Breastfeed to Formula to Breastfeed

**kuz78au** · 23-01-2006 12:07

Hi,
I've got a 5 week old boy. He was breastfeed for about a week with comp formula feeding from his 2nd day. Then went straight to formula with no breast milk. The reasons were because he wasn't drawing the nipple back into his mouth properly and I don't think I had enough milk.

I took medication to stop the milk and this was all ok. I totally regretted making that decision but stuck to it. It's been 2 weeks since I stopped the medication.

Now my milk is back again!?! It started leaking this morning and I'm thinking maybe this is a second chance for me. So I want to start breastfeeding again. I'm very determined and I know I will have to do both for a few months before he will go back to exclusive breastfeeding. I've also hired a LC to help me out

I wanted to know if this has happened to anyone and if so were you successful? What tips and advice could you give me? Thanks in advance!

**the_queen** · 23-01-2006 12:41

I don't have much advice for you - just a big GOOD ON YOU!!!

An LC is a fantastic idea, they will have real solutions for you, as well as great advice. There's also heaps of wise women on bubhub who I'm sure will give you great advice too!!
I think there's herbs and herbal remedies you can take to increase milk supply (fenugreek, for example) and as we all know, the more he sucks, the more milk you make!
If he does have any trouble going back on the breast, (ie if your milk supply is low he might get frustrated at all that sucking for no milk) make sure you ask about a supply line. It's a bottle/container which you fill with expressed breastmilk, and from the bottle runs a long thin tube which you tape to your nipple. As he sucks, he doesn't just get milk from you, he also gets it from the supply line. This encourages him to keep sucking, which means you make more milk.
When I was trying desperately to get Vallerie back on the breast, in the end we went to Torrens House, which is the SA equivalent of Tresillian - it's commonly known as a "sleep school" but it's basically round-the-clock midwifery care for anyone facing challenges with their baby. We went there when Vallerie was 16 weeks old, and they were a fantastic help to us. Having said that, it was definately a last resort for us.

Good on you matey and good luck with everything!!!

**b&tsmum** · 29-01-2006 21:27

No Advice

Just wanted to say GOOD ON YOU and Goodluck

If anyone tells you you are doing the wrong thing tell them to go jump. I wish I had the courage to go back on my decision 1st time round but a little late now - she's 4! Have been known to sneak a bit of expressed into her cereal or milo though

Happily breastfeeding #2 @3.5 months

**kimmy** · 29-01-2006 21:34

Good for you i wish i had of given it a couple of days with my first born & gave it another go.
I hope it all works out for you & goo luck.

**Cheekychops** · 29-01-2006 21:39

You can definately do it cause sometimes people who adopt babies (who are bottle fed in the orphanages) take hormones to make their boobs produce milk and breastfeed their adopted children. So it is possible for him to go back to bf, whether he chooses to is another matter......

Good luck with it

**kuz78au** · 29-01-2006 21:47

Hi everyone,
Thanks for the encouragement! I have seen the LC and all is going well. Unfortunately I've been in hospital having my gallbladder removed (HUGE stone in there!) and just got home today. But I have been keeping up with the expressing and there is still milk coming so fingers crossed!

**the_queen** · 30-01-2006 08:13

oh no gallbladder, you poor thing!! Hope you feel better soon - and well done for keeping up with the expressing despite being in hospital !!!

That is a great point cheekychops, about adopted children. There's so much info out there about relactation:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html
http://www.artofbreastfeeding.com/relact.html
http://breastfeed.com/resources/arti...elactation.htm
http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/nat...tfeeding01.htm

(Thought I'd also add this link: http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/...s/milkmen.html

Interesting hey!!!

)

**cosmic** · 30-01-2006 08:32

Good articles, Queenie! And good luck Kerrie. I think you're doing a wonderful thing and I hope it all works out really well for you both.

Hope you're recovering ok from your op too!

**Goosie22** · 30-01-2006 08:44

hi kuz78au,
keeping at it is the main thing your doing a fantastic thing.

http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/...s/milkmen.html

For those who claim male lactation is "unnatural," I would have to ask: how natural is canned formula from Nestle' or pacifiers made from petrolium byproducts?

I love that article, its fantastic to see human milk being valued that much. It truely is a woundeful thing to see your baby grow and develop all under the power of BREASTMILK.