should I or shouldn't I?

Belovedvirgo0209 · September 2014

Ok so I have a beautiful daughter that I had planned on EBF but at the time of delivery due to health issues she was given a bottle,I tried to nurse her but she refused to latch on so I pumped. At 2 weeks the pumping and feedings in the middle of the night were really hard so I had stopped and switched to formula then at 3 weeks she was diagnosed with acid reflux and I did research online it said breastmilk actually eases the symptoms so I went back to pumping however after a solid week of pumping every 3 hours I was only able to get 1-1 1.5 oz every pumping and I stopped again but I feel like a really horrible mom.I wanted breastfeeding so much because I did not get the pregnancy I had wanted or even delivery so breastfeeding was the one thing I wanted to do right for her.I wondering if it is possible to regain my milk supply? She eats about 2-3oz every 2 hours of formula and be able to eventually switch to just breastmilk and if so how and about how long does it takes? or should I just stop torturing myself and let it go? Here is some info baby is 2 months and is 16lbs she was 11 at birth I work pt 16hrs /week however am about to start back full time but baby girl is sleeping good at night goes to bed around 11 wakes up at 3 and 6.I really want to give her breast milk if it is possible so if there are any moms that have done this please give me your thoughts and advice.

blue_elle · September 2014

Are you still expressing milk? How often and for how long?

I got off to a bad start BF'ing due to terribly damaged nips (undiagnosed lip tie). We were supplementing with formula within a week and he was getting mostly formula within a few weeks and I was pumping 1-2 oz/pump. I don't remember the exact timeline now, but I think it was around 6 wks or so I decided I wasn't ready to throw in the towel. We dropped formula at 9 wks, but he stopped gaining weight and I had to add it back in. We were able to finally drop the supplement between 3 and 4 months. It was hard work. We were visiting LC's at 10 wks+ old to work on latch, nursing every couple hours, pumping frequently in between, including getting up at night to pump so I could manage to get enough for daycare bottles. I took Fenugreek, then Mother Milk Special Blend (recommended). I was a hair away from ordering Domperidone.

It's not always possible to come back from a bad start, but I can tell you that there can be hope.

surpriseaddition · September 2014

First off {{HUGS}}. You have done a great job bring your daughter into this world! I know a lot of moms have an ideal of what they want their pregnancy to be, and how they want the delivery to go, and almost all of the time the reality doesn't hold up to our expectations. That's because us moms only want the best for our LOs and want everything to be perfect. Unfortunately, this is next to impossible. With regard to your question about relactating, you can give it a try and hope for the best. It will be work, but BF is always work when your LO is only 2 months old. Do some research and see if you can get your LO to still nurse from you. Even if it is just comfort nursing (in lieu of a pacifier) it may stimulate your milk production again, since it seems like it's only been a month at most since you were pumping. GL, and realize that the most important thing is that you shower your baby with love. If the BM doesn't work out, maybe look into formula specifically designed for the reflex and that may help.

Belovedvirgo0209 · September 2014

Thanks I read the info and really want to try again especially with cold season approaching.When I was trying the second time around I would pump every 2-3 hours but only while milk was coming out then I would stop and wouldn't bother to pump at night. It is good to know to do for at least 20 mins.