Forum : Mums

Hi!
My daughter is 9 weeks old and I have to say I am just giving bottle but I really wanted to breastfeed, I had various problems, cracked nipples, bleeding, mastitis etc and just couldnt do it anymore, but anyway, my HV said she would help me to get back onto breastfeeding once my nipples had healed and that she could help me to slowly start to cut down the bottles and reintroduce the breast.
I expect you already know the theory behind it, its easier for babies to bottle feed as they dont have to work so hard as with breast, they are lazy!! I have a friend who is doing both, she always offers breast first for about a 45 min feed and then tops up with bottle. She finds some days her daughter isnt interested in the breast and messes around getting more and more irritable, but she perseveres and now her daughter usually quite often will take the breast and not want the bottle until the next feed. So she is doing 50/50 at the moment.
I reckon contact your HV as the NHS always go on about wanting us to breastfeed, so they should be prepared to spend some time helping you get back on it.
Also your HV should have advice for increasing milk supply eg expressing and diet etc.
Good luck x

oh and also, you havent failed if you end up bottle feeding your son, the most important thing is that you are both healthy and happy. x

hi..my little one is 14weeks old i had quite a few problems at first my HV said half an hour is more than enough if they still seem hungry then put them on the other one, to top them up and then start off on that one next time you feed if that makes sense, ot takes approx 2 hours for your body to re-produce milk, and really the only way to build up the supply is by feeding more, the more they feed the more your body will produce. Also make sure you are drinking plenty and eating well cos all this contributes....Good luck and you havent failed him, not everything goes to plan and besides the first two weeks are the best anyways and you gave him that.....

Hiya, yes the only way to pruduce more milk is to feed more, he might feed for 45 minutes at a time but how regular are the feeds? My baby is nearly 6 weeks and she feeds about every 1 1/2 - 2 hours and I produce absolutely loads of milk it gets everywhere!
I have heard as well that if you mix breast and bottlefeeding it can reduce your milk flow. Is he putting on weight cos he might well be getting plenty, my baby just keeps suckling and suckling till shes sick sometinmes! So it doesn't necessary mean he is still hungry after that long, some babies just like to suckle for comfort or he could just be a little greedy like mine! Hope you get it sorted xxx

It used to take my little one 45mins to feed then she, like in Chelle_l's situation, fed only about an hour and a half or 2 later. My milk flow was very slow and I had lots of problems with painful engorgement and a rare thing called "vaso spasms" (pain like hot-aches in your nipples during bf and for about an hour after). I also found it very difficult to express milk, only ever producing about 2 tablespoons worth. My breastfeeding problems were eventually all resolved but only after, wait for it, 8 months! My experience is extreme, however and I don't want to put you off but if you want to keep up your milk supply, continue to feed him your milk and top him up after, if he really won't settle. Persevere, you may find it all sorts itself out, if not, like me you still may find that although tiring and emotionally difficult, you will get through it. My daughter has just stopped breast feeding this week, she is 2 years and 2 months old, and I wouldn't have done anything any differently!
Whatever you decide to do be positive- you have not failed, I hope things go well.

Hi Julie,
Just wanted to send a quick msg to say please please don't feel like a failure! I had a horrendous experience wth breastfeeding, I won't go into all of it coz it'd be a long msg but basically my baby girl would want to be on my breast for ages, the longest was 2hours, and other times would pull away screaming like your lo. She wouldn't fall asleep unless she was suckling on me & we eventually found out (no thanks to the useless midwives in my area) that Grace wasn't actually feeding. She was suckling & getting latched on but for some reason she wasn't getting any milk, still not sure whether I had no milk or if she was just too lazy to get any! Anyway, after 5days we were sent back to hospital & Grace was dehydrated. I felt so guilty, I'd been starving my child!! I was adamant throughout my pregnancy that i was going to breast feed but when it came down to it it just wasn't possible & we had to put Grace on formula. I felt like a complete failure at first & hated myself for not being able to do something my body was intended for!! However, 7weeks later & Grace is doing amazingly well. She's growing as she should be & is coming on leaps & bounds! Bottle feeding is not what I wanted but it what was best for my baby!!
Anyway, if you can breastfeed your baby then thats fantastic but if not please don't beat yourself up about it, it's not your fault!! Hope things are goijng well!
Jodie & Grace xxx
(Turns out it was a long message anyway, sorry!!) :)

Thanks for all your time and help here. I wish my midwife and HV could have told me some of these things!!! I've found all your info really useful. My baby is feeding a bit better at the breast this week -- he seems to be staying on and taking more milk. I'm giving him the topup too, but all seems alot more settled. Still getting the odd tantrum crying when he's really famished though!. He's putting on weight so I'm not going to panic anymore that he's starving!

Julie & Baby S x

Hello. I think the two ways of increasing your milk supply and flow is to breastfeed for as much as he likes which is very tiring I know but eventually your breasts will catch up and produce enough milk. If you top up with formula your breasts will not produce enough. The other thing is to drink lots and lots of water. Good luck.

If he isnt satisfied with one boobie then offer him the other when he gets restless - my son used to do this too.

topping up with formula wont help ur supply tho as ur replacing times when ur baby would feed and let ur body know it needs to make milk with something else so ur body the thinks it needs to make less.. basicly the more u feed the more u make.

I think the thing 4 me was the worrying if my baby had enough milk - if i wouldnt of had support telling me i was doing fine and to just plod on and body will make what the baby needs i think i would of done the same - ur doing a fab job, well done and good luck xxx

Just seen ur update too, i foudn the hosp, mw and hv not that great on advise either. I ended up finding out who my local BF adviser/counciller SOoooo much more then u would think there was to know xxx