Breastfeeding Frustration

angelah21284 · June 2015

My daughter is 6 days old. I've been breastfeeding her, but it seems like no matter how long she nurses for she acts like she is still hungry. I had a similar problem with my first daughter as well. I had to supplement with formula, and ultimately gave up on breastfeeding after 3 months. I am determined to make breastfeeding work this time around, and I still beat myself up for not going longer with my first, but I'm frustrated with thinking I cannot supply my daughter with enough milk. Any advice would be great!

KaLikeAWind · June 2015

I'm still waiting on my LO, but you may want to check out the New Moms thread. The new mom ladies have been swapping breastfeeding tips and other struggles over there.
Best wishes, and good luck!

pixieprincss · June 2015

A La Leche League meeting for support sounds like the perfect thing for you. Here is how to find a local chapter: https://www.llli.org/webus.html. If there is not a meeting ASAP, call the leaders for help and support. They will be glad to help you. Additionally, you could contact a lactation consultant. With my first, LLL was more encouraging than 5 of the 7 LCs I met with (yes, seven...), so while I hope that you would get great support from whoever you reach out to first, if not, just keep trying.

With my first, who was a very intense nurser, we would often do 45 minute sessions (remember, you body makes more milk even while you are nursing, so sessions may be long) and then start again 45 minutes after that.

Additionally, here are a list of evidence-based articles about your very question (a common concern): https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/enough-milk/.

mishmardhiono · June 2015

You could start doing things to increase supply like making lactation cookies, drink stout beer, consume 1 btl of water every feed. My LO was cluster feeding/crazy unsettled on day 7 and was feeding non stop so I started pumping and feeding so I could get a break and we could top her up and know how much she was getting. Now every feed if she's on my right boob I pump my left and we have a constant supply of BM bottles to keep her going if I just can't feed her anymore or my husband wants a bonding day with her. The MW did say this would increase my milk supply. We have been mixed BF/bottle BM feeds since she was born due to jaundice and haven't had it effect the latch however she did become lazy for maybe 2 days and it was a but of work to get her accepting my nipple again. I also think it's worth paying for a LC appointment. The money you will save by BFing will far outweigh the cost of formula. Good luck, I hope you can stick with it. Please also remember that if you dont succeed in breastfeeding formula is a great product that will provide your LO with everything they need. If it wasnt good for them it wouldnt be around. it will also give you the opportunity to take breaks and allow your family to bond with her. I dont believe breastfeeding is bonding time. I find that whilst she feeds I read a book, watch tv, facebook as it takes along time and is incredibly boring. The bonding doesnt start until I burp her. Then we talk, have little chats and lots of love and faces are pulled.

please dont feel as though you will fail and please remember at their 21st birthday you arent going to be miserable about you not feeding them. Its only something that is important now but in 2 years time no one will ever know.

agapeflower117 · June 2015

I totally feel your pain. My son was constantly underweight and never slept because he was always hungry. Every LC I saw told me to keep at it, but I was going insane from sleeping only two to three hours a night for four months, which is when they told me I could finally supplement with formula. I cried with relief when he slept for four hours in a row. I ended up nursing him for 18 months but he mostly had formula (the most I could ever pump was 4 oz - and that was both sides combined).

I don't have any advice since clearly what I did the first time around didn't work (and I ate a ton of lactation cookies, oatmeal, drank beer, etc) - but I wasn't very hydrated. I'm going to try to up the water for the next time around!

MaliKaela · June 2015

My guy is getting about one bottle a day of formula right now. I refuse to feel guilty about this and I don't think it will effect my long term commitment to breastfeeding. I figure if I am giving him all I can produce then he is getting all the good stuff breast milk has to offer and i'm not going to let him be hungry because i'm not producing enough. All the suggestions to increase your supply are great advice, but try to change the way you are thinking about the whole thing. I'm already experiencing so much mama guilt and this is one area where you are doing all you can do to give your baby the best. Good luck.

HoosOnFirst · June 2015

Hi ladies I was about to start a similar thread (flame free) for those of us who are going to use formula.

I've really struggled and tonight DH and I decided we are going to stop trying to breastfeed and pumping and just go with formula. I wish I could go back in time... I got conflicting advice from docs and lactation consultants. I was told not to use a nipple shield even though I definitely needed them. Baby lost too much weight and we had to do formula and I lost momentum and supply.

Then we had to get LOs tongue-tie fixed for latching, but she was already used to formula and I had not been pumping enough during that period.

Then I ended up in the hospital for a piece of placenta that was remaining in my uterus, which was likely the cause of the low supply - as in my body still thought I was pregnant. And that further killed my pumping schedule.

So now at day 9 I finally got an LC and I spent 24 hours pumping like crazy but supply is still so low and frankly the stress has been hurting my ability to bond with the baby.

I hate to "give up" on this but I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I'm a FTM who always assumed she'd breastfeed and while I can't go back and redo the last 12 days, I do think if I have another child I will be better prepared for success. But ultimately what's important is that my baby is healthy and fed. Is anyone else electing to do formula feeding?

ElRuby · June 2015

I really want to give up bfing as I lay in bed at almost 4 am.... She has been eating nonstop since about 9 pm I want to cry... And since she wants to be on me all night I can't sleep... Thank god for the bump!!

knwilliams01 · June 2015

@hoodoll82 Don't let anyone feel guilty for doing what is best for you and LO. I am pumping and supplementing with formula now due to low supply. I start my surgical residency - aka 80 hour weeks - on 6/22. I will *try* to keep pumping but I'm not gonna wear myself ragged over it, nor will I take away from what little quality time I will get with DH and LO to be constantly pumping. We shall see how much longer pumping will go, but I know I will not be made to feel guilty for switching to formula if it is what is best for my family and our circumstances. I talked to my pediatrician about it and she completely agreed with my plan.

dancegurl1118 · June 2015

@hoodoll82 don't feel guilty!!! What matters is you're doing what's best for your child. What good would it do you to be stressed and constantly worried?

@ElRuby I feel ya...I've got a little piglet on my hands and when my nipples were scabbed and our latch was bad I WAS crying because I felt there was no way I could do it.

mishmardhiono · June 2015

ElRuby said:

I really want to give up bfing as I lay in bed at almost 4 am.... She has been eating nonstop since about 9 pm I want to cry... And since she wants to be on me all night I can't sleep... Thank god for the bump!!

My daughter did this on night 2/day3 not sure where you are at but the nurse did say it was cluster feeding, I googled the reasons behind it it made me feel a bit better. You'll survive tonight, it will be hard but you'll get there and tomorrow you'll feel tired and successful. Let's all celebrate small success' no matter how small they are it's still a success.

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