Just hangin in there~

[finalcountdown!]

Hi ladies!!

Quickly a brief background...Just had my 3rd bub. BF first child for 2 weeks (she was reflux and had attachement problems), BF my second child for 7 weeks..(with shields), some attachement problems, wind , colic..turned out to be lactose intolerant.

This time I was very sick in hospital so expressed and bottle fed by the midwifes.
I have quite large breasts but small nipples. Bub seems to be able to latch on but only has a few sucks and then screams in distress...as if its not coming out fast enough!?

I have heaps of milk, and have been expressing and feeding since we came home from hospital.. I do give two formula feeds, one at bed and one through the night, this helps me keep up with the EBM.
I do try reguarly to put him back on the breast but he shows no interest.

Ive done some research to discover that alot of pple exclusively express and feed.

I live in the middle of nowhere!! And there is no ABA or Lactation consultant near by. I have emailed them and given some advice.

Just wondering if anyone else has any other ideas or been in similar circumstance. Im wondering if it will still be possible to get him back on the breast??????

[misskittyfantastico]

I've found that breastfeeding, it's a case of supply and demand. Bubs needs to feed at the breast in order for your body to produce the required milk.

Is bub feeding from the breast at all? If so, I'd drop all bottle feeds (of expressed milk or formula) - he may fuss - my DS is 10 months and still carries on like a pork chop whilst feeding, it's just his style - but ultimately to get bub back on the breast fulltime, you need to have him on the breast full time.

I HTH:)

[UmmInayah]

Bubs may be used to the faster flow of the bottles. Ultimately with bottles, the moment they start sucking, the milk comes. With breastfeeding it isn't the same. They have to work harder to get the milk and it doesn't come in a gush like a bottle until letdown happens :)

Maybe this is why bub is being fussy? Have you thought maybe about expressing until letdown happens and then putting bubs on?

I agree with the stopping bottles for the moment. Maybe have some skin to skin time with just you and bub for a day or two and see how you go.

Good luck.

[Mandys76]

I also have large breasts amd relatively small nipples, particularly on one side. bubs fusses big time while feeding and she's constantly on off on off, screaming in between in frustration. For me however it's because its coming out too fast for her initially, and then she whinges when the foremilk is finished and she has to work harder to get the hind milk.

If you're worried about your supply, I would express after every feed. I would always spend a time trying to get bubs to take the breast. If you're nipples are a problem, like mine, when bubs opens his mouth, squeeze your nipple from the rim of the areola and shove it in his mouth until he closes his mouth around it and starts sucking. That will get enough breast in there for him to start with.

If sucking is his problem, get him to suck your finger for a bit first, or a dummy, then quickly remove it and replace it with your breast. I had to do this with my daughter when we were learning to feed. She was hungry but didn't realise that sucking was what was required to get the milk out. Doing this got her suck reflex going, so she just kept going when I put my breast in her mouth.

Just a couple of idea's anyway. Try that, or what the others have suggested, just keep an eye out on the nappy count to ensure he's getting enough.