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Mixed Feelings
Had our 6 week checks today, bit of a waste of time, but the GP said Lucas is doing really well so no worries there. Also saw our osteopath and she seems to think he's going through a growth spurt hence his sleeping issues, so feeling a little better on that front and obviously happy he's doing well.
Have suddenly been hit by complete regret that I gave up on BF and wish I could take it back and try again. It's not that I feel I've let him down, I just feel like I'm missing out on the experience. He's thriving, no denying that, but I'd love to be able to take credit for it, and don't think I can because it's all out a box.
Guess there's not much I can do now.
Hxx
Have suddenly been hit by complete regret that I gave up on BF and wish I could take it back and try again. It's not that I feel I've let him down, I just feel like I'm missing out on the experience. He's thriving, no denying that, but I'd love to be able to take credit for it, and don't think I can because it's all out a box.
Guess there's not much I can do now.
Hxx
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Replies
It might be possible to try breastfeeding again after a short break. I did it with DD. It is hard work, though, and you're no less of a mum if you decide you'd rather concentrate on enjoying your baby as things are.
If you want more info I'd happily help but don't want to ram it down your neck!
How's he doing with the colic, are things better? How are you feeling?
xx
Colic is massively improved, still have bad days, like today, and his sleeping is still bloody awful, but more and more smiles coming now. I am finding being home alone hideous, it's just relentless, but it's getting easier.
Wish there was a magic button you could press sometimes, just so I could get stuff done.
Hxx
Like the others have said, it's not just the milk that's making Lucas thrive. It's having a great mummy (and daddy!)
I've been taking Oliver to an osteopath and he seems tonnes better with his colic. Do you think that is why Lucas has improved?
Good luck if you decide to give it another try.
H xx
I am quickly discovering that feeling guilty and always wondering whether you are doing / have done the right thing goes hand in hand with being a mummy!
Totally agree - just what I was thinking this morning!
Thanks all.
So excited about trying again!
I couldn't agree more. Oliver was also very constipated but isn't anymore either. I tell everybody I know about the osteopath we go to. It's the best thing I ever did taking him.
Glad you're feeling a bit better now.
H xx
Re-lactating at this stage, if you want to try, should be possible. The two issues you will have to deal with are getting baby to latch, and rebuilding your supply. Whilst baby latching on and nursing is the best way of stimulating supply, I'll talk about them separately.
Getting Lucas to latch back on needs to be a really calm, unpressured, laid back exercise. You need to accept that it may not work, and that if it does work it may take weeks of gentle attempts for him to relearn correct latching and nursing techniques. The best way to start is just to start! Wait for him to start showing hunger signals but is not screaming or frantically hungry - rooting, putting fingers in his mouth etc, but not in any way upset. Offer him the breast. If he reacts badly, put your boob away, give him a kiss and a cuddle, and feed him with a bottle. Try again before the next feed. Don't ever try to force him to the breast or keep trying once he has demonstrated distress, it may create an aversion to the breast.
Try taking him in the bath with you and try latching there, take him to bed, have lots of lovely skin to skin cuddles and see if he will accept the breast. It almost certainly won't go perfectly first time round and this is NOT a rejection of you or of your breast, it's just confusion on his part. Don't take it to heart and don't let it upset you.
Secondly - supply. This will have dwindled as you've not been feeding, but you should still have some milk there if you gently squeeze your nipple. Milk production works on supply and demand, so you will have to place the demand for supply to come and meet it, and this means pumping, frequently. Aim for a session every hour if you're at home, for as long as you can manage. Even 5 mins is beneficial. As your supply starts to build you could try less frequent pumping but ensure you empty the breast as much as you can. Milk production speeds up when the breast is empty and slows when it's full, so frequent emptying of both breasts is the best way to kickstart supply.
Stay hydrated and well nourished, try to snack on proteins.
You may want to try a herbal or medical aid to boost supply. Fenugreek capsules, blessed thistle and goats rue are herbal aids that can help. I'm at mum's atm, but I will dig out the emails that give the URL of the stores where I order mine from, ou can get them in Holland and Barrett but online is cheaper. If you think you need serious help, try asking your GP to prescribe Domperidone. It's an anti sickness drug with a side effect of increasing milk supply. Use as a galactogogue (milk booster) is 'off label' - not what it's licensed to be prescribed for - so it's at your GP's discretion, but if you go this route and find resistance I can give you links to the literature that changed my GP's mind on the issue.
Eat oatmeal, it's great for boosting supply.
Sure 'nuff, DS is grizzling - I will come back later with lots of links to relevant Kellymom pages that will hopefully be helpful. xx
1.) Congrats Renri on looking after your boy so beautifully
2.) Good luck and all power to you on re-lactation, let us know how you get on
3.) Nice one Beth for being so helpful and supportive again without any of the pressure - you really are a mine of breastfeeding info!
xxx
Aaaaaanyway, some linkies. Mostly Kellymom - I love Kellymom.
General on relactating:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html
Milk production 101:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkproduction.html
Latching refresher:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/latch-resources.html
Coaxing baby to the breast:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html#coax
Something that helped me with supply once DD was latching well is a supplemental nurser - you fill it with supplement (either pumped breastmilk or formula) and hang it round your neck, thin tubes take supplement to the baby's mouth and they take the supplement at the same time as being latched on and feeding at the breast. They're helpful not only in keeping baby at the breast to be fed their supplement,. thus increasing more stimulation to the milk production cycle, but they increase baby's trust in breastfeeding - I've found mine helpful again with DS as we learned to breastfeed - as soon as we tried it he relaxed and fed better, you could almost hear him thinking "Ahhh, so I CAN get lots of milk when I suck on one of these!" It turned him from a bottle baby to a booby baby.
http://www.medela.co.uk/UK/breastfeeding/products/nursing.php
I'm aware this is a LOT of info to be throwing at you and I'm sorry for overwhelming you - if you decide to go ahead you can just make a gradual start with the latching attempts for a few days whilst you assimilate the rest of it.
If you decide to go ahead and try, remember that even if you can't get him back 100% breastfed, any breastmilk is good, and any breastfeeding is good even if he doesn't get lots of milk, just as an enjoyable experience for you both and there is nothing wrong with that. If you decide it's not for you after all, you are still doing such a great job with Lucas, he had the benefit of your milk in the early days and you have set him up for life with that, so don't feel guilty.
I'm so glad the osteopath has helped, my friend took her LO for some CO and said it was literally like bringing a different baby home from the appointment!
Ah well, he's worth it!
Am very excited about doing this, but trying not to put too much pressure on me or Lucas.
Beth...you will never be considered up yourself by any of the people you go out of your way to help. You share your knowledge and experience willingly, without reward, and without pressurising people. You are truly a lovely lady so thank you!
How long do you think I'll need to be pumping for...trying to weigh up buying again against hiring...
Project re-lactation commences!!!!
Hxx and a currently booby shy Lucas!!
Or try a website called anawiz and look at the spectra 3 double pump for about ??60, they are very good, I had one with DD. xx
Just thought I'd say...I have done it!!!! I pumped every hour every day and 3 times overnight for 3 weeks and at first just got a few drops but slowly it built up and I'm now nearly EBF!
It's bloody hard going, but man I feel good for doing it! I like you thought if it doesn't work, at least I tried!
The bath thing really helped for us as it seemed to bring back his rooting instinct, and if you can, spend all day skin to skin too! Not too great if you get unexpected visitors or the postman calls, but will really get LO back on boobs!
Oh and the supplemental feeder is brilliant - made sure he didn't get frustrated early on while the supply was still low and meant we could keep working on his latch.
Good luck!
Hxx
xx