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Going crazy! long

Nicolemay26th07Nicolemay26th07
in Breastfeeding

I have been trying to breastfeed and have been having problems.

LO lost over a pound so his doc sent me over to see a LC which i was very happy about. First I was told to use a shield for 10 mins, then feed the baby a bottle, then pump for 15 mins. I was doing that supplementing formula when needed. I was only getting about a half an ounce to an ounce for awhile. LO was eating about 1.5 ounces at the time.

Next time I went to the LC she said to try to offer breast then bottle then pump and throw in some shorter pumpings in between.

Next time I went I tried to breastfeed and he ate and seemed full (which is the first time ever he was satisfied) then I came home and BF him again and he was satisfied. Since then he wants more after.

I can't pump enough, he isn't happy with BFing and I am going crazy! My husband is trying to have me just put him on formula because I am so upset all the time and crying about it. I REALLY don't want to.

I just feel like a failure and nothing is going to work.

His weight has gone up but I don't know how much more I can take of this all night and day process.

Any ideas?? 

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Re: Going crazy! long

  • ErinNConnorsMomErinNConnorsMom
    You have my sympathy.  Bf'ing a newborn is truly a 24 hr a day, full time job!  Out of curiosity, why did your LC have you use a shield?  Is your little guy gaining enough weight?  Finally, what do YOU want to do?  I can tell you that if you stick with bf'ing and your problems resolve, it gets much, much easier.  Your early days of having your breasts hanging out all the time are rewarded by being able to bring your baby to bed with you and nurse in a side lying position while snoozing rather than trekking to the kitchen to prepare a bottle at 5 am Smile
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  • DallasHornDallasHorn member

    Well, here's the problem...baby doesn't have to "work" to get milk from a bottle, formula takes longer to digest and it's WAY easy to overfeed a baby via a bottle (go to kellymom.com and there are charts on the maximum stomach capacity of an infant at different ages).  So, my guess is a combination of things...he is frustrated that the milk doesn't automatically come out when you put him to breast, he is likely doing some comfort sucking, hence the reason he "seems' hungry and his tummy may be hurting from over feeding AND by giving formula, your body is not reacting (and producing) based on the normal supply/demand of nursing as needed.

    My suggestion if he's ok again with weight would be to just try the shield.  Be prepared to put him to breast A LOT - even every 1 - 1.5 hours!  I'd work with the LC to weigh him before and after a feeding to confirm how much he is taking in. 

    Those first weeks are hard.  Pumping output at this point should not be much.  Again, I highly encourage you to read up at kellymom.com.  It DOES get better and is so worth hanging in there.

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  • katlizabethkatlizabeth member

    I'm so sorry.  Don't give up.  What I would do is give yourself a realistic goal and tell yourself you only have to make it to that point.  Then there will be an end in sight.  Most likely you will have seen success by that "goal" and will be willing to set another goal to reach.  For me, it took 6 weeks before bfing wasn't terrible.

     What I did for my ds who was a lazy sucker and I had a low supply was to nurse every 2 hours and then pump 45 min after that most of the time.  I would also feed him ebm after about 5 feedings a day. If you need to use formula, that would be okay too.  But only what you think your LO really needs.  Anyway, after doing this, at 8 weeks, I did not have to supplement ebm at all.  We're doing great now.  It can happen, but it takes a ton of work and sucks while you're doing it.

    Are you eating enough, drinking enough water, sleeping enough (I know the answer to that is no) relaxing about bfing (that will help!).  If you really don't want to continue that's okay, but it will get better.

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  • Nicolemay26th07Nicolemay26th07

    Thanks!

    Sorry it took me so long to respond (if anyone will even look back at this I'm not sure) but things are crazy here.

    It's good to hear plenty of other people are doing the same thing and it works out.

    I was using the shield because the LC thought maybe he wasn't able to latch on correctly or that maybe my nipples were a little flat. 

    I am probably not eating, drinking, and definitely not sleeping enough although I am trying to.

    Hopefully it will get better. Over the last day He has been eating from the breast more. It just takes him so long. about an hour and a half or longer.  

    His weight yesterday was 7pds5ounces so at his 2 week friday he should be back at his 7pds 7 ounces birth weight.

    Thanks again! 

     

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  • rubriderubride
    Hang in there! I had a really tough time in the beginning and had to EP b/c my nipples were bleeding and LO wasn't gaining enough weight. I thought I'd never be able to nurse, but it got better after a few weeks. Seems like 6 weeks was the magic time for me. Don't give up and don't feel alone. It seems like many moms I spoke with had similar issues!
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