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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
LuvBeingMrsH
member
BFing, not for me... :(
LuvBeingMrsH
member
Anyone else feeling this way?
I tried, I did! and I even had a lactation consultant coming to my house yesterday to help me, she did realized I am having some problems and we tried so many different things and I did them all today and it just doesn't seem to work. Unfortunately DD was loosing too much weight so the pediatrician told us to supplement with formula, we went back and checked her weight again and thank god it's back to normal... before I had DD all I wanted was to BF but now all I want is her to get what she needs, and she is just not getting it from me. I am not happy and I know I am passing that frustration to her too...
WDYT?
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Re: BFing, not for me... :(
I really hate how it is somehow ingrained that we have to feel guilty about not BFing. I had the same problem with my first, and after a month my supply has never really come in so I am supplementing like crazy. I am dealing with it much better this time, but with my first I was completely devastated!
HOWEVER, with that said DO NOT feel bad for giving your LO what they need!!!! I don't care what anyone says, you need to feed your baby and that is what you are doing and that is what is most important!!
Do what you need to do for you and your LO - only you know what is best for the both of you 
Thank you... I am crying everyday and I hate passing that negative energy to her....
I now just wonder how to stop the milk... my boobs are killing me.
This exactly. The first several weeks are very frustrating, but in most cases the issues can be resolved.
I was having a lot of trouble, too! My daughter lost 11% of her birth weight in 4 days because she wasn't eating enough and I was miserable. I started pumping and feeding her from a bottle. We also supplement with formula once or twice a day. Since I've started pumping, not only has it been easier to get her to eat, I am so much less stressed! She's still getting the nutrients from the breast milk, but it's so much easier pumping.
You should really see what happens when you pump and feed from a bottle. It will still give her the breast milk, and you'll definitely be less stressed trying to get her latching on properly and making sure she eats enough.
What issues are you having exactly?
I would really encourage you to try to keep it up. It is not easy, it's a lot of work, but so worth it. My DD was down 9.5% of her birth weight at her 3 day old check up. They wanted me to supplement with formula, but I was committed to breastfeeding, so I worked at it and did all I could to get her weight up. They had us come back everyday for about 5 days to weigh her to make sure the weight was going up. It did, slowly but surely. It is very common for BF'd babies to lose at first, since they are getting only colostrum for the first couple of days before your milk comes in. It sounds like your milk is in, so I would keep trying. Our bodies were designed to do this, but like a PP said, its easy for some, and harder for others, to learn.
Also, I pumped and finger fed her with a syringe after some feedings if I didnt think she got enough. That helped her a bit, and helped me to know how much she was getting.
I agree with pp, don't give up just yet! My LO was tongue tied and had latching issues and I had to supplement with formula for two days. After having his frenulum clipped and seeing a LC, we were finally on our way to breastfeeding. It still took both of us some time but each feeding session was better than the previous.
Also, my LO lost a lot of weight his first four days (not just from the latching problem). My pedi and LC worked together to monitor his weight, and he was back and forth a few ounces for three weeks, despite eating 10-12x a day. Finally at his one month checkup he had gone back to his birth weight. I'm not saying this is the norm (I know it's not), but I'm glad I stuck to my guns about breastfeeding.
I'm not trying to sway you to not formula feed, do what you need to in order to feed your LO! I'm just saying don't give up yet. I'm glad I didn't.
Ditto this exactly! When I was pregnant, my worst fear was breastfeeding. The first 3 weeks were a nightmare amd I wanted to throw in the towel every single day. I had terrible nipple damage and would pump blood. DD lost 10% of her weight, then gained, then lost and then gained. I worked with a lactation consultant 3 times a week for the first 3 weeks and shed many tears.
If you really want to do it, keep trying.
Now I'm hoping that I wont lose my milk through pumping since I go back to work on Friday.
Good luck!
Being a new mom, I could not tell if our LO was eating enough. Obviously she wasn't since she kept testing at the borderline for having jaundice. I was really discouraged (among other hormonal/emotional ups & downs
) for the first few days because our LO lost 14%of her body weight by the time we left the hospital. I ended up pumping whatever colostrum I had to feed LO.
We also supplemented with formula for the first few days. When we got home we tried giving her formula and LO ended up spitting most of it out. It took 2-3 weeks of breastfeeding to feel more "successful" with it. The nipples were sore and raw and it hurt.
Keep trying and if it's still not for you, it's ok. You have to do what is healthy for you and for your LO.
Good luck!
Agree with this 100%. It suprises me how much it is made out to be a black and white issue of either BF or FF. Maybe you nurse some and supplement with formula if that works, maybe you pump and supplement with formula, maybe you want BFing to work so bad you keep at it and struggle through, maybe you and your LO are so frustrated with BFing that you just want to stop - whatever makes you happy, so long as your LO is getting fed, is what's right for you.
Happy Mommy=Happy Baby! I tried BF and I was so unhappy b/c she wouldnt latch and I called the LC and she was no help at all! And I did have the guilt but once I went to formula and realized that my baby was much happier when I wasnt crying and anxious, that made the guilt slowly go away.
I tried to stick it out as long as I could (I only lasted 2 weeks) and I was so unhappy and tried to stick it out like everyone suggested but while being miserable BFing for the first 2 weeks, I missed out on truly enjoying her b/c I was so unhappy. So my opinion is if you are unhappy and you have had a LC come in and it isnt working...go to formula. Your BABY will be happy and that is what matters.
Good luck!!!
I agree with this. But really it's all up to you. If you're both frustrated and unhappy, then it's up to you to decide when enough is enough. The first 6-8 weeks of bfing is the toughest. You're attached to baby almost constantly, and it's easy to feel suffocated. Add problems bfing, and it makes it even harder. Do what you need to do.
I've heard cabbage leaves in the bra will help dry you up. Also sudafed will help dry up your supply; it's one medication you're not supposed to take while bfing because of that.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
My DS is 5 1/2 wks old and I was very close to quitting multiple times. The first week of his life I got majorly cracked nipples. Then when he was 8 days old I got mastitis. At his 2 wk appt he had only gained 2 ozs above his lowest weight and we were told to supplement. Around the same time we realized he was tongue tied. We asked the pedi about it and he said it shouldn't be a problem. The next week we met with an LC who told us that the tongue tie was probably the basis of the majority of our problems- he was only able to eat 1 ounce from breastfeeding. Two days later he had his frenulum clipped.
We're now about 1 1/2 wks out from the clipping and DS is gaining weight- able to eat at least 2 ozs from breastfeeding, latching on without a nipple shield, and my nipples are healing back up. I wanted to quit so many times but stuck with it. For 2 wks I was nursing and pumping for every feeding. I was exhausted.
There's no shame in stopping and pumping or formula feeding. Or if you want to keep trying you can do that too. Keep calling/meeting with LCs as long as you need. Also know that some days will be better than others. If you want to keep trying but are just burnt out right now you can also pump and bottle feed and take a break from breastfeeding but keep your supply up. Two LCs told me to do this if I needed too. You just have to decide what will work best for you and your baby.