My youngest daughter was born in April and I started breastfeeding her right away, however I started supplementing with formula since my milk supply was low this time around. With my first daughter I never had problems breastfeeding and I successfully breastfed her for 1 1/2 years.
But my little girl will kick her legs, pull away from the breast, fuss etc every time I feed her. She has been very difficult to breastfeed since she was born, she would arch her back and constantly unlatch, making it very difficult to get any milk let down.
It does not help that she has been sleeping through the night since she was 3 weeks old which decreased my milk tremendously because I didn't really wake up at night to pump (looking back I really should have).
My mom says that milk just goes away and it's normal and that my daughter just doesn't want the breast and just give her formula from now on, she is constantly telling me to give up breastfeeding. I completely disagree with her and I'm very hurt that my little girl can't stay on the breast for more than 2 minutes without fussing, moving around and kicking. I feel I'm doing something wrong and I don't know what it is.
I'm also worn out mentally, I'm starting to get anxious when feeding time is getting closer because I know it will be stressful for both of us.
just three days ago, I've started trying to cut out the formula completely. I'm trying to breastfeed more often during the day and she also gets baby cereal mixed with 3 ounces of breastmilk in the morning and a mid afternoon jar of baby food( I vary it, prunes, sweet potatoes, applesauce).
I do NOT see or feel an increase of my milk supply and she is still fussy when breastfeeding, I'm also cutting back her pacifier which she used a lot. Please help!!! breastfeeding is very important to me and it's one of the things I was looking forward to the most when I was pregnant. I thought the experience would be as rewarding and peaceful as the first time and never thought it would be so hard this second time around.
What can I do to calm her down while feeding? Can my milk increase or is the damage already done? Please any advice is welcome I'm willing to try anything!!!
Thank you so much in advance,
Hi everyone thanks for all your replies, after three weeks here's the update:
I went back to supplementing, I'm simply not producing enough milk. I breastfeed my daughter as frequently as possible and now it's easier since she is eating solids so it gives my breasts a break to produce more milk. I'm giving her two 5oz bottles of formula per day, one in the morning and one before bed and also the breast if she will take during formula feeding.
she is much less fidgety now, that phase is gone , thank God, I have no idea why she was like this but I tried feeding her in a dark room with no noises as someone suggested. this worked great! si I am still breastfeeding + solids + two bottles of formula. my baby seems happier than ever.
I have accepted that this baby is not at all like my first and I find I'm without answers sometimes after I thought I knew all about babies LOL!
Thank you so much for your answers, it's very comforing to keep coming back and know that I will get only the best advice!
I second the poster who said to get in touch with La Leche League. http://www.llli.org//Web/Texas.html
I am still breastfeeding my daughter at 11 months and she went through periods where she was fussy about it, but I think you should at least get some more information before stopping, especially since it is important to you.
Good luck!
My heart goes out to you. It's no fun when family aren't as supportive as you want.
My first bit of advice would be to get in contact with your local La Leche League. They were so helpful for me. It's free, you don't have to join but so worth it. The other moms had lots of practical advice. I too suplemented and I was never judged. I wasn't the only one either who suplemented so don't feel like that would be a stumbling block.
Regarding the active child, that can be a lot of fun. ;) Also, as the child gets older, you'll find that you don't feel as "full" as you did when they were teeny. That's normal. Also fussiness is not necessarily a sign of low supply. Check out kellymom.com, it's really good for information. http://www.kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk.html
As far as your mom saying the milk just goes away... Yes, eventually it does, but not overnight and typically not when the child is still nursing. Just try and relax, ignore mom when she gets on her nerves (as much as you can, right?) and enjoy your little one.
You're doing great! It's very normal for babies to go through this sometime from 7-10 months old, where it seems that they want to wean, but it's just a stage of them becoming more aware of all of the things around them and not really wanting to stop exploring and discovering things in order to nurse. They are also becoming aware that they have some sort of independence from you, and she is learning how to deal with and exert that. Have you tried nursing her in a quiet "boring" space? When my daughter went through this stage (at 9 months) I nursed her in a chair in my room where there was nothing on the wall around us for her to get distracted by, none of her toys were around, etc. The phase passed by within a week or two.
I also agree with the previous poster who said that it's normal to not feel full or like you have the milk that you need at this point. You do have it, but your body has adjusted to what your daughter needs and makes the milk without you feeling full anymore.
If you really think that there is a supply problem, you can try eating oatmeal every day (or several times a day!), taking Fenugreek, or MOther's Milk Tea, or Mother's Milk Plus, or one of several other herbal supplements that help increase your milk supply.
kellymom.com has great information on the ages and stages of breastfeeding, and about it seeming like the child wants to wean; however, it is very, very uncommon for a baby to actually want to wean before 12-18 months.
Yeah, sadly I am kinda with Jodi on this one. I went thru the exact same thing with my daughter around that same time. I was able to somehow tough it out until she was about 8 months but it was really hard. I wanted to so badly to continue nursing her (she had been exclusively bf) but I think she was just over it and done. She seemingly weaned herself which is, in a sense, not a bad thing. Once I finally accepted that she would be just fine on formula I went ahead and started that transition. Now, she gets 2 or 3 bottles a day and the rest is solids. She is doing just fine and I don't have that stress and battle and feeding time anymore.
I struggled with the decision for awhile though and cried many tears. I, personally, had a lot of guilt about giving up nursing but I knew in my heart that it was time and she was ready for a new phase in her life. She is doing just fine and it's a much more relaxed feeling btw us all. Feel free to message me if you have any questions or just need me as a sounding board to bounce things off of. :)
People will probably disagree with me, but I think it's time to stop breastfeeding. If it is that much stress on you and her, it is not meant to be. You have given her at least 6 months and she's fine.
This seems to be more about your need than hers. My daughter did the same thing. I like you wanted it to continue, but I found my milk didn't even taste the same any more. So I stopped.
Enjoy your child and stop putting expectations on it. It's ok that she doesn't breastfeed. It will not affect her negatively from here on out. Each child is different. Your first may have done many things your second may not. She has lost the need for the breast and it's time to let her have that independence. Be proud (and a little scared :-P) that she is already showing a sign of strong will.
I wish you all the best!
