Ready to cry. Breastfeeding, pumping, and FF.

SBbabyonboard · September 2015

I just need to vent and let it all out. So TIA for listening ladies. So my DD is 6 weeks old and we were in a pretty good routine before this past week. We would feed every 4 hours and DD would breast feed for about 40min and then I would top her up with 1-2oz of pumped breast milk or a bit of formula if I was a little behind on the pumping. (We were doing this because DD was in the nicu and had lost 12% of her weight after birth so they put us on this routine in nicu so kept the routine at home until she gained all weight back and then was going to cut out formula) anyways It started about a week ago when I started getting some deep pains in my breasts during feedings and then noticed my milk supply went down a bit. Within a few days I noticed my DD had white patches in her mouth! Oh no! Thrush... Great. Turns out it was passed onto me as well( hense the pain) we have both been on medication for 4 days now( with no difference yet) but that's not the worst thing... DD won't breast feed!!! The only time she will is right in the morning, first feeding for about 20-30 min and then screams bloody murder the rest of the day whenever I try to put her on. And because of this my milk supply has gone!!! I have been literally pumping every 2 hours round the clock to barely get 1/2oz between both breasts during a pumping session! I even went out and got fenugreek and blessed thistle, cut all caffeine out of diet, upped my water intake. Going to buy the 400$ medela pump tomorrow to replace my avent pump (200$) in hopes that with help and also going to buy nipple shields in hopes my daughter might BF if I have those on cause I'm scared she's perferring the bottle now because she must be in so much pain from the thrush. I don't know what else to do and I do not want to give up. I am committed to breast feeding/pumping with all my heart. And this is all just so difficult right now and just want cry. Wow. I'm sorry this was so long. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!Xo

krgaudreau · September 2015

I'm so sorry to hear that!! There's nothing more frustrating. You're amazing for sticking to it, and the fact that you're still dedicated to BF and pumping speaks volumes, especially when dealing with the pain of thrush! I know how defeating it can feel to have some things working against you while breast feeding. I gave up breast feeding due to latch issues. Our little man had a really bad tongue tie and couldn't latch in the hospital, so we supplemented formula right away. He also had to get the vacuum when he was born and had a giant bruise on his head, which we learned was causing him some problems to latch. It made latching on and feeding painful for him. We ended up doing a few treatments of cranial sacral therapy to treat it. After we got the tie and his little head sorted, the problem continued because he got so used to taking a bottle and the instant flow of food. I had to use a nipple shield, but at this point he got used to the instant flow of a bottle, he wouldn't latch onto the shield unless I used a syringe and squirted it with prepumped breast milk or formula. Finally, after many visits to the lactation consultant, the latching problem continued so I began to pump like crazy. I was the same as you.. Getting only 1-1 1/2 oz of breast milk from both boobs, as well as taking fenugreek and blessed thistle capsules multiple times daily. One thing that was helpful was the lactation consultant loaned me a hospital grade pump(for free).. Those help to up supply. Before you go out and buy a medela from the store(I have a double pump in the backpack), look into renting the Medela Symphony or visit a lactation consultant and see if they'll let you borrow one!!! It helped to up my supply. Apparently the one I had was more to just maintain supply according to my LC. Keep doing what your doing.. Drink lots of water and I've heard oatmeal also helps supply. My supply unfortunately decided to not stick around because we continued to have latch problems and the stress that was coming with it was my final push to give up(although I wish I was as determined as you!) so we are now using formula which is working just great. But don't give up mama, you'll get it all sorted! And pump pump pump. If you don't have one, get a pumping bra. Helps save your sanity a little when you're constantly hooked up to the pumping machine!!!

gokahne9 · September 2015

The Medela Freestyle pump did not help me at all. My supply dried up quickly. I agree with PP and suggest renting a hospital grade pump before buying something else.

Poppy2014 · September 2015

You are doing. Just stick with it. Check with your insurance company. I was able to rent my Symphony through them and they covered it. My OB just wrote a prescription.

addielong · September 2015

Take a deep breathe. Do not worry, one way or another your baby is going to get fed and will grow healthy and strong. Whether it's with breastmilk or formula, he will get what he needs. You are a wonderful caring mom no matter what you feed him. Drink lots of water, pump every hour for at least 20 minutes, and relax. Your body knows when you're stressed and stress can affect breastmilk supply. Just remember you are doing the best you can and that is all that is important.

kyrenora · September 2015

I actually just wrote a blog entry about this, if you want to read it. Make sure you read the last paragraph. https://hallidaynelson.com/GingerGardens/what-i-wish-i-had-known-about-breastfeeding/

SBbabyonboard · September 2015

Thank you so so much for all the wonderful support. I do know it is not a horrible thing if I had to FF but I just straight up do not want to. I will do everything in my power to breast feed and or pump and feed even if it means I'm on a pump every hour for the next year.....hoping that is not the case. So I called my healthcare provider and unfortunately they do not cover pumps so I went and bought a new one yesterday, (I wish I had read this before I left to ask about the hospital rentals as I bought my pump from the hospital) I got the Ameda truly yours and my first pump was definetly better then what I've been getting from the Ameda, so here's hoping it helps up my milk supply!! I also learned I was quite pumping properly, didn't reAlise that it can take up to 10 min to get a let down sometimes before the flow truly starts( the nurse at hospital told me this) so I kept the pump at a faster pace at first and it seemed to help. I also bought a nipple shield but as my worst fear was faced, DD rejected it as soon as she relised milk wasn't coming out right away, so now I know it's not just a thrush thing, she has truly gotten used to the bottle and perfers it more now. What a devasting thing to realise.

I am going to go see my doctor today and ask about lactation consultants in this area( we have a very small town) so hoping I can find one and that they might be able to help us. Feeling very defeated but optimistic for our pumping . Thank you ladies again for all the kind words of comfort!! And @kyrenora that's a great article you wrote about the struggles of being a new mom and breastfeeding, I wish someone had told me all those things right after I had the baby instead of 6 weeks into it!! Wondered if maybe you could put up some of your sources for the good websites you've found of breastfeeding/ pumping ect

Hopeful715 · September 2015

@SBbabyonboard I have been having many of the same struggles with latching, shields and bottles, etc. We find out at the Dr. tomorrow if we're also dealing with thrush. Stress was making every feeding miserable for both me and DD. Once I stopped being upset about the lack of breastfeeding, she started latching again, without shields. We now do some breastfeeding, some bottled breast milk, and some formula. She has no issues going between the options. I now look at each breastfeeding session as a bonus special time for us. She has actually been breastfeeding more often than not the last couple days. Keep going, and stay positive. Baby may come back around!

SBbabyonboard · September 2015

Thank you @Hopeful715 we had a great rythym going before the thrush had started between breast, pump, and bottle feeding top ups. It was wonderful, but I'm starting to wonder if wven before the thrush came if maybe her latch wasn't proper, I mean I know she was getting milk as Id see it dribble out n she would burp ect, but maybe she wasn't getting enough from bad latch leading to having to top up with pumped breast milk or formula and so she was already getting used to bottle and now that the thrush is here that was the last strand for her. I have still been offering the breast before, during and after but the most she has done in the last 2 days is have my nipple In her mouth with just 1 or 2 sucks. It's so so upsetting but I'm trying to stay positive so that she doesn't get stressed out from me either. I'm glad to hear im not the only person out here having these struggles. You hear so much of breast is best and I totally agree it's just they don't warn you how difficult that truly is

Ready to cry. Breastfeeding, pumping, and FF.

Re: Ready to cry. Breastfeeding, pumping, and FF.

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