FF - 3 day old

[allalone]

Hi Gals

I have a 3 day old newborn and i am not getting any milk in my breasts....even after putting him to breasts for 4 hrs, he is still hungry. I started feeding him formula since yesterday night. is anyone else in the same predicament...i am feeling very guilty. Is it okay?

[Silvana]

I did this with DD1. However I kept her on formula. It can take up to 5 days for your milk to come in. There is no reason why you can't give her breast milk when your milk comes in (I didn't know this at the time).

Do not feel guilty for feeding a hungry child. I couldn't bear to hear the screams either and to me it was more important to feed my child rather than let her starve for five days.

You do what is best for your situation.

[MountainGirl]

If you have him awake and on the boob fir 4hours, then he is probably grizzly because he is overtired. Your milk probably wont come in for a day or so,...bubby will be getting hungry,.,....but try not to FF just yet.

Call ABA or a lactation consultant for support,..or go and visit the midwives where you delivered. I am guessing you did the early release program? Do they not send a midwife to visit the first couple of days????

[Lillynix]

It can take upto 5days for your milk to come in. What you are experiencing is COMPLETELY NORMAL!

Please I urge you to stop the formula and continue on putting bub to the breast and wair for your milk to come in, and please, please give the ABA a call!!! :)

[onemummmy]

It can take upto 5days for your milk to come in. What you are experiencing is COMPLETELY NORMAL!

Please I urge you to stop the formula and continue on putting bub to the breast and wair for your milk to come in, and please, please give the ABA a call!!! :)
:iagree: 100%

[sasa]

I agree with Silvana whole heartedly, my milk with dd1 didnt come in till day 4 and dd was starving, slurping colostrum off a spoon that we had expressed to try and encourage milk to come in. So on day 3 when we had a home visit from the midwife she sent my partner to get formula and my baby was finally filled and settled... I believe there is no harm in giving your baby formula at all! Each to there own and you have to do what is right for YOU and YOUR baby! Dont feel bad you are doing a great job!

[onemummmy]

I feel sorry for all the women whose babies were starving :( My milk came in on day 4 yet not once was my baby screaming for food:confused: I always thought colostrum was all they needed in those few days

[miaz]

First off congrats on bubs!!! :smiliedance:
My milk didnt come in till day 4 and until then the midwives advised me to express and feed via bottle or dropper. (my bubs was tongue tied) Id still try and breast feed in between to stimulate supply though. If your bub is still hungry then I would def ff and DONT feel guilty. You can still breast feed when your milk comes in. :)

[YMo7]

DD1 - breastfed for a week, then i expressed for a week coz we both hated it, so she went on formula... she is 6, happy and has bladder problems, but i wouldnt associate that with formula feeding.
DD2 - bottle fed from day one... she is 3 on wednesday, she is happy, lively and healthy.
DS1 - breast fed for 2 days - he had problems with sucking. and we put him on formula so that we could teach him how to suck with bottles and dummies, else he would have had serious speech problems. yes, w could have perserved and expressed the milk to put in a bottle, but as it was, DH and i were in tears alot coz of how hard it was and there was no way i was going to go through the stress of teaching him how to breastfeed on top of everything else.
BABY IN UTERO - will go straight on formula...

i dont feel guilty AT ALL about not breastfeeding my kids and i am quite happy with formula feeding.. please dont feel terrible for whichever choices you make for your baby - you are the mother - your choices... dont let people tell you "you should formula feed' or 'you should breastfeed".... its your decision... dont let other people make it for you.. just use your instincts and your baby with thrive. no one knows better than you for your own baby.

i want to wish you (not luck) happiness and i hope all turns out well for you and baby. :) take care and dont beat yourself up about it - you arent doing anything "wrong'

[Lillynix]

Just a word of warning after seeing people suggesting the bottle. These early days are crucial for breastfeeding and introduction of a bottle can have damaging effects on breastfeeding, supply wise AND attatchment wise, you don't want early breast refusal.

So please, STOP the formula, your colostrum is liquid gold and the more your breasts are stimulated, the faster your milk will come in :)

[Jakois]

Just a word of warning after seeing people suggesting the bottle. These early days are crucial for breastfeeding and introduction of a bottle can have damaging effects on breastfeeding, supply wise AND attatchment wise, you don't want early breast refusal.

So please, STOP the formula, your colostrum is liquid gold and the more your breasts are stimulated, the faster your milk will come in :)
:iagree::iagree:.
Please call the ABA for some advice:hugs::hugs:.

