my baby breast fed only for 6 weeks and he dropped below his birth weight. the 2 times i weighed him before and after feedings he took in 5-6 ounces so I thought that everything was fine. he wasn't crying after feedings and had that drunken sailor look. but at around 6 weeks it started taking him a full hour to eat 1.5 ounces so i had to supplement with formula. I tried the SNS for a week, then a dropper with formula but both were so difficult to use that i gave up. I started pumping and it slowly increased my milk so that now I make about 30 ounces a day pumping between 6-8 times/day. He's gained almost 3 pounds in one month and he's 95% breast milk still. but I got so tired that I was hardly putting him on the boob for a couple of weeks. Now he's not taking the breast at all and cries when I try to give it to him. I am hoping that his suck will get stronger as he gets bigger and we can hook back up again since he was boob only for the first 6 weeks. does anyone have any experience in this area or any tips??? note: i am unwilling to starve him out until he takes the breast. i'm looking for a gentler approach.
I pumped for two months straight and stopped putting him on the breast. Then i saw a lactation consultant again and she got him on immediately. since he was older i didn't have to do the whole 'flip the lower lip out, shove his head on, etc.' i just put my nipple in his mouth and he sucked it in. However, the original issue was that he wasn't transferring enough milk from me to him and unfortunately, that didn't change. So now i put him on the breast for comfort and a feeding that will hold him over for about an hour. i pump and put it into a bottle for the rest of the feedings. I was going crazy with the pumping and not leaving the house for more than 2-3 hours at a time. Now, i pump 4 times a day (8am, 12, 5pm, 10pm) and get about 20oz. i supplement with formula for the rest and we are both SO MUCH happier. I do believe that as much breastmilk as possible is best. He's almost 5 months old and he's only had a slight cold once. I'm mainly doing it for the immunity.
Thanks for all your support.
I used the breast shield for a month or so and that worked great. This was much earlier on, when my baby was a few days old, but maybe it will work for your older baby. Good luck!
Hi K.
I feel for you! I went through something almost the same. Call Le Leche they are awesome and will have someone come to you and help! Mine was due to a hospital stay... and BAD advice or none from the DOCTOR! Or call the Hospital were the child was born and ask if they have Lactation support... St. Joseph's in Burbank has an awesome program!! Good luck and hang in there! I wish I would have!!!!!!!!
I agree with the lactation consultant advice. Another thing you might try is a nipple shield. It makes it a little easier for the baby to get the milk out, seems kinda like a bottle nipple while getting him used to the boob proximity again. I know a lot of people are opposed to using nipple shields for all sorts of reasons, but for $6, I think it's worth a shot! I could never find them at the Burbank Target, but did find them at the Pasadena Target. Glendale target wasn't open yet when I was breastfeeding..
Good luck!
my 16 month old sometimes has a problem with one of my breast. what has worked (sometimes) for me is putting her in a different position to eat. from a front position to foot ball hold. with her legs curld around my side. I can look in her eyes and talk to her as she sucks. When she was younger the lactation specialist told us to place a pinky finger in her mouth for her tongue to play with. Slowly pulling it in and out to build up her sucking skills. Breast milk from the bottle is okay too. Hope this helps. Breastmilk is the best for them. I know its hard but try not to give up. My thoughts are with you. Please contact me if you need to chat or support.
Hello K.. I'm a mother of four ranging in ages of 16,15,8 and 4. I have to be honest and tell you that it will be difficult to get your infant back on the breast? Why? Because an infant has to work really hard at nursing from the breast. Feedind from a bottle is a piece of cake for them and it doesn't require as much effort. The reason your baby may cry during feeding when you try to offer the breast could be a variety of reasons. What comes to mind is that your baby is hungry and is aware that you desire for him/her to take your breast but has no intention of working so hard for it! Second, because you did nurse for about six weeks, there is a bond and connection the two of share; your baby could be sensing your stress and this is upsetting for your baby. I know how you must feel, however, it is important that you remember when feeding your baby it should be a time of bonding and joy. Regardless to what method you have to feed your baby with (breast or bottle), relax and enjoy it so that the baby can as well. I believe that your baby doesn't want to nurse anymore and you are going to have to find a way to be okay with that. It doesn't make you a terrible mother if your baby doesn't nurse. You did what many mothers won't even try: you nursed him right away for six weeks! I wish you the best, and Happy Feeding!
You are doing a great job! I agree with the person who suggested contacting The Pump Station. The Hollywood location # is ###-###-####. Wendy Haldeman, MN, RN, CLC is the BEST - I can't recommend her enough - she saved me & is so sweet and supportive. I think it is possible to get your baby back to the breast & Wendy is the person who could help you.
I highly recommend that you go to the breastfeeding support group every Thursday at 1 p.m. at Glendale Memorial Hospital. It is free and you don't have to have delivered at Glendale Memorial (I didn't). The lactation consultants there are amazing and very, very supportive. I kept going long after I stopped having problems for the supportive environment.
I also recommend calling over there ASAP and getting a recommendation for a private lactation consultant. A one-time consultation can be a bit pricey, but it is worth it in so many ways. I loved my lactation consultant, but is on maternity leave right now.
BTW, my son is now 10-months and we both love nursing! It gets a lot easier and becomes so rewarding if you stick with it. Good luck!
First of all, I agree with most of the posts below: your best bet is to consult with a lactation consultant. I do not think this is an impossible task but it will probably take a good deal of patience and some ingenuity, and having support will almost certainly increase your chances of success. My baby (my third) has been through a couple of "nursing strikes," where he refused to take the breast at all, and I found that I could get him to latch on when he had just dropped off to sleep but before he was completely asleep. At that point his instinct took over, and after he had successfully nursed a few times he would quit refusing the breast. I wish you luck!
I too lived in Silverlake and had a big problem with getting my daughter on the breast after she was born (but that was 10 years ago). There was a breast feeding center in Tarzana that I went to and we were both "re-trained". It was fabulous. I highly recommend getting some help from a professional but one that supports you and doesn't shame or tell you things that don't make sense to you. I'm sure you've heard of the Pump Station...very popular but I believe only in Santa Monica? Best of luck.
Hi K.,
I had major breast feeding problems and have been pumping for 18 months now!! My advice is get help and get the baby back on the boob! Pumping is not fun at all!! I am sad everyday that we couldn't actually breast feed...
Go to The Pump Station, there's one in Hollywood and one in Santa Monica. Wendy is the best CLC get an appointment with her and make sure she knows you really want to breast feed...it might take time but will so be worth it!!
Daer K. R
After what I read I only can suggest you to hurry to a doctor.
Don't wait too long!
V.
