I could just cry...

cjdanielson

It seems whenever DH/FIL watch LO they have NO problems with her... literally... no fussing, no crying (unless hungry tired wet etc). When shes with me she whines and fusses almost ALL day. DH and I got into an argument last night because its like hes telling me hes a better parent. I went back to work last week (only 1 day 12 hours). I EBF so I left pumped bottles. She was apparently still hungry so DH fed her 2 oz of formula- I leave 4 oz bottles. I guess she was still fussing so he made her the extra bottle and she chugged it down and was content. So ok she was a little extra hungry. So all weekend and today I fed her on demand like usual and she was her usual fussy for me all weekend and today. hence DH comment about her not being fussy with him... "maybe shes still hungry and not getting enough from your boobs?" I snapped back insisting on him being wrong. Well today LO was her usual fussiness and I kept feeding her thinking maybe a growth spurt? Then after I was completely drained- LO would suck and pull and even massage and hand expressing I would get like 1/2 a drop... so I gave her a 2 oz bottle of formula... she sucked it down like nothing and was content and even napped for almost 2 hours! Unheard of in the last month (at least for me). Now I feel like Im not being able to feed her enough. I pumped 3 times today after feedings and after I fed her extra formula. Im taking mothers milk and having oatmeal for breakfast. I DONT want to lose my milk and Im petrified Im going to  

DH has been really supportive saying you BF for 3 mos thats great some women cant even do that formulas ok etc etc... I just dont want to lost my milk. My goal was to BF at least 1 year and idk if Ill make it. I figure Ill just keep trying and pumping as much as humanly possible and hope I dont dry up...

thanks for listening/reading  

Violet_McPurpleson

I'm sorry. I think I may be going through something similar. Have you tried any galactogogues to help your supply? I'm just beginning to look into them so I'm not super knowledgeable, but the breastfeeding board is usually good with those type of questions.

dangerkitty102

If you're really worreid about your supply, try fenugreek. It's brought my supply up twice now - once during a growth spurt and once after I had a stomach flu and my supply plummeted.

As for the fussiness, I'll just say that my baby is definitely more fussy around me too, and it's definitely because they smell the milk. My son might be perfectly content chilling out cooing and playing with his toes, and I go up to him and suddenly he's fussy and wants to eat. That's all it is - you aren't a worse parent!

txbootsy

I drink mother's milk tea and take 12 capsules of fenugreek daily.

I am an exclusive pumper and I still have a low supply, but I am able to give my baby 14 ounces of breadtmilk per day.

The meds and tea are slowly increasing my milk.

I pump 5 times per day, but if I could fit in more pumpings, I know my supply would be even better.

I am not stopping until a year. (even if my supply is low).

Some breast milk is better than none

smm010108

::hugs:: I'm sorry your going through this - I am too. I started back full time (I'm gone for 11 hrs a day) last week, and I'm only able to pump 3 times - I've slowly noticed my pumping sessions producing less and less milk and it's making me so upset b/c, like you, I wanted to EBF until 1 year, but it looks like we'll have to start supplementing as well It'll be okay - as long as our LO's are eating they'll be fine

2010mommy!

txbootsy:

I drink mother's milk tea and take 12 capsules of fenugreek daily.

I am an exclusive pumper and I still have a low supply, but I am able to give my baby 14 ounces of breadtmilk per day.

The meds and tea are slowly increasing my milk.

I pump 5 times per day, but if I could fit in more pumpings, I know my supply would be even better.

I am not stopping until a year. (even if my supply is low).

Some breast milk is better than none

wow, my daughter would never have been satisfied on 14 ounces. of breastmilk a day at that age! but she is a piggy we were giving her three 4 ounce bottles of breastmilk at daycare at that time, but she was also nursing three to four times at home for a total of about 25 ounces a day. 

Tippy05

I totally understand.  I also am starting to lose my supply. I take 9 fenugreek pills and eat oatmeal almost everyday, but I'm only pumping about 10 oz and DS goes to daycare with 15.  I nurse him at home at night to try to stimulate things a little more and I nurse on the weekends, but lately I'm dipping into my freezer stash more and more and am afraid that we're headed the formula route also.  My plan to was BF at least 9 months (when we'll start TTC #2).  We're only at 4 months now and it's getting hard.

I know in my head that it's not the end of the world and that lots of babies are on formula and are totally happy and healthy.  It's just like a personal failure that I wasn't able to keep up.  All that matters in the end, though, is that we have happy, healthy babies.  You did your best to BF when you could and if you have to switch to formula it's ok. Any BM is better than no BM.

rubredvelvet

I'm sorry to hear about that. Maybe you could just supplement a small bit? And by the way you have done great to do it this long!! I was never able to bf because of Lo tongue reflex, so I pumped from the get go and I was only able to last a month with supplementing. So, dont be so hard on yourself!

drewiekc

It's definitely tough, no bones about it!  I came back to work about a month ago, and am able to pump 3 times during the day.  I only get 5-6oz total though.  DD takes three 6oz bottles during the day, so two of those have to be formula.  I was so upset about it at first and felt like I was failing her, but stressing about it was just hurting my supply even more.  So I just had to make myself realize that she is happy and healthy and getting as much BM as I can give her.  No, supplementing with formula wasnt my plan, but it's what we have to do, and it's OK!  Dont beat yourself up.

cjdanielson

thanks for the support. and youre all right... some is better than none. And Ill just keep pumping and giving her as much as I can and supplementing as needed. I had to use my freezer stash when I stood up in a wedding when lo was 6 weeks old... so I havent been able to make another one as big as that but I am happy I made it this long so Im just going to do te best I can