[sasa]

Hi Again Allalone, I just wanted to say that BF does get easier for both of you! Especially once you have milk lol!

I was not making any suggestion as to what you should do, just sharing my experience as I was in the same position as you are with my first. You just have to do what is right for you!
I wish you all the luck in the world getting BF on track!
You will get so many people with such strong opinions re this issue, trying to get there point across, at the end of the day no one is right or wrong, we just do what we can to ensure our babies are happy and healthy!

[*Chels*]

Just a word of warning after seeing people suggesting the bottle. These early days are crucial for breastfeeding and introduction of a bottle can have damaging effects on breastfeeding, supply wise AND attatchment wise, you don't want early breast refusal.

So please, STOP the formula, your colostrum is liquid gold and the more your breasts are stimulated, the faster your milk will come in :)

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

[neostudded]

Sounds like you have heaps of advice, good luck. :)

[Hollywood]

Just a word of warning after seeing people suggesting the bottle. These early days are crucial for breastfeeding and introduction of a bottle can have damaging effects on breastfeeding, supply wise AND attatchment wise, you don't want early breast refusal.

So please, STOP the formula, your colostrum is liquid gold and the more your breasts are stimulated, the faster your milk will come in :)

:iagree: My milk didn't properly come in until about day 6, and all DS had for the first few days was the colostrum. It really is all they need, and their stomachs are only the size of peas because they are only designed to get the tiniest amounts of colostrum.

That is why it is VERY normal for babies to lose weight after they are born and some can take 2 to 6 or so weeks to get back to their birth weight.

Just hang in there and perhaps try to see if the crying is for other reasons like gassy tummy, overtiredness, uncomfortable in a dirty nappy or just wanting cuddles. It isn't always hunger when they cry, and it takes some time to learn which cries mean hunger and which don't.

And finally, congratulations on the birth of your baby :goodvibes:

[SassyMummy]

I had a few drops of colostrum here and there, but didn't get actual milk until late on the 4th day... then it just came in full force and I was leaking/spraying everywhere!

Your baby SHOULD be fine on what he's recieving from your breasts. Midwives made me feel so bad for my daughter not feeding much in the early days, as though it was somehow my choice for my milk not to be already in, and for my baby to not be interested in feeding.

If you're keen to breastfeed, but are worried about the lack of food your baby is getting, call the ABA. They'll have probably dealt with 10000 cases just the same as yours! :)

[EvangelinaOne]

I would go and visit the midwives or a lactation consultant so they can help you with this. I found it beneficial to have someone with me for guidance. Try your early childhood clinic and they should be able to give you the number of some lactation consultants or the midwives there will try and help you through it.

You can also try expressing a couple of feeds a day to help stimulate the breast.

The lactation consultant suggested this to me and it really helped to get the milk started as my DD was having problems attaching (tongue tied) and my milk took quite a while to come through.

[MyFourCubs]

I feel sorry for all the women whose babies were starving :( My milk came in on day 4 yet not once was my baby screaming for food:confused: I always thought colostrum was all they needed in those few days

Yep, I agree- the first few days of feeding are basically just to bond and help your milk to come in- that was my understanding anyway. Bub has enough on board to keep em' going through this time and their tummys are TINY!! I don't think that your bub would be crying because he is hungry- I know that is always your first thought- even with bub number 3 lol. Keep breast feeding your milk will come in soon- 3 days is nothing especially if you had a ceaser (I don't know whether you did or not) and the rest is prob a settling issue. you could call the ABA for advice if you are still worried- is a midwife coming to do a home visit???

:hugs: Keep going, you'll get there:thumbsup: If it doesn't work out for some reason it is not the end of the world to put bub on formula, (I'm ducking, nobody hit me!:rain:) but give it a good shot- colostrum is great for bub and the more breast milk you can give the better. It's definately WAAAAAAAAAAY too early to throw in the towel just yet!!!

[Pinky81]

Hi Gals

I have a 3 day old newborn and i am not getting any milk in my breasts....even after putting him to breasts for 4 hrs, he is still hungry. I started feeding him formula since yesterday night. is anyone else in the same predicament...i am feeling very guilty. Is it okay?

