Need some encouragement and honesty

ErinO21 · January 2014

This is long so please bare with me.

LO and I have had a rough time BF'ing since day one. Nursing to be more specific. Supply is good enough for primarily bm and 3-6oz of formula a day. Background: lost 20% of his body weight so we pumped and syringe fed as well as nurse with a shield. He was 4 was early so latching was an issue. Was admitted for jaundice at 1wk and we continued to syringe feed/nurse for another weekAt 3wks I had a pilonidal cyst and was in extreme pain and my supply took a hit. It was too painful for me to sit/lay down/anything. I pumped as much as I could but it wasn't enough. We supplemented with formula and bottles were introduced. He wasn't gaining as quickly as pedi liked so we did 50/50 bm/formula. I let him nurse during this time too. My nipples were torn up, and I eventually developed a yeast infection from the antibiotics I was on from cyst. LO hasn't gotten it though because we've done mostly bottles and when he did nurse we used the shield. He also had a slight tongue tie corrected at 5 weeks. Latching since then has been hit or miss.

He is now 7 weeks old and I am almost over the infection. My question is, can we come back from this? I would love nothing more than to just whip my boob out when he is hungry when we are out or through the night. I'm afraid he is too use to the bottle that nursing is too far gone. I told myself I would give it until 3 months to try to get it down. If not then I will EP as long as I can stand it with the acceptance that I will probably have to supplement and that's ok since we are already.

My concern is that I've gone back to work already so the evenings and weekends are really the only time we have to work on it. I plan on taking Thursday afternoon and Friday off and let him just nurse as long as I can stand it and also get help from an LC That we've been seeing throughout this whole thing. . I'll be done with my nip cream and should be fully healed.

Are evenings and weekend enough to get it done with an 8 week old?

Asivec · January 2014

No direct advice, but encouragement. I hope you can get your milk back. You have done great through everything.

Here is a recent post on the same subject.

https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12240342/getting-milk-back

ErinO21 · January 2014

My supply isn't the problem. It's him actually nursing.

surpriseaddition · January 2014

If you are using formula, I thought that meant you weren't producing enough milk? By 7 weeks, and if your milk has come in with an adequate supply, you shouldn't need the formula anymore. My LO lost 12% body weight and when they lose a lot up front it will take longer to gain back weight. I was able to get my LO to take bottles of expressed BM after letting her nurse, to beef her up, and my pedi was fine with that. Maybe check back with the doctor to make sure the formula is still necessary or it will begin to affect your supply....unless you are pumping the same amount of BM as LO is eating. I would try to nurse first at all opportunities possible, and then follow up with a bottle of expressed BM. GL!

ncbelle · January 2014

Sorry you've had such a rough go mama. Working with an IBCLC is definitely the way to go so you can come up with a plan to wean off the supplements and to get some hands on help with the latch. Good luck and hang in there!

ErinO21 · January 2014

surpriseaddition said:

If you are using formula, I thought that meant you weren't producing enough milk? By 7 weeks, and if your milk has come in with an adequate supply, you shouldn't need the formula anymore. My LO lost 12% body weight and when they lose a lot up front it will take longer to gain back weight. I was able to get my LO to take bottles of expressed BM after letting her nurse, to beef her up, and my pedi was fine with that. Maybe check back with the doctor to make sure the formula is still necessary or it will begin to affect your supply....unless you are pumping the same amount of BM as LO is eating. I would try to nurse first at all opportunities possible, and then follow up with a bottle of expressed BM. GL!

We are using formula, but I am able to keep up with him. But that's it. I get a little paranoid about having a bottle or a bottle and a half in the fridge since I'm working and also like to be able to put some in my freezer stash. To ease my mind, we are doing formula for his 2 MOTN feedings and I'm pumping during the first one then while I get ready for work in the morning. So, he's getting about 8 bm bottles and 2 formula per day. Or if he sleeps a long stretch at night he gets 1 formula. I'm okay with this long term and here in a few weeks, my job might now allow enough opportunities to pump during the day. I gave my whole 8 week story and forgot that part lol. The dr is fine with taking formula out of the equation. He's gained all of his weight back and is chunking up just fine now.

ErinO21 · January 2014

casey78 said:

No personal experience, but hugs to you. You've had a rough go and must be exhausted. Sounds like an LC could be really helpful for getting to nursing directly - yes. I've heard of people who were able to get LO to latch and transfer even after EP for a while.

Exhaustion is exactly how I would describe it. I am happy to hear that it is possible to latch after EP. I'm planning on meeting with the LC Thursday afternoon so hopefully that gets us off to a good start.

amief · January 2014

I had a not so disimilar situation. We were using the shield and the syringe and all of that at the beginning because he lost too much too quickly. My incision didn't heal well so I was on antibiotics which caused thrush. After treating thrush for 3 months it was discovered I have vapospasms. I feel your pain, but hang in there. Even after all of that my LO was able to nurse and eventually (at 4 months) we lost the shield. I think although the shield slowed him down it also felt similar to the bottle so there wasn't too much confusion. We went to a few breastfeeding support meetings where they had LC's present to help and saw an LC myself as well.

