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Anyone EP and then go back to EBF?

vml14vml14
in Babies: 0 - 3 Months

I EBF my LO for her first 2 weeks.  She seemed to be eating fine and wasn't really fussy or anything, but then at her 2 wk appt we found out she had lost weight, and that my supply actually wasn't very good and she was not eating much at the breast.  I then went to a triple feeding schedule (BF with weighing before and after feeding, pumping, supplementing with BM or formula) for about 3 weeks to make sure she got enough and to increase my supply, until the time and stress of doing all 3 got to be too much. 

I have been EPing since LO was about 5 weeks old, so for about the past 3.5 weeks.  My supply has steadily increased, and I am now producing just about the amount she is eating each day.  I'd really love to be able to BF instead of pumping, but worry that she won't eat effectively and have weight gain issues again.

Anyone successfully make the switch back?  Any suggestions?  I'm not opposed to doing some BF, some pumping and supplementing, and even some formula, but I know I can't sustain triple feeding 7-8 times per day... And, I worry that I'll constantly be stressed that she is eating enough since I won't be able to tell how much she is getting directly from the breast.

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Re: Anyone EP and then go back to EBF?

  • Gina1221Gina1221 member
    Yep I did.  I mostly pumped from about weeks 2-6 because I couldn't handle the pain of consistently nursing, so I only nursed here and there.  Then at around week 6 I decided to give it another go.. The pain was really bad at first but I just had to stick it out and get passed it.  Now I'm just about exclusively nursing and I love it.  So glad I went back. 


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  • AMYfromKYAMYfromKY member
    No, but if I can get my supply back up that's what I plan on doing with a ton of help from a LC
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  • vml14vml14

    imageGina1221:
    Yep I did.  I mostly pumped from about weeks 2-6 because I couldn't handle the pain of consistently nursing, so I only nursed here and there.  Then at around week 6 I decided to give it another go.. The pain was really bad at first but I just had to stick it out and get passed it.  Now I'm just about exclusively nursing and I love it.  So glad I went back. 

    Did you just go back to nursing only, or gradually start adding in nursing sessions?  Were you ever worried that your LO wasn't eating enough?  I think that's my biggest worry -- that she won't take enough from the breast and we'll end up with weight gain issues again...

    PS -- Go Phillies! :)

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  • vml14vml14

    imageAMYfromKY:
    No, but if I can get my supply back up that's what I plan on doing with a ton of help from a LC

    That's my hope, too.  My supply is much better now, and definitely enough for her to thrive.  I'm now pumping pretty much exactly what she eats each day.  I'll definitely call my LC for support/help, too.  I just worry a lot about not knowing how much she is getting at each feed, since we thought she was doing fine in the beginning and got a big surprise at her 2 wk appt. 

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  • AMYfromKYAMYfromKY member
    imagevml14:

    imageAMYfromKY:
    No, but if I can get my supply back up that's what I plan on doing with a ton of help from a LC

    That's my hope, too.  My supply is much better now, and definitely enough for her to thrive.  I'm now pumping pretty much exactly what she eats each day.  I'll definitely call my LC for support/help, too.  I just worry a lot about not knowing how much she is getting at each feed, since we thought she was doing fine in the beginning and got a big surprise at her 2 wk appt. 

    Technically she should be able to get more milk than you can even pump so she should be fine.  Henry also lost weight at his 1 week appt and didn't gain any until he was over 2 weeks old.  That's just normal for some babies.  GL! 

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  • ZacksBrideZacksBride
    my LO had lost weight at his first appointment (he was back above birthweight by the time he left hospital cause he had to stay for a week after birth)... i was completely paranoid that he wasn't getting enough from me as well, but he always seemed content/had normal wet/poopy diapers.  by 2 weeks he was at his birthweight, and his weight gain was borderline for the # of days since his last weight check.  i started pumping and supplementing occasional bottles of ebm.  by 1 month, his weight gain was perfectly normal!  it just took him a little while, and now everything is fine with just nursing!  hopefully the same will be true for you - good luck!  i give you lots of credit doing the triple-feeding thing - it must be exhausting!
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  • cindy453cindy453

    Ugh, I'm so sorry you were told to 3 feed! I tried it initially and it's a major PITA. I tried that at first and got to the point where I was either going to give up entirely or I was going to have to drop SOMETHING. I wish you could have gotten some better advice- maybe to drop pumping but supplement at the breast (so you only had to feed her once, and it was at the breast). 

    Some women just take awhile to reach a good supply. I didn't EBF until Em was 1 month old. Prior to that she got supplemental formula.

    I would suggest contacting an LC, or a LLL leader. The LLL leader will probably offer to do a house call for you, and of course it's free. I was a group hopper the first month or so- I went to literally EVERY BF support group/LLL meeting within a 20 mile radius of my house. I found some LCs I really liked, some LLL leaders I really liked, and some were a complete turn off. So if you find somebody who doesn't work for you or whose advice doesn't sit well with you- try again! Good luck! 

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  • kimberlybaileykimberlybailey
    LO was the same, BFing was painful but I had no idea that there was a problem.  I thought she was eating fine. Then they told me that LO had lost over 5% of her birth weight in the first 24 hours, so the only way the hospital let me leave was to supplement with formula.  It got to the point that BFing was so painful that I didn`t even what to try.  When we got home from the hospital, I started pumping and feeding LO BM and supplementing with formula until I was able to pump enough to feed LO all day.  I pumped for about 3 weeks straight before my pump started to crap out.  I tried a shield and have been EBFing ever since.  I was scared that I wouldn`t be able to nurse since LO had been fed with a bottle for about 3 weeks, but with the shield she latched on great.  I got Evenflo to replace my pump and I have been trying to pump a couple times a week after her first feeding in the morning so that I can build a stash.  We also try to give her a bottle once a day or once every other day so that she will still take the bottle, but she eats better from a bottle when someone else feeds her.
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