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Breastfeeding
I Quit Breastfeeding and Want to Go Back
Hi!
My daughter is 9 weeks old. She was breastfed for the first 8 weeks. We had latch difficulties in the hospital and because of this she was jaundice and had lost a lot of her birth weight. We almost did not get to take her home. We met with a Lactation Consultant in the hospital. She helped with the latch and instructed me to breastfeed my daughter, supplement her with formula using the dropper method, and then to pump. I was to do this every two hours. I only did the dropper method the first day that we came home because it to so long to do. However, we only had to supplement for two days.
After doing a lot of research, I found that I have overactive letdown. My daughter HATED breastfeeding. She would often choke. She would bob on and off the breast. She screamed at EVERY feeding. It would usually take me 20 (or more!) minutes to calm her down. It was emotionally exhausting for everyone. As her mom, I felt awful. I am supposed to stop her from crying but instead every time I went to feed her I did it knowing that I was going to make her cry. I felt stressed, tired, and selfish for doing this to her. To overcome the overactive letdown I did tons of research. I have tried:
1. a nipple shield
2. changing positions (lying down, hold her upright while feeding, nursing downhill)
3. single side nursing
4. block nursing
5. letting the initial let down into a burp cloth
6. pumping for a few minutes before feeding (this stimulated my body to produce even MORE milk and I got mastitis.)
After 8 weeks of trial and error and my heart breaking every time I fed her, I grabbed my pump and started bottle feeding her. She is MUCH happier. She doesn't cry at feedings, she spits up less, and she is less gassy. However, exclusively pumping is VERY time consuming and my milk production has greatly slowed. (I used to get around 10 oz. a session, enough for two feedings. This has drastically reduced.) I have given in and have been giving her formula. She is happy, healthy, and gaining weight and my husband LOVES feeding her. However, I am consumed by guilt and shame. I wanted to breastfeed so badly and I know it's better for her. Is there anything else I can try that I haven't already tried? I really would like to breastfeed again but not if it's going to make my daughter miserable!
Thank you
My daughter is 9 weeks old. She was breastfed for the first 8 weeks. We had latch difficulties in the hospital and because of this she was jaundice and had lost a lot of her birth weight. We almost did not get to take her home. We met with a Lactation Consultant in the hospital. She helped with the latch and instructed me to breastfeed my daughter, supplement her with formula using the dropper method, and then to pump. I was to do this every two hours. I only did the dropper method the first day that we came home because it to so long to do. However, we only had to supplement for two days.
After doing a lot of research, I found that I have overactive letdown. My daughter HATED breastfeeding. She would often choke. She would bob on and off the breast. She screamed at EVERY feeding. It would usually take me 20 (or more!) minutes to calm her down. It was emotionally exhausting for everyone. As her mom, I felt awful. I am supposed to stop her from crying but instead every time I went to feed her I did it knowing that I was going to make her cry. I felt stressed, tired, and selfish for doing this to her. To overcome the overactive letdown I did tons of research. I have tried:
1. a nipple shield
2. changing positions (lying down, hold her upright while feeding, nursing downhill)
3. single side nursing
4. block nursing
5. letting the initial let down into a burp cloth
6. pumping for a few minutes before feeding (this stimulated my body to produce even MORE milk and I got mastitis.)
After 8 weeks of trial and error and my heart breaking every time I fed her, I grabbed my pump and started bottle feeding her. She is MUCH happier. She doesn't cry at feedings, she spits up less, and she is less gassy. However, exclusively pumping is VERY time consuming and my milk production has greatly slowed. (I used to get around 10 oz. a session, enough for two feedings. This has drastically reduced.) I have given in and have been giving her formula. She is happy, healthy, and gaining weight and my husband LOVES feeding her. However, I am consumed by guilt and shame. I wanted to breastfeed so badly and I know it's better for her. Is there anything else I can try that I haven't already tried? I really would like to breastfeed again but not if it's going to make my daughter miserable!
Thank you
This discussion has been closed.
Re: I Quit Breastfeeding and Want to Go Back
I am definitely not an expert, but is there a chance that your letdown isn't as forceful now that your supply has decreased?
This was my first thought too.
Why not just try it? If she hates it, get a bottle. It doesn't have to be all-or-nothing.
If you need to increase your supply while pumping try fenugreek, eating oatmeal and drinking tons of water.
I would just keep trying her on the breast a few times per day, pumps to get your supply to a good place, and quit feeling guilty. She probably just needs to mature some, and she will eventually figure it out. My DD had major latching difficulties, and she didn't really get it until she was 3 1/2 months old. She nursed until 27 months. I think there is still hope, but your little one may just need more time.
However, stick with the lowest flow nipple for her bottles, and hold the bottles horizontally. The LC advised this for us--it makes the baby work for the milk and it's more like nursing. I think it definitely helped us to transition successfully.