Allalone Personally I would say if bub is attatching and sucking well keep it up and when your milk comes in it will be worth the wait. Due to many problems (it's a long story) I FF my DD from 6 weeks and would do anything to turn back the clock and be able to have that BF ing relationship with her. I see it as a really beautiful thing to do for yourself and your child. If a few days down the track and your milk still is nowhere in sight then definitely give bubs formula but it is early days so hang in there. :)

HTH and congrats on you beautiful baby. Enjoy!!:flowerz:

[~Emmylou~]

It can take upto 5days for your milk to come in. What you are experiencing is COMPLETELY NORMAL!

Please I urge you to stop the formula and continue on putting bub to the breast and wair for your milk to come in, and please, please give the ABA a call!!! :)


Just a word of warning after seeing people suggesting the bottle. These early days are crucial for breastfeeding and introduction of a bottle can have damaging effects on breastfeeding, supply wise AND attatchment wise, you don't want early breast refusal.

So please, STOP the formula, your colostrum is liquid gold and the more your breasts are stimulated, the faster your milk will come in :)

:yes::yes::yes:

Please, call the ABA if you feel like you need some one-on-one reassurance that this is normal. It is normal for your milk not to be in yet.

The more formula you give your baby, the less stimulation at your breast - the longer your milk will take.

Colostrum is designed for babies to nourish them until the breasts produce milk. Please, trust in this process nature has designed it perfectly.

[allalone]

Thanks so much Gals for all the comments.

I am breastfeeding him as well. The FF is only as a backup as he is really hungry. even after having him at my breast for 4 straight hours, he still makes sucking noises looking for ffod and cries a lot. he has settled much better since i started FF as a supplement.

The midwives came today and I told them I have no intention of not breastfeeding him, and that the FF is a suuplement to keep him happy....and fed. It is heartwrenching to see your baby crying and hungry....

[Mahjong]

You're doing well! Hang in there :D

The best information I discovered this time around with DS2 and breastfeeding is when your milk is still coming in, colostrum is fatty and can actually sustain them until the milk does come in. I had to express my colostrum out due to DS ripping my nipples apart and waiting for my milk to come in. Even though I expressed 25 mls of colostrum, I was amazed on how only 5mls satisfied him for 3-4 hours. Newborn stomachs are only the size of a marble, so if you are FF as a supplement, please be VERY careful on how much you give to your bub's as it can throw the how breastmilk production way out. The lactation consultant I saw advised me to only give 10-15mls of Formula MAX until your milk comes in (hopefully it wont be too far away - mone took 2 weeks though, so it may take some time, dont stress though!)

In the meantime, up your fluid intake (I was told to drink 3 litres of water a day!) REST REST REST, and FEED FEED FEED :D When bub's is resting, you rest, stuff the housework and everything else going on around you.

Great advice from LibbyG when I was breastfeeding DS, take bub's to bed with you for the whole day and just feed feed feed!

Having said allll this though, it is YOUR baby and your decision on what you wish to do, if you feel it's best for you and works, go for it.

Congrats on the new arrival too :D

[neostudded]

If your going to give regular top ups I reccomend using a supplemental nursing system (google mothers direct, they sell them), that way bub does not get nipple confusion.:)

[allalone]

I am not sure if the thing about them needing only spoonful is true. My bub drinks a at leat 45 ml even after being breastfed. I reckpn each child is different. I tried expressing milk but nothing.....so till then it is breast and formula. The good part is that my bub has adapted to both the nipple and my breast really well and suckle well at both of them.....

[bronny-jane]

they will drink alot of formula....
has your milk come in yet?

[allalone]

Hmm, yes and no...i am not sure. You never know if they are getting enough with breastmilk as you cant see how much they drink. At the moment I am just responding to his hunger pangs...whether it is breast or formula....i cant see my baby crying with hunger...he strats sucking on whatever he comes near to when he is hungry ....

[Sarahmum24]

Good on you, you don't have to continue BF if you feel he isn't getting enough, I would never let a baby go hungry .

As long as you know the longer he is on the bottle the less likely he will take the boob, but if that doesn't worry you then I suggest keep him on the bottle.

[louellyn]

Do not feel guilty for wanting to feed your child.

I was in the same situation as you 5 weeks ago when my son was born. My milk NEVER really came in, I was on the medication to help, had all the advice etc and if I had followed the ABA's advice and the midwives my son would have starved for weeks. I had to be very firm with my decision to do a combined FF and BF and it was the best decision I made.

I tried for 4 weeks to get my milk to come in at more than 20 mls per feed, but it never did and I have no regrets about using formula.

