Switch to formula???

[brooke88(mum2b09)]

For the past 2 weeks both my now 6 week old girls have had reflux and have been extremely hard to settle at night, especially the last 3 days.
We've tried heaps of things to ease them but they just won't settle. I've been breast feeding but I've had alot of trouble feeding at night, especially when I tandem feed. They cry and it's hard to reattach them and the whole thing then takes just over half an hour.
My GP suggested I put them on formula as they are gaining weight but apparently not as much as they should be.
I flat out refused as breast feeding is something I really have my heart set on and so I've just been persevering but it's getting harder to do.
So tonight I fed them S-26... They slept for 3 & 1/2 hours, woke had some more and went straight back to sleep no fuss.
I know it's stupid but I had a traumatic birth that didn't go to plan at all and if I give up breast feeding I know I'll feel like a failure. This is my own doing though, nobody is putting pressure on me apart from myself.

What do you guys think I should do?

[readytogo]

have you tried expressing and giving them that. Or if you are concerned and dont want to stop breast feeding you could try doing the breast feed then top up of formula but make sure you express everytime so you dont decrease your supply

[HeidiLee]

The lactation consultant said to me a sane mother is FAR more important to a newborn than breast milk. So do whatever results in a more settled bub. Formula gives them what they need - no matter what people say that shove breast is best down everyones throat.

[beebs]

I had a bad time with breastfeeding and ended up expressing and then moving onto formula- I'll be expressing for the twins as well. No one can tell you what you should do - but just make sure you don't let anyone make you feel guilty - you are a new twin mum - and that (I believe) is very hard work! Goodluck with whatever you decide. You can hire a tandem breastpump from ABA - apparently when you are expressing for twins you really need the double action Otherwise - you have to go with whatever is going to make you happy....ya know?

[RoseKathleen]

I know you are having trouble so here is a hug:

Can I say that I don't think that taking 30 minutes for a feed is excessive? Especially in the beginning, they say that anything up to 45 minutes is "normal".

But I have to agree with what was said previously - try doing one feed per day that is formula (it will also give you a break if DH can do the feeding). That way you are not stopping bfing. Reflux is a condition that kids often "grow out of" as their bodies grow. You may find that in a couple weeks they have stopped and you can resume full bfing.

Have you tried other things for reflux? Have you tried putting a small pillow under their mattress near their head so the mattress is tilted? This stops the milk coming back up as easily.

Don't worry too much about what the doctor said about their weight gain. The charts they use are for formula fed babies and are way out of date. As long as they are gaining weight be satisfied.

Good luck!

[BabelFish]

Hon, I just wanted to say I was in the exact same position as you. It wasn't other people that were making me feel like a failure - they encouraged me to express and bottle-feed or use formula if I wanted to, or felt I needed to, because they could see how desperately difficult it was for me and how hard I was trying and how committed I was to breastfeeding. That wasn't because of other people either - I wanted to do it, I wanted to do it soooo much.

My birth was traumatic also, and totally unexpected with the difficulties, and therefore breastfeeding was made that much harder. It all fell apart when I thought it would be fine. Oooh reading your post - I just felt so much for you, because the exact same thing happened to me. It's awful. My DD had reflux, too, which made breastfeeding even harder.

And you have two!! Honey - you do what's right for you. It doesn't matter what other people say if in your heart you're the one who feels like you've let yourself down. That's so hard to cope with and so it's you that needs to come to a reconciliation in your heart and your head. It's not easy. There will be ups and downs. You'll come away from it and be so relieved and then you'll feel better and want to try again and go back to it. I did that for seven months until DD took the decision out of my hands and self-weaned.

And I tell you, when she did that my life became totally different. My PND went away. I knew how much she was drinking. I had my bottles all neatly lined up in the fridge and we started to settle into a feeding routine. Life became less of a struggle.

You've given your babies six weeks of that magic milk of yours and if it's too much then switch to formula if you want to and sort out your life in a way that will make it easier for you.

The lactation consultants I saw were not militant at all. They were lovely. They helped me in every way they could with breastfeeding and they told me if I couldn't manage it didn't matter because a happy healthy baby and a sane, relaxed Mum were more important than breastfeeding full time.

You could breastfeed during the day and bottle-feed at night if you wanted to. You need to work out what's right for YOU and YOUR BABIES.

At six weeks things are still so bewildering. It's SO HARD. You are doing an amazing, fantastic, awesome job and your babies will love you and be healthy and happy and wonderful if you formula feed them or breastfeed them or both.

Good luck.

[CrankyAndTired]

The lactation consultant said to me a sane mother is FAR more important to a newborn than breast milk. So do whatever results in a more settled bub.

Settled Bubba = Happier Mummy

And conversely...

Happier Mummy = Better Attachment to Bubba



I know it must feel overwhelming but you WILL get through this difficult time..

[brooke88(mum2b09)]

Thanks for all the replies and hugs, some good ideas there. Last night on the formula was the most settled they have ever been! I think I will combine the breast and bottle feeding and see how it goes.

Thanks heaps to Chesny- your reply really made me feel better