Definitely get together with an LC to help improve the latch... and try to relax as much as you can. You are doing great and all that you have made it through so far... it is awesome you are still going! For us 4 months was the magical time when it all just got sooooo much easier. I'm not going to tell you it was easy to get there... but now it is awesome! Biggest thing is to get support and not put too much pressure on yourself. The LC will hopefully make you feel so much better. It made me feel like there was someone who could help guide me and that made me a lot more comfortable. Good luck!

ErinO21 · January 2014

amief said:

I had a not so disimilar situation. We were using the shield and the syringe and all of that at the beginning because he lost too much too quickly. My incision didn't heal well so I was on antibiotics which caused thrush. After treating thrush for 3 months it was discovered I have vapospasms. I feel your pain, but hang in there. Even after all of that my LO was able to nurse and eventually (at 4 months) we lost the shield. I think although the shield slowed him down it also felt similar to the bottle so there wasn't too much confusion. We went to a few breastfeeding support meetings where they had LC's present to help and saw an LC myself as well.

Definitely get together with an LC to help improve the latch... and try to relax as much as you can. You are doing great and all that you have made it through so far... it is awesome you are still going! For us 4 months was the magical time when it all just got sooooo much easier. I'm not going to tell you it was easy to get there... but now it is awesome! Biggest thing is to get support and not put too much pressure on yourself. The LC will hopefully make you feel so much better. It made me feel like there was someone who could help guide me and that made me a lot more comfortable. Good luck!

You just gave me so much hope! Now I'm thinking I better try and give it until he is 4 months old. I'm very thankful for the LCs at the hospital. All 3 of them have been so supportive and great resources!

surpriseaddition · January 2014

Glad to hear LO is gaining now, and best of luck transitioning back to the breast. Kudos to you for sticking with it after so many issues!

christaela · January 2014

Yes you can still get him to latch without the shield. I did with my daughter she was born early at 35 weeks and would not latch. She was small and losing weight so I had to pump and bottle feed for almost 6 weeks then I could get her to latch but only with a nipple shield. It wasn't until almost 10 weeks until I got her weaned off the shield. She is 4 months today and she is exclusively breastfed and doing great. Just keep trying to offer the breast. Use the weekends to sit and nurse. Maybe even have her have unrestricted access to the breast at night with the side lying position. Can be exhausting at first but it is a great way to get "practice" in. It will get so much easier!!!

babygiantquest · January 2014

My little guy lost about 20% body weight, as well, so we were supplementing with formula via syringe for his first three weeks. I nearly bled out during delivery and wound up being severely anemic (he's three months old tomorrow, and I'm still taking 1000mg of iron per day, in addition to the prenatal), so my milk didn't come in completely for nearly three weeks. On top of that, I have flat nipples, he had a poor latch, and once my milk did show up, I had (and still have) overactive letdown. In spite of all of this, we are now EBF!

You've done such a great job in the face of so much, and I commend you for sticking with it! I would definitely try side-lying and keeping her skin-to-skin/at the breast in the evenings and whenever you are home. Try and offer before she is hungry, and before her night time bottles. You can use a finger to gently pull down on her chin when she is on the boob to teach her to latch more deeply, also. After you are done with your nip cream, I highly suggest putting lanolin on your nipples while you're at work to help ease the pain when you nurse at night. As far as pumping at work, they have to let you have pumping breaks; it is against the law to keep you from pumping milk for your child. It will likely be a PITA, but stand up for your right to pump!

Best of luck!

ETA: I wanted to add that we did a bottle of formula per day for a while to let me build up a freezer stash, as well.

KatieBride06 · January 2014

You poor thing

I'm only 6 days into breast feeding and I can't imagine learning this with all those other medical factors on top. Hugs to you, and keep your spirits up! As long as he's getting fed ( by formula or BM) you're doing great! I would def get the help of a lactation consult as soon as possible.

MomtoH · January 2014

My kids were exclusively on bottles for the first 6 weeks of their lives (one due to me being in the hospital and the other because of a NICU stay). Both ended up nursing exclusively. My son nursed exclusively until 8 months and then I EPed. My daughter will be 2 in 3 weeks and is still nursing and actually refused the bottle starting around 8 months old. You've got this!!! Find a lactation consultant, get in a warm bath with baby, and try to get him to latch. It may not happen at first, but I bet he will eventually latch well. Once that happens, keep him on the breast as much as possible while also making sure to keep up your supply with pumping until he is taking all of his feeds at the breast.

MWagner10 · January 2014

My LO is 11 weeks and we have also had a really rough go with things. He lost too much weight and we supplemented then we had some bad latch issues and a some very sore cracked nipples. At around 4 weeks I thought things were getting better then everything just went bad! My supply took a hit and he just stopped latching and I had to pump and take fenugreek to get my supply back. Now at 11 weeks he is on 100% BM, getting 2 bottles a day, and nursing about 6 times. My plan is to get him down to 1 bottle that daddy gives him every night. I'm not saying that everything is suddenly perfect, but we are both working on it. He has mostly been bottle fed for the last 11 weeks so my nips are sore and one is cracked again, but it have hope that it will get better. Hang in there it is possible!

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