I don't understand why people think there is reduced bonding with FF then BF - the baby is still close to your body, is still looking up into your eyes etc and it means that your partner can also have these bonding time with the baby.

If your milk comes in and you can solely BF that is fantastic, but if you cannot then it does not make you a bad mum or mean that your child will suffer in any way.

Congrats on the birth of your baby - go and enjoy being a mum and don't let yourself feel guilty whatever happens :-)

Lou

[threepigs]

Hey allallone - just as an alternative point of view (and good on you for sticking with the b/f), my step mum had a similar situation with my brother which went on for about 6 weeks (!!) it was only after this length of time that doctor's discovered she had retained placenta. Even the smallest amount of placenta retained in the uterus will block the body from producing milk. If you are able to express milk then this rules out the retained placenta theory but if you can't get anything out it might be worth asking the question of your doctor?

Just a theory, good luck.

[MyFourCubs]

I actually had this happen with my first two bubs- there is usually other signs such as HEAVY bleeding- clots etc and I also developed a fever because I was developing an infection,but I agree it is worth checking out if it relly appears your milk hasn't come in. unfortunately the down side to supplementing woith formula, one of them anyway, is that there is less stimulation on your breasts so milk production will be less. i do agree though, go with your gut and of coarse you would never let your bub go hungry:)

[MissSookyLaLa]

Hmm, yes and no...i am not sure. You never know if they are getting enough with breastmilk as you cant see how much they drink. At the moment I am just responding to his hunger pangs...whether it is breast or formula....i cant see my baby crying with hunger...he strats sucking on whatever he comes near to when he is hungry ....

I have no problem with formula, but if you are committed to, and desparate to breastfeed your bubba then using formula is going to destroy your supply- and i predict that you will be using solely formula within a month...

so if you are keen to breastfeed please please call the ABA and get some advice, otherwise your supply wont come in to its full potential and you will probably loose it...

if you are happy with formula, and only want to breastfeed for a couple of weeks then keep going the way you are...

good luck and congrats on the bub!!

[MissSookyLaLa]

Hmm, yes and no...i am not sure. You never know if they are getting enough with breastmilk as you cant see how much they drink. At the moment I am just responding to his hunger pangs...whether it is breast or formula....i cant see my baby crying with hunger...he strats sucking on whatever he comes near to when he is hungry ....

this is normal behaviour for a newborn...they need to feed a little and often... i fed my ds ever hour or two for the first few weeks, he only took a few mls each feed but thats enough for them...

[Hollywood]

I have no problem with formula, but if you are committed to, and desparate to breastfeed your bubba then using formula is going to destroy your supply- and i predict that you will be using solely formula within a month...

so if you are keen to breastfeed please please call the ABA and get some advice, otherwise your supply wont come in to its full potential and you will probably loose it...

if you are happy with formula, and only want to breastfeed for a couple of weeks then keep going the way you are...

good luck and congrats on the bub!!

:iagree: I don't have anything against formula, but I do agree here. If you want to give BF a fighting chance you really need to ditch the bottles and commit to BFing. It took me at least 8+ weeks to feel like BFing was getting sorted.

[allalone]

I dont think that I have retained any placenta as I had a c-section....i hardly have any bleeding and stuff and according to my midwives i have very good supply....i think my bub just has a big stomach:laughing: his needs are more....he needs more than what my breast can supply.

Well, I am sticking with my gut. Yesterday, i only had to feed him formula once....so I am taking things as they come....breastfeeding as a priority and formula as a backup....:)

[onemummmy]

hun have you tried block feeding? Feed bub from one breast for 3-4 hours. then swap sides. This helps bub get more hind milk which is more filling and you might find this helps alot. I do it and it works for us :) just beware your boobs wil take a couple of days to adjust and you might leak orfeel a bit engorged of the breast your not feeding on.

[MissSookyLaLa]

I dont think that I have retained any placenta as I had a c-section....i hardly have any bleeding and stuff and according to my midwives i have very good supply....i think my bub just has a big stomach:laughing: his needs are more....he needs more than what my breast can supply.

