XP: Lost Cause?

kelly422

I bounce between this board and June board so I'm posting this everywhere!

Is it a lost cause getting my LO to BF? I need some success stories!

LO was born at 35 wks and wasn't strong enough to latch to BF, so she's been getting bottles with BM. I would try a few times a day to BF, but no luck. A few weeks ago, it "clicked" and she started latching great! Now, no problems with latching, but she either falls asleep or gets super frustrated and screams because the milk isn't fast enough nothing in between. We've only had about 3 10minute sessions of a good solid suck and swallow pattern TOTAL. I've tried everything making the bottle feeding simulate BF, pumping to get letdown then putting her on, etc. Nothing has seemed to work. Am I going to just accept that she will never BF and I will be EP?

ETA: For mobile, LO is now 7 weeks old.

MAK06

Personally I would keep trying but sometimes its so much stress so I think you should do what feels right. Have you consulted with a lactation consultant at all recently?

tlcope22

Have you tried using a nipple shield? My little one had a very hard time latching and I used one for about 2 to 3 weeks while practicing without a few times a day. Eventually he got stronger and more efficient and was able to not use a shield.

You can get them at places like target and babies r is. Just FYI my ped insured me that it doesn't hurt to use the shield at all as some people will say otherwise!
I was so close to giving up. I can almost promise you if you keep at it you'll get it! : good luck!!!!

jayro10

Don't give up! She's still learning. I second PP... have you met with a lactation consultant?
We were having latch issues in the beginning. I met with an LC and she was able to really help me see what I was doing and what to watch for. Now I've been able to correct her latch when necessary and it's been going great for several weeks. Good luck!

carabear87

MAK06:

Personally I would keep trying but sometimes its so much stress so I think you should do what feels right. Have you consulted with a lactation consultant at all recently?

I agree. Do what feels right. The fact that LO seems to latch is great and sometimes can be one of the hardest struggles.

kelly422

Shantxtell:

Maybe try when she is bigger and change to a slower flow bottle?

We use a Level 1 nipple.  I tried a Preemie nipple and I don't know if she was sucking so hard that she got a lot of air in, but she was incredibly uncomfortable and gassy!  

kelly422

MAK06:

Personally I would keep trying but sometimes its so much stress so I think you should do what feels right. Have you consulted with a lactation consultant at all recently?

We have worked with one.  She's over an hour away, so after our first visit, we've been working through emails/phone calls.  She keeps telling me "sometimes it can take until 8 weeks" for preemies to pick up BF and keeps telling me to just be patient.  I'll probably go see her again when I go in for LO's 2-mo checkup.  

kelly422

tlcope22:

Have you tried using a nipple shield? My little one had a very hard time latching and I used one for about 2 to 3 weeks while practicing without a few times a day. Eventually he got stronger and more efficient and was able to not use a shield. You can get them at places like target and babies r is. Just FYI my ped insured me that it doesn't hurt to use the shield at all as some people will say otherwise! I was so close to giving up. I can almost promise you if you keep at it you'll get it! : good luck!!!!

Yeah, the LC gave us a nipple shield.  At first, she did "well" with it and would latch better with it than without.  Now she seems to hate it and I hate the thing with a passion (maybe she's picking up my cues!)!  When I use it, it seems like she sucks and sucks and can't seem to get much out - are we doing something wrong?  

capstone52501

We went through this as well. .Don't give up, our LO was born 3 weeks early and like yours could not latch.  I would try once a week but did not push it, no need to stress either one of us.  There were a few times he was able to latch and fed for 10 min.  Then all of a sudden when he hit 8 weeks he took to it like a duck to water.  I still pump In the early morning, since he is sleeping longer, that way I can take bottles with us to the store, pool, out of town, church and for my husband who takes care of him at night on the weekends so I can catch up on sleep.   I would keep pumping and try once a week s/he will surprise you one of these days and take off nursing like a pro.  

jteneback

My son was also born at 35 weeks and it's been tough. At 6 weeks I started working really hard on BFing and it was super challenging for about 8 days. He was very inefficient and nursed all day long and half the night. He did get one bottle late at night so I could get 2or 3 hours of sleep at once. It then got progressively better and now at 11 weeks he eats well, about every 3 hours, and I can feed him and change his diaper in about 20 min and be back in bed. So I would say keep at it! I defInitely thought about quitting but the thought of all those bottles to wash kept me going. Good luck!

Eleventy11

kelly422:

Shantxtell:

Maybe try when she is bigger and change to a slower flow bottle?

We use a Level 1 nipple.  I tried a Preemie nipple and I don't know if she was sucking so hard that she got a lot of air in, but she was incredibly uncomfortable and gassy!  

What kind if bottle are you using? We found the preemie nipple on a Dr. Browns bottle was best. I never even had to burp my LO afterwards. She had a tremendous suck also, she just wasn't getting air.

kelly422

courtnif:

kelly422:

Shantxtell:

Maybe try when she is bigger and change to a slower flow bottle?

We use a Level 1 nipple.  I tried a Preemie nipple and I don't know if she was sucking so hard that she got a lot of air in, but she was incredibly uncomfortable and gassy!  

What kind if bottle are you using? We found the preemie nipple on a Dr. Browns bottle was best. I never even had to burp my LO afterwards. She had a tremendous suck also, she just wasn't getting air.

We tried the dr browns preemie nipple. We had the opposite problem she was so gassy and miserable after!

tlcope22

kelly422:

tlcope22:

Have you tried using a nipple shield? My little one had a very hard time latching and I used one for about 2 to 3 weeks while practicing without a few times a day. Eventually he got stronger and more efficient and was able to not use a shield.

You can get them at places like target and babies r is. Just FYI my ped insured me that it doesn't hurt to use the shield at all as some people will say otherwise!
I was so close to giving up. I can almost promise you if you keep at it you'll get it! : good luck!!!!

Yeah, the LC gave us a nipple shield.  At first, she did "well" with it and would latch better with it than without.  Now she seems to hate it and I hate the thing with a passion (maybe she's picking up my cues!)!  When I use it, it seems like she sucks and sucks and can't seem to get much out - are we doing something wrong?  

They make different sizes and u found that the one the LC give me actaully hurt and made by little one grunt and fuss I think he gt too much air in it or something I'm not sure. So I got a different size and it worked much better!
Either way hopefully these posts help give you encouragement to not give up! I sincerely remember feeling the exact same way. I just kept practicing..taking a deep breath and being relaxed while doing so. And try practicing when baby is not starving and screaming so it is less stressful maybe.

kelly422

Thank you, everyone! I will keep at it and cross my fingers we are successful! If not, I guess the most important thing for me is that she's getting BM somehow! 

HaleyEliza

My LO is 8 wks yesterday and we've been struggling since day 1 with bfing. I've been supplementing with formula and pumping and bfing with a shield and trying to wean off the shield and the formula. Just in the past two days he's been latching really well and preferring no shield. Stay positive! If we can do it you can too!