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Formula aversion and/or nipple confusion?

slizsliz
in Success after IF

A could drink from bottle nipples just fine at a few days old - she had to prove her prowess at this before they discharged her from the nicu - she used to bottle feed like a champ (suck so hard it collapsed the nipple) and she didn't care for the breast much at all - we worked on the breast feeding the last 3 weeks and now she prefers the breast and breast milk - it almost seems like she can't or forgot how to latch to a regular evenflo nipple - we are trying tommee tippee bottle but they aren't working perfectly either...

also - she seems to have developed an aversion to the formula - she seems hungry and fusses/refuses the bottle but when i put her on the boob she latches right on and starts sucking (not sure if this is just comforting or if now she really just prefers breastmilk) - the problem is I don't seem to make enough milk throughout the day so once she's drained both breasts, she sucks, gets frustrated, pops off and starts to cry...i just feel really helpless right now - I can't feed my baby and everytime we try to do something good for her (like breastfeed more) it backfires...i can't believe feeding her is turning into such a disaster....

anyone experience anything like this? what should I do? I am considering stopping the BFing altogether just so she goes back to eating formula - DH seems to think she gets enough between the BFing and formula and she will eat the formula if she is hungry enough ( like today she ate about 13 oz of formula today and I BF 6 times throughout the day and she is 6.5 wks)....but now we're concerned she isn't getting enough if she is holding out for the breastmilk...

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Re: Formula aversion and/or nipple confusion?

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    Alie05Alie05

    DS has an aversion to the bottle (breastmilk) if it's not the same temperature it is from my boob. lol  He won't do it!  He did it fine cold to start with, but now he's picky and won't take it.  He's going to be in trouble when I go back to work. ;p

    Breastmilk is supply and demand.  Make sure she is sucking enough off of you that you are making more milk.  That said, since she had been doing formula some, your milk supply will take sometime to get to where it needs to be for her to get enough. 

    I think what I would do, so keep doing what your doing, but slowly decrease the number of times she gets formula and add it to how many times she's getting the breast.  That way you can wean her off of the formula and stimulate your breasts for more milk.  For example, if she's doing 6 times on the breast, and 3 times the bottle, switch to 7 times breast, 2 times bottle for a few days, and decrease again. 

    Oh, and your breasts are never "empty".  There is ALWAYS milk there no matter what - it just won't come out as fast, and that leads to the "popping off" thing they do is that the milk is not coming out of the breast as fast as they want it, and they get mad.  It's normal for milk to dwindle by the end of the day.  I can pump out 5 oz of milk out of one breast in the morning, but by night, I'm lucky to get 3 oz. 

    Speaking of pumping, I will suggest getting a breast pump to stimulate your breasts more, and that will increase your supply too.

     

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    dundasgirldundasgirl

    13 oz of formula plus breastfeeding seems great for a six week old to me?  But I didn't formula feed.

    I know you have probably heard it a million times, but feeding her formula instead of breastfeeding won't help to get your supply up.  Offer her the breast first each time.

    Also when she pulls off and fusses, could it be that she needs a burp? 

    Do you feed her on both sides each time or just one side?

    With Reed, I gave him a bottle of pumped breastmilk a few times when he was really new (in the first few weeks).  He took the bottle like a champ so I stopped giving him bottles b/c I thought...he gets it....no need to train him on this!  Well, about a month later I tried to get him to take a bottle and he refused!  I have heard the same issue with a few of my friends once they are established on the breast.

     

     

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    dundasgirldundasgirl

    Oh, and it sounds like you are doing a great job! 

    Penny had mucous and blood in her poo too.  We ended up thinking it was a case of colitis.  It came and went for a few months and then just disappeared.  She never had the other symptoms of a dairy allergy.  Her doctor said her disposition was too content and happy to have the stomach upset such as dairy intolerance.

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    ESTH2000ESTH2000 member

    First, it sounds like you are doing a great job!! Seriously, this stuff is really hard and the first couple of months are super hard. I have  a 19month old and I still freak out over her eating issues...but it does get better..trust us!!!

    I agree with pp and think you may be better off offering the breast as much as possible and then topping her off with formula if she needs it. The more you bf the more you will send a message to your body that it needs to produce. I swear I spent almost my entire maternity leave in a robe with a baby attached to the boob but it was fine with me and I just made sure I ate lots of food and drank plenty liquid. Basically I would either be on the couch with the boppy nursing non stop while I watched pointless daytime tv ( I have to day i love Ellen..lol) and right next to me I was a snack table with easily one handed manageable food I could reach while nursing. I would do the same if I were in the nursery too...we set up a tv there for those few months.

    I would always worry I wasn't making enough milk, especially because when I pumped I only made like an ounce but as many nesties will tell you and you will read..the pump is nowhere near as good as a baby when it comes to getting bm..babies get a lot more!!! So until we made a pedi visits I would be a mess thinking I was making enough milk..but thankfully she always gained when she was checked at the pedi...so unless your pedi has told you she is not gaining, I would try not to worry just yet as much (better said than done)

    Ditto on the pumping...and we used medela bottles with wide nipples. Is there any specific reason you want to introduce the bottle again? I ask because it seems like A is really getting a hang of the bfding and I would probably just stick with that. I only introduced the bottle a few times before I went back to work but DD took the bottle no problem once I wasn't around to bf anymoe....

    As for the mucusy poop..DD had the same but at the time I didn't even think to question it because there was no blood

    And as ashamed as I am to admit this..many time in the beginning I forgot I was suppose to be burping DD which I know must have attributed to some of the fussiness and crying..Also try mylicon gas drops...

    The best advice I have heard was not to quit bfding on a bad day...

    If you need any support you can totally page me!!!

     

     

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    dana316dana316 member

    The very best way to increase supply is to nurse more.  Keep her on the breast as much as possible, and try to decrease how much formula she gets.  I'm wondering if you are overfeeding her?  She may just need to be burped or need some Mylicon instead of formula. 

    If she pulls off and gets fussy, burp her and put her back on.  Also try pumping after she nurses to cue your body to produce more. 

    Breastmilk and formula taste VERY differently...so she may very well just prefer the breastmilk. 

    Keep in mind that there is a 6 week growth spurt, and she needs to be on the breast a lot right now to cue your body to increase supply. 

     

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