Well, I am sticking with my gut. Yesterday, i only had to feed him formula once....so I am taking things as they come....breastfeeding as a priority and formula as a backup....:)

hopefully you can ditch the bottles all together then...if you keep giving bottles he will get used to them and prefer them as it is much easier to get milk out of a bottle than a boobie... if this happens then he may start to refuse your boobs, your supply will diminish and it will all be downhill from there...

as i said before, i have nothing against formula but as you have said bf is a priority im saying the above...maybe just call the aba to get their perspective...it is very hard to successfully combine bf and formula at any stage, but extremely hard when bubs is so young and still establishing feeding habits

if you have a good supply then your bub will get all they need, you just need to trust that!

good luck

[onemummmy]

also, maybe he is not hungry, but has wind or is tired. Newborns should only be awake for one hour at a time, so if as you said he is at the breast for 4 hours then thats way too long for him to be awake. Have you tried a dummy? he may just like sucking.

[Lillynix]

I suggest you pop into the breastfeeding section if you would like more help/support with breastfeeding :)

I have more myself, that I would like to say, however DS is currently asleep in my arms and typing one handed is tiring LoL

[Planigayle]

Buy or hire an electric breast pump from the ABA. It will help to encourage your milk to come in and hopefully give you a bit extra that you can top up your bub with. Best thing i every did.

[allalone]

okay i expressed my milk with hand today as the manual breast pump that I bought does not work....Only 15 ml came out from both breasts after 30 mins expressing. My bub needs 40 ml formula in one feed and that is after he has been breastfed in between after every hour. I think he is just a hungry boy.....so while I am worried about the supply bit...I think i will keep giving him formula in between to settle him.

[onemummmy]

but dont you see the more formula you give the less your breasts are stimulated to make milk? Thats what everyone has been trying to explain to you. If you really want to breastfeed PLEASE see a lactation consultant immediately

my daughter was exactly the same, I thought she was always hungry, and fed her so much it just upset her more(she has colic) as soon as I started block feeding, trying to go at LEAST 2 hours between feeds and giving her a dummy she was a changed baby. not once did I give her formula. she was not starving she was uncomfy and in pain from so much wind and being over fed.

[Hollywood]

Allalone, I would recommend reading up on breastfeeding a bit more to find out how it all works. The ABA website is a good place to start (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/index.html)

Until you do that I have a feeling that the advice you're being given by all of us is falling on deaf ears. You seem convinced that giving formula top ups won't affect your supply, but it really will, as everyone keeps saying.

Each time your baby gets formula, your breasts aren't being stimulated to supply more milk. When your baby breastfeeds today, he/she is putting in the 'order' for tomorrow, so to speak. If you're giving formula, your body thinks "well, I only need to make a small amount today" and bub appears to 'need' the formula.

I honestly don't know how else we can convince you that formula is a threat to your supply :confused:. The first few weeks are crucial for establishing supply, and top ups WILL AFFECT YOUR SUPPLY.

Here is some info from the ABA website about babies crying: (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/whycry.html)



Why is my baby crying?

Babies cry so the species will survive. They cry so their needs will be met. A baby's cry is her way of communicating to her parents that she needs something. If you are a parent trying to cope with a crying, fretful baby, you will know how distressing her prolonged crying is to herself, to you and to anyone nearby.

Picking up and cuddling or nursing your fretful baby will not start bad habits or spoil her. If she cries, she needs you, and the more upset she is, the more she needs a loving parent to make everything all right again.

Because you are a loving, caring mother you are distressed when your baby cries. When nothing you've done seems to help her, you may find your motherly feelings turning to despair and even anger. Most mothers of colicky babies can recall these times, often with an unwarranted sense of guilt.

Learning about the things that upset a baby can help you cope. It's easier to be patient with a constantly crying baby when you understand she has a positive reason for her distress.

Is it my milk?

The breastfeeding mother immediately worries about whether it's her milk. Family and friends often recommend a change to formula. But breastfeeding is hardly ever the reason for the crying. It's a simple matter to eliminate problems like poor positioning and attachment, let-down reflex not working, or hunger.

Is it hunger?

If your baby is having breastmilk only (no formula, solids or water) and is having six to eight really wet cloth nappies or five heavily wet disposables in 24 hours, and soft bowel motions; then you know plenty of milk is going in the other end.

It can be that you are expecting your baby to ask for feeds every four hours. This is an unlikely frequency for newborns and many older babies. Most newborns want to breastfeed between eight and twelve times in 24 hours; many will feed even more often. Breastmilk is food and drink and comfort to babies. Your baby doesn't know that she's hungry or thirsty, she just knows she needs you. As adults we help ourselves to a drink or snack many times a day, and can quite happily manage a cup of coffee or tea straight after we've eaten. Your little baby has a tiny stomach which needs refilling very often. If she's hungry, give her more breastfeeds and see our article on increasing your milk supply. (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/supply.html)

Run down the checklist in the ABA booklet Why is My Baby Crying? to investigate more reasons for crying. Booklets are available for purchase from Mothers Direct (http://www.mothersdirect.com.au/).

