Mini-Pill and BFing

[naget]

Hey. Just looking for some advice from someone who's been in this situation b4...

At 6 week appointment, doc prescribed me mini pill. After taking it for a few days DD became clingy, grumpy and hard to feed but i didn't connect it to the fact that i had just begun taking the mini pill.

Two days ago she was really hard to feed all day. She was constantly hungry, would feed but then would be hungry 30 mins later which is not normal for her. Around 5pm she began latching on, then pulling off screaming, attempted to latch again but would pull off and scream. Not knowing wat to do, we went and bought some bottles and a few formula satchets, because it was night time, we were worried that it would get to 12am and she would be hungry and I had nothing to feed her with (I'd deduced that perhaps i'd dried up). I didn't take the pill that night. At 7.30pm we gave in and gave her some formula, which lucky for us she took the bottle and formula without fussing or refusing. She woke at 3am and i was engorged. I managed to feed her fine all of yesterday until 6pm last night when she started latching and screaming. Again we gave her formula (after attempting to BF for a good hr). She slept for her normal 8 hrs and this morning i'm engorged again.

When will my milk return to normal??? Is this going to go on for a week? how long does it take for the mini pill to get out of your system?

[JabberJaw]

Areyou sure its from the mini pill?

Sounds a bit like bub had a tummy pain and possibly a growth spurt hence wanting to feed all day.

The reason you are engorged is because of the formula top ups. Your boobs a making milk but you are giving bub formula because of the fussing.

Maybe bub has got a bit of nipple confusion, because they do if they are offered both breast and bottle. Bottle is much easier to get the milk out of where as they have to work harder to get it from the breast.

She could be fussing from something you have eaten too, some babies do (cabbage,onion,garlic, chokkie)

THe formula might be making her tummy a bit sore too, it often does if you go from breast to formula suddenly.

If it were me i would get rid of the formula, persist with breastfeeding till your milk re establishes properly. Try feeding bub in a football hold or laying down. If your boobs are engorged express a little bit off to soften them a little so bub can latch on properly.

It takes a good few months to establish breastfeeding properly, so introducing a bottle might be the concern, not the pill. I have taken it with no problems.

[naget]

Just in case anybody is interested...

It most certainly was the mini pill that affected my milk. My doc said that it happens to some people (although must be an under ground group cuz i'm yet to find someone else to say it has happened to them too). It was on the way to completely drying up my milk.

Bub fed from the breast all day except at her 6pm feed which appeared to be when my supply was at its lowest. She needed formula for 3 days only at the 6pm feed. Luckily she is a champ and didn't fuss at all. It's taken a whole week for my supply to be back to normal.

No pill for me...