What to do?!

[channy]

Hi. Ds is 6 months today and we have struggled with feeding since he was 3 weeks old. I have been giving him formula in the afternoons after I feed him since he was 4 months. Lately though he is getting more and more fussy and refusing to breastfeed. I would really like him to still get some breastmilk for antibodies etc. He feeds ok for his 6/7am feed but that is it. I am worried if I do not try breastfeed him throughout the day I will not have enough supply for the first morning feed. But he just screams the second I try sometimes. Just don't know what to do. I have heard people say there babies don't seem to pick up some viruses if they have breastmilk.

Thanks

Chantell
Malakai

[rynosmum]

Hi Channy, :)

Sometimes the baby does breast or bottle refusal when they get used to one method. Once I started formula feeding mine at 5 months, he started refusing the breast, his crying wouuld stress me, my milk wouldn't come in as much - it was a constant cycle.

I eventually weaned him off the breast at 6 months which is still a great effort for starting their immune system well !

My OB was great - he said that 4 weeks is good, 3 months is great, 6 months is fantastic for giving the baby good healthy start.

[cwsmum]

I can't give you any advice on how to get your bub to breastfeed better...I switched to formula when my DS was 6 days old.
I'd just like to say, try not to worry about bub getting sick more often if you stop breastfeeding completly, DS is now 2.5yrs old and the worst he has had is a bad cold and a couple of ear infections. Every cold has cleared itself up within a few days :)
Good luck, hope someone else has some better advice for you :p

[Chickadee]

It's a hard thing to go through, I hope you can find a solution. I'd suggest you try to get into a lactation consultant ASAP, or get in touch with the ABA. They may not be able to help, but if you want to continue bf they may be able to help.

I had trouble with my milk suppy (my own fault, probably not eatting enough and not understanding the supply/demand cycle). DD lost weight and I was told to offer formula to get her weight up as quickly as possible. Within 24 hours of offering a bottle of formula my DD did exact same as your son. Lots of screaming and refusal of the breast. After about a week I gave up trying, it wasn't worth the stress, and as rynosmum said the refusal and stress means milk doesn't let down so quickly, so bub screams more because they've become used to the instant reward from the bottle.

If you want to still continue with providing breastmilk then you can express. I rented an electric pump from a chemist, the ABA also has them for rent. It's a hard road to go though, I was exhausted after a month since it seems nearly the entire day is either feeding bub bottles, sitting at the machine being milked (sorry, bad image but that's what it feels like after a month) or washing and sterilising bottles and equipment. Also, it seems many women don't express as much milk as bub can get out, so you may find your milk supply tapering off despite your best efforts.

[bubbles28]

Hi Channy, its Tina here. How r u going?
Julian is having the exact same problem as Kai now.
I introduced one bottle of formula at night. Now he is refusing the breast and screams and pulls away all the time. He prefers the bottle now , because he doesn't have to work as hard for it ( lazy little thing!!)
It is getting me so frustrated and is now slowing the let down when I feed.
I don't know what to do either, I think he will eventualy wean himself off the breast.
I can't force him to take it. At least i have done it for 7 1/2 mths.
Don't beat yourself up about it, be glad that u have breast fed him for this long. The most important period is the first 6mths, which u have done. Good on u for sticking at it for this long.
E-mail me if u want to chat
Best of luck
Tina :D

[Ky]

Hi Channy

If you find that feeding him formula suits both of you ... go for it!

You have provided him with an incredible start to life and I applaud you for struggling on through the tough and uncomfortable times.

I ended up not being able to breastfeed either of my kids and they had expressed milk for the first 6 weeks of thier life. They are happy and healthy kids (I say, hearing my dd coughing in her bedroom!)and the switch to formula was a hard one for me too.

I felt like I was failing my dd when I made the decision (mainly fueled by an almost non-existent milk supply) and made a "mum-sanity" dash to the local pharmacy to get some formula. With my ds, I knew that my supply could only last so long (the expresser doesn't quite emulate a baby's sucking well enough), so was prepared and didn't beat myself up about it.

I had spoke to lactation consultants to try and prolong the supply of breastmilk and was given some really great advice ... unfortunately, my body had just had enough and stopped producing. I wa then given advice that I have really taken to heart ...

"don't worry about how your baby gets here (referring to natural or c/s birth) or how they are fed (breast or bottle), if Mum and bub are happy and not stressed ... this is the greatest thing you can do for your new baby!"

I hope that all turns out the best way possible for you ... just remember that sometimes the biggest thing bub needs is a stress-free Mum!