What else could it be?

You need to eliminate illness as a cause of crying. If your baby cries inconsolably for long periods each day, you will want to make sure she is not sick by getting a thorough check-up at your doctor or paediatrician. Most crying babies are not sick. Talk to a friendly and knowledgeable ABA breastfeeding counsellor on the telephone. She is a mother who has breastfed and undergone extensive training. With a breastfeeding counsellor you can explore a lot of possibilities to do with the feeding and with mothering. Contact details are available on this site. (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/products/counselling.html) Many crying babies end up with the label "windy" or "colicky" because no reason can be found for their distress, although they almost always bloom with health. The problem almost always disappears after three or four months, but it seems like an unbearable time for some parents. Why is My Baby Crying contains twenty different suggestions for soothing and comforting a baby, as well as ideas for how to manage everyday life with an unhappy baby. It is very important that you eat well, take every chance to rest, and try to off-load some of your responsibilities during these difficult weeks that the crying lasts. It also helps to talk to other mothers who are sharing this experience. You and your baby will be warmly welcomed at an Australian Breastfeeding Association discussion meeting.

[MissSookyLaLa]

how are you going today allalone?

[Mahjong]

okay i expressed my milk with hand today as the manual breast pump that I bought does not work....Only 15 ml came out from both breasts after 30 mins expressing. My bub needs 40 ml formula in one feed and that is after he has been breastfed in between after every hour. I think he is just a hungry boy.....so while I am worried about the supply bit...I think i will keep giving him formula in between to settle him.

Just bear in mind that a babies jaw is stronger than a breast pump.

[MissSookyLaLa]

okay i expressed my milk with hand today as the manual breast pump that I bought does not work....Only 15 ml came out from both breasts after 30 mins expressing. My bub needs 40 ml formula in one feed and that is after he has been breastfed in between after every hour. I think he is just a hungry boy.....so while I am worried about the supply bit...I think i will keep giving him formula in between to settle him.

yes i could never express much but managed to stack 5 kilos onto my DS with BF alone...

If you are serious about breastfeeding, then please call the ABA or a lactation consultant...(not just a midwive, who arent trained in this)

Otherwise you WILL end up just FF your newborn, which is fine, but if you are committed to BF you will regret it later!!!

:hugs:

[allalone]

okay gals....i will try only breastfeeding today and see how the bub goes...will report the results tomorrow.

[bronny-jane]

I think he is just a hungry boy.....so while I am worried about the supply bit...I think i will keep giving him formula in between to settle him.

my sister thought and did the same thing... bub ended up being fully ff by 1 month...

if you really want to breastfeed then get him on your breasts not bottles...

my sister didnt listen.... but hopefully you will

[bronny-jane]

okay gals....i will try only breastfeeding today and see how the bub goes...will report the results tomorrow.

yay... just remember they will feed alot... its to boost your supply..its normal...

[MissSookyLaLa]

yay... just remember they will feed alot... its to boost your supply..its normal...

i agree...he should be feeding every couple of hours at this stage, just dont let him feed for too long because he will get too tired and wont suck effectively

[Hollywood]

okay gals....i will try only breastfeeding today and see how the bub goes...will report the results tomorrow.

Good on you! Also remember with expressing, that if you don't get the let down reflex you won't get as much as the pumps aren't as good as bub at getting the milk out.

I didn't actually feel the let down reflex until DS was at least 8 weeks old. It's kind of a tingly feeling, and happens after bub sucks for a little while (can be up to a minute). But it is quite normal to not feel it for several weeks, and some women don't feel it at all.

As long as bub has plenty of wet nappies and is alert, you know that nothing is wrong with your supply. Bub may feed a lot at first, but that is just to build up your supply and it will settle down within a few days.

If you need any advice feel free to post a thread in the breastfeeding section, we're all happy to help wherever we can. :)

ETA: Oops, didn't realise that this thread was already moved.

[Tam-I-Am]

allalone, it sounds like you're doing an amazing job :) Congratulations on your committment to breastfeeding, its a wonderful thing to do for your child.

