Bottlefeeding to Breast?

You really need to get set up with a good lactation consultant. If you've been pumping this whole time, I think it is possible. But you will need a lot of support and direction. I didn't succeed at breast feeding with my first child and am working really hard now with my new born second. Lactation consultants are like physicians in that no two practice in the same way. So get set up with one, but find a good one! Mine saved me this time around and if I'd had a descent one with my first I feel I would have succeeded as well.

I did the same thing... at about the same age i put her back to breast... it took a few tries, but after a day or two she was primarily back on the breast. It helped to get her going on the bottle a bit to whet her appetite, then put her to breast...of course I have a barracuda feeder, who chugs once she gets going, so she would put the extra effort into nursing... It might blow up in your face if your son is a patient eater. experiment a bit and find out what works. good luck!

My first son was premature. I pumped for almost 6 wks for him. I was going to the breast feeding clinic in Upland...part of San Antonio Hos. He finally latched on, and it was smooth sailing. I ended up nursing for 18 months. The breast feeding clinic is free, and the nurses are wonderful over there. If it was painful, your baby was probably latching on wrong. So it should not be to late. I would go down to the clinic to get some help. I think Huntington has a clinic as well. Good for you pumping all this time too! A lot of people would just stopped :)

I get a bit tired of hearing such negative comments regarding parenting issues on this website. A little positive energy here, folks! You ABSOLUTELY can successfully breastfeed your little one. It is what is in their nature to do. Even adoptive mothers can breastfeed their babies by try, try, trying again until the baby latches and stimulates the mother's milk to come in. It is truly amazing and beautiful what our female bodies can do, and I would definitely encourage you to try - and don't be quick to give up if it doesn't happen right away. Have patience, relax, and visualize everything happening easily and you might be amazed at what happens! Many good thoughts to you! :)

It's not too late. Call a couple lactation consultants to make sure the latch is right. It might be a little more work now, since it's MUCH easier to get milk out of a bottle, rather than a nipple. Painful latching means he's not latching on right. It should never be painful.

My 2nd baby's latch made me cry. The pediatrician didn't catch that he was "tongue tied" (AKA short sublingual frenulum), but the lactation consultant did. I went back in and he clipped it quickly and I grabbed him right away and breastfed him - immediately the pain was gone and his latch was different.

Plenty of water for you to make enough milk. Plenty of patience and relaxing will help bring more milk in. If that doesn't work, then Mammary PMG from Standard Process works like a charm.

Hi S.
I'd say go for it. Try again. It only hurts in the begining it will get better for the both of you. I think as long as you still have milk you can try.
I hope it works out for you.

It probably isn't impossible, but it is going to be VERY hard! It is much easier for a baby to latch on to a bottle than to a nipple, so once they start on a bottle, they frequently lose patience with a nipple. Good luck!

It is definitely not too late. If he won't latch on at all because he needs a little enticing, you can get a dropper, put some breast milk on your nipple, and then let a few drops out every once in a while to keep him going. Once he gets the idea that sucking for a while will get the milk to come, he will probably latch on and nurse like a pro. You could also pump first and once you have let down, stick him on. He may need to eat more often for a while, just feed on demand, it will level out once your breasts are used to nursing.

I will say that it could hurt for a while, but it will go away. It took maybe 3 weeks for the pain to subside for me, after 2 weeks I noticed it was a lot better. I actually relactated, so I had to go through it twice. It was definitely worth it. Get some of the cold gel pads to put on your nipples after nursing, or you can just try doing ice afterwards. Use ibuprofen to help with the pain, and try to keep clothing/bras off of your nipples while they are trying to heal. I used breast shields in my bra, or went around topless. Good luck!

There are 2 different issues: whether it is too late for your baby to get used to latching on, and whether your milk supply has been compromised. Regarding the first issue, no, it's not too late. My baby finally started latching on to the breast at 6 weeks. Prior to that I'd try him for a minute or two, a couple of times a day and he'd just cry and cry.
The second issue, milk supply, is a little more worrisome. I think you can probably work your way back up but need to start stimulating more, right away. The pump alone is not enough stimulation for most women.
You will need a good lactation consultant. If you happen to be in the valley, I know of an excellent consultant.

Good for you! What a wonderful gift you are giving your child.

The answer is no, it is not too late.
Speak to a lactation consultant so you can get assistance in getting a proper latch. If you want a good recommendation for an LC, call a midwife that is local to you. There are lots of "lactation consultants" (like many in hospitals, in my experience) who will give up really easily and won't help you see it through. A midwife is more dedicated to making sure you breastfeed successfully, so she should know of the better LCs in your area.
The ladies at LLL meetings may have some helpful advice for you as well.

Also, be sure to drink plenty of water, eat lots of organic whole grains, and try drinking a cup or two of "mother's milk" tea every day.

Definitely not too late! I would see a lactation consultant to help if you have issues but the things I would try:

Try latching him on - remember that at first he may show frustration b/c the bottle and breast are different sucks for him, and the breast is a harder suck. If he does have issues with it, I would pump first for a couple minutes so your milk lets down, start him on a bottle so he gets the taste, then switch to the breast after a minute or so. It might take some work, but you can absolutely do it! My good friend pumped for the first 8 weeks before her baby could latch but she eventually did. The pump is not efficient at getting milk so don't worry about your milk supply - once he can latch on and is emptying them it will go up. Also, I take More Milk Plus, an herbal supplement, and it boosts my supply in a day or two.

Good luck, you can totally do this, and reach out for help if you need any - this is a great thing to to for your baby!

Call your hospital for information regarding a lactation consultant. It's not too late!

Try nursing on one breast while pumping the other. Babies like how easy a bottle is, they have to work a little harder to get the milk flow from the breast. Another thing you can try is to start the flow with the pump and then see if baby will latch on once the milk is present. I would also call your local La Leche League. These wonderful volunteer moms are very supportive! Good luck, L.

If you are pump feeding then you are using the milk from your breasts to feed him(am I understanding this right) so you should have enough milk.
My advise would be to give it a go and see if he latches on.
At least you tried if thats what you want.

Good luck
B.