re-establishing breast feeding

[mum2four]

Hi, My son is now about 15 weeks old. He was 4.5 wks premmie and lost almost 1kg in his first few weeks so we were pretty much made to put him on formula or he would be hospitalised again. Anyway, due to that my milk supply went way down hill. The local health clinic hasn't been very supportive of me trying to get it back up and him back to the breast. I now have next to nothing and he is drinking 1ltre of formula (approx) a day, I am not even getting 30mls when I pump!
I can get him to still suck on me in the bath, but what are the chances or re-establishing breast feeding at this late date. I have a herbal mix from the USA called more milk plus special blend and have tried prescription medicines too to help increase the supply. Now that the school holidays are over and the carer for my other young boys is back I will have more time to get back into trying to get my breast milk back.
Do you have any advice for me? Is it worth it? I have never successfully breast fed and really wanted to this time. It makes me very sad when I think I failed yet again!
Thankyou for your time

[Pinky McKay]

Dear mum2four,
you still have milk and are prepared to give this your best shot so it sounds like a good possibility. Good on you!!!

Try doing a search on adoptive breastfeeding - this will encourage you too. The Australian Breastfeeding Association has a great book on relactation that will be helpful.

It is really difficult to be surrounded by discouraging voices so do try and get some positive support - ABA and a lactation consultant would be a good start.

Give your baby lots of skin to skin contact - do a search on kangaroo care - basically, sit around, shirt open, bub on your chest and snuggle - watch Oprah, whatever. This will help stimulate your breastfeeding hormones. Bathing together is wonderful and a great way to encourage your bub to suck - what a wise mother you are. Baby may also nurse well in the dark - your prolactin levels are highest at night - so sleeping with bub near or with you ( make sure your sleep environment is safe) will help those hormones too.

Hang in there - and good luck with the tea. Fenugreek and blessed thistle are reputed to help with milk supply too although research varies, but the very best thing is to let baby suckle as much as possible then, whilst keeping a good eye on baby's health/ wet nappies etc (you didnt mention any health issues other than prematurity), you could decrease the formula - like a "reverse" weaning - so baby takes more and more from you.

Best of luck,
Pinky

[mum2four]

Thanks Pinky, No he doesn't have any health issues anymore, he did when born (that is why he was early) I had antibodies so he was jaundice and under lights, apart from that just the weight loss after we left the hospital and he had a tongue tie which has been snipped. The worst thing is, he was probably the best at breast feeding of any of my children, didn't fuss etc and was happy to take it, problem was he fell asleep too much and so didn't get enough, that was why he had to go to formula where he could get more in a shorter period and didn't have to work as hard!

Will start trying again tonight and have another bath with him and get back on the herbal treatment, hopefully it will all help!

Oh and I have a supplemental nursing system which I will start using again tomorrow (at least during school hours...lol)

Thanks again