amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

jolenegreen · 09-20-2008, 07:33 AM

So...my little guy is one month old today! I have been trying to stick with breastfeeding but have to supplement due to baby not gaining any weight. This was Dr's orders. I have so much to share and so many questions so I dont even know where to start....lets start whenhe was born. I didnt get a very good latch at all on my left breast. SOooo...it cracked and bled...OMG...worse pain ever! So...I used a sheild (which didnt help) and some lanolin until it healed. Well becuase the sheild didnt help any I put him on the right side most the time. Now at one month old...he refuses the left side and im very lopsided! YIKES! MOre problems...I have VERY VERY little milk production. I get about 1/2 an oz from each side....less than that on the left side but hardley anything. Nothing enough to keep my baby from still being hungry afterwards...so I will nurse him and then give him a 2 oz bottle after being nursed. I really am looking for a way to up my milk supply. It seems as though it is reducing not producing! Its driving me crazy and Ive been sooo upset about it! There is nobody really around to help me except WIC and they keep telling me just keep nursing (WELL DUH!)...not helping. Ive been nursing for a month now!
Well recently this past week Rylan has refused to latch on either side. He will only take the nipple in and not take in the whole boob. Im not sure if he has a little nipple confusion or just being stubborn becuase he wants the bottle. I mean he knows the bottle can give him milk faster and more as well. So not quite sure about that. He has been getting more bottles throuout the day becuase I will try to get him to latch and will spend close to an hour with no luck....so I reach for bottle after an hour. When I pump I dont get hardly anything..I just add it in with the formula bottles I make him.
What else...hmmmm....I have more I want to say just sleepy and cant remember.
OH....I go back to work in 2 weeks. I work overnights so the baby will be going to grandmas while hubby and I work. She will be getting baby from 6pm-8am the next morning. I was really planning on having milk frozen for her to feed him but that isnt working out either cause Im not making any milk!!!!!!!!
When the Dr made me put him on formula my plan was to eventually ween him off from it when I started gettting more milk in....but so far no luck!
Hubby thinks maby his suck isnt hard enough to make my milk come in or at least make my body think it dont need to produce anymore than it is producing. He thinks maby Rylan is just getting tired of sucking after a while of not getting anything. (?). He is just a little guy...
So hubby said I should pump like a madwomen all the time all day long! (?) I have a Medela electric pump and I also have the harmony manual. It seems I get better luck with the manual than I do the electric. But when I go back to work the electric would be more handy....working nights I dont only get 6 hours a day to do anything...
Ill be back with more to say...Im going to take a nap! Thanks sooo much anyone who helps me out..>I really need some advice!

Wendi · 09-20-2008, 12:15 PM

Bumping for you b/c I'm sure there is someone here with good advice. Mine would be to get to a La Leche League meeting asap! They saved my breastfeeding relationship with my first

jolenegreen · 09-25-2008, 10:51 AM

Is there anybody out there who can help me?

gabwife · 09-25-2008, 11:50 AM

You need a SNS to put the formula in ask your LC about it.He can only eat if he lacthes on.Also see about some fenugreek tablets 3x a day.Pump after every feed.

DixieChick · 09-25-2008, 10:08 PM

I agree with the above poster. Talk to a Lactation Consultant about getting a Supplemental Nursing System. It is a bag with a small tube connected. The tube is tape don your breast, and comes out next to your nipple. When your son nurses, he will stimulate milk production, but will also get formula as needed.

Bottles are MUCH easier to nurse than a breast. He probably isn't nursing as effectively anymore because of the bottles.

PLEASE feel free to dro pme a PM or call a local LLL leader!

mamajandtheboys · 09-25-2008, 10:22 PM

You need to see a lactation consultant as soon as is humanly possible so she can get your little guy latched on correctly. The most important thing right now is to nurse, nurse, nurse -- that is the best way to increase your supply -- I know that is frustrating to hear since he won't latch, but it's impossible to help you from this far away!!!

Where in NY are you? I am an IBCLC and can find someone near you that can help -- just lmk what part of the state you are in.

annsni · 09-25-2008, 10:34 PM

A couple of thoughts:

Go to kellymom :: Breastfeeding and Parenting to search on information - it's a great site.

Supply: Keep that baby at the breast. Don't schedule him. Keep him nursing as much as possible. Get in bed with him, keep skin to skin contact. Make sure you're drinking enough and getting enough rest. Eat oatmeal, take fenugreek (3 capsules 3X a day). Pump whatever you can and use that pumped milk to suppliment the baby.

Confusion - Get a supplimental nursing system and let the baby get the formula through that way. This way you take out the bottles which are MUCH easier to get milk from. If he's fighting because it's hard to get the milk, start out pumping until you let down the latch baby on. If he's fighting to latch, let him take the bottle for an ounce or so to get the first of the hunger, then latch him on. He might latch on better. If he's still not latching, try taking him into a warm bath - sometimes that helps baby to latch. Keep trying. Over and over and over again. I know it's frustrating but it's worth the work.

The best advice, though is to get to a lactation consultant. Yeah, they're not that cheap but it's SOOOO important. I was having major problems with my son (my 3rd child) and I was ready to give up but within 24 hours of seeing the LC, we were up and running.

Yes, keep pumping but pumping doesn't work as well as baby. Just know that I wasn't able to get more than an ounce for months - and my babies ended up nursed over 12 months and all grew just fine.

I'm just a sucky pumper. LOL

Keep us posted and keep asking questions. ((HUGS))

IrishAngel · 09-29-2008, 02:04 AM

The Fenegreek worked wonders for me. I used a manual pump with DD instead of the electric and I could pull more out. One thing that also helped was I kept her in a sling most of the time so when she started crying and wanted to nurse she was right there and her crying helped make milk. Good luck, and I hope everything goes well!

Quakermaid · 11-10-2008, 04:48 PM

I think a good l.c. will be the best investment you can possibly make at this point. If it seems expensive, think of all the money you'll save in the long run if you save the breastfeeding relationship successfully. Best of luck to you and your baby!