anything, but it should improve for you.

Did the LC have any helpful hints for you?  What did she say about supplementing?

Hope things start to turn around for you soon.  Do try contacting your local La Leche League as they may have more advice - and it's free.  Hang in there!

dusk42

I massage the breast while she's sucking, and my LC set us up with a simple supplemental nursing system to help her be more interested.  It's just a 10 ml syringe with a long tube - I put the tube in her mouth when she latched and when she nursed, she would get milk and formula - we did this for the first few weeks.  I do still have to give her a bottle after 1-2 feedings a day, but we didn't start the bottle until she was several weeks old, we feed her sitting upright with the bottle horizontal and the nipple only half full, and we use a preemie nipple.  I also make sure she nurses fully on each side before offering her a bottle if she is still giving me her hungry signs.  

mom2binKC

Do you have a certified lactation consultant you can talk to?  I wasn't clear from your post if you had talked to one, or just a nurse.  An LC could help immensely.  Check at the hospital where you delivered, or ask at your OB's office.

I have been in the same boat as you.  DS is 10 days old.  He had a perfect latch at the hospital, but after we got home, he got very sleepy, and his latch got lazy.  Then he stopped latching altogether, or he would latch on, suck a few times, and fall asleep.  My LC thinks his bilirubin was still a little high, causing him to be lethargic.  She said I would need to supplement with pumped BM to get his energy level up while helping establish my supply (supplememtenting with formula in the first few weeks will likely hurt supply).

This was working to keep him satisfied, and to keep my supply going, but he started preferring the bottle to the breast, and would no longer nurse at all.  It was very frustrating, and I ended up in tears after most of my loooooong, unsuccessful attempts at nursing, which resulted in giving him pumped BM anyway.

So, today, the LC finally suggested I try a nipple shield.  She said he has probably gotten lazy at the breast, because the bottle is so much easier to get milk from than the breast.  The nipple shield mimicks a bottle nipple, so he can be at the breast.  We will continue to work on latching and nursing, and hopefully wean from the nipple shield over time.  With the nipple shield, he immediately latched on and nursed longer and better than he has since the hospital.

Nipple shields are only supposed to be used under the guidance of a LC or physician.  You can buy them at BRU.  There is some concern about the baby getting used to the nipple shield and not being able to learn to BF without it.  But I was inches away from quitting BFing altogether, so using the nipple shield may have saved BFing for us.  We have had two successful nursing sessions with it (just started today), and the LC told me to stop supplemementing with the bottle, so that we can get him back on the breast all the time.

GL.  I have been through a lot these last several days, too, so I know how frustrating and exhausting it is!