Just a couple of points - expressing and how much you get is absolutely NO indication of supply - some women can't express even a drop of milk, but successfully breastfeed their babies, so please don't take the fact that you could only express 15ml to mean anything about your supply.

Its also worth noting that comparing formula and breastmilk is like comparing apples and oranges. They are two completely different things, and how satisfied your baby is by a certain amount of formula means nothing about how much breastmilk it will take to satisfy your bub. Breastmilk is a complete, perfectly designed food for your baby. They need to feed frequently because it is SO perfect that its very easy for your baby to digest your milk. Formula, on the other hand, although an adequate substitute is quite difficult (in comparison to BM) for your bub to digest, so it seems like they settle for longer on formula - but that's not actually a good thing, necessarily.

So restlessness, and appearing hungry, and how much you express are not good indicators of supply - really the only way you can tell is if your bub is having 5+ good wet nappies per day, and a bowel movement every couple of days at least - then she's getting enough. Remember - what comes out, must have gone in!

I also read a very interesting article by Pinky McKay the other day about formula feeding because bub appears hungry. She said that its bub's survival instinct that makes them gulp down a bottle of formula, even after a full breastfeed. They might not want, or need the formula, but because of their survival instinct, to suck, they are compelled to keep drinking. This causes stress, and after they've finished the bottle, they often 'zonk out' BECAUSE of that stress - not because they're satisfied or full because of the formula, iykwim. So while it might appear that your bubba is starving hungry because of how she drinks the formula - it might be something else completely.

I really agree with the others who have suggested calling the ABA or getting in touch with a lactation consulatant. TBH (and please don't take offense to this!) it sounds like you don't really know a lot about the mechanics of breastfeeding? (I didn't when my first was a newborn either!). Being educated and sure about your knowledge is one way to give you the confidence to push forward during hard times - and there will be hard times with breastfeeding :) But there will be wonderful easy times too.

Good luck.

The ABA's website is www.breastfeeding.asn.au and the contact numbers for the breastfeeding counsellors can be found on the link on the first page. You don't have to be a member to use the counsellors :)

[Shmeegle]

I just thought I would add my 2 cents worth. My milk didn't come in till bub was 5 days old, and she was a big baby with a ferocious suck!:(
I ended up with very damaged nipples and we did formula top ups from about day 3 until she was 2 weeks old because sometimes I couldn't express enough on the sore side to keep up with her appetite. Now we are back to exclusive bf-ing (using nipple shields!) and I'm actually having problems with over supply! So everyone is different. In my case a bottle or 2 a day did not mean the end of breastfeeding and did not cause nipple confusion either :) I'm not discounting what the other's have said but I was made to feel so anxious and fearful by the midwives and lc about using formula which turned out to be quite unecessary.

[allalone]

okay gals, here is my story...Yash was not very well yesterday and hence i was not able to post an update. I tried exclusive breastfeeding yesterday and except for one time bottle, it worked.....today has been much better....no formula and Yash is surviving only on breast milk...yay!! I am ecstatic...things are beginning to look better...i have won the battle:laughing:

He had his first visit by the earlychildhood nurse and has gained 280 grams.....1 cm in height and 0.5 cm in head, so all is well....

[onemummmy]

thats great to hear!:smiliedance: Keep at it and get rid of those bottles! What helped?

[Hollywood]

okay gals, here is my story...Yash was not very well yesterday and hence i was not able to post an update. I tried exclusive breastfeeding yesterday and except for one time bottle, it worked.....today has been much better....no formula and Yash is surviving only on breast milk...yay!! I am ecstatic...things are beginning to look better...i have won the battle:laughing:

He had his first visit by the earlychildhood nurse and has gained 280 grams.....1 cm in height and 0.5 cm in head, so all is well....


Woohoo! Great job!! :yelclap:

We're sickos here too, DS is on antibiotics for an ear infection and I caught his cold so I'm aching all over and have a chesty cough. Oh, and DH is on antibiotics for tonsillitis. Happy days :rolleyes:

But thanks to BFing we're coping alright, as DS has TOTALLY gone off his food, and the only thing he has been ingesting is breast milk. He has admittedly eating a little bit today.

BFing has it's ups and downs, but when you or bub get sick you kind of appreciate it all the more because there are times when he goes off all his food and drink, except for breastmilk. I hate to think how sick DS would have gotten if it hadn't been for the BFing.

Anyhoo, that's great news that it's going better with you, good job :thumbsup: