Hi, new with a decision to make and some questions, sorry so long!

I have some questions and this may be long...sorry.

First, my DS is just over 3 months old and I stopped breastfeeding when he was 3 weeks old. He was diagnosed with reflux, a milk protein intolerance, and a soy allergy and is currently on Alimentum Advance. I, myself, have been home with him but on August 21st, I start my seior year of college. I will be gone from the house for 2 hours on MWF and gone for 7 hours on Tuesday and Thursday, oh, and another 3 hours in the evening on W...a late once a week class.

I know it's going to be really hard to try and I'm wondering if I even should try. I really have an effort with breastfeeding when he was born and I gave up b/c of his allergies and b/c I was so frustrated that I was crying whenever we attempted to nurse. Another problem we had was that my milk supply was low and my letdown was too slow to satisfy my son. Nursing was a huge ordeal for us. He'd latch on for a few minutes, nurse, then break off screaming, and repeat this for at least an hour when we nursed.

I'm concerned that I'll end up feeling even more guilty if I try and fail, yet I'm going to feel really guilty if I don't at least try. Also, my partner says he'll support whatever decision I make, yet I get the impression that he'd rather we just continue with formula, since he says that if trying is making me too frustrated, he's going to ask me to stop. I'm also concerned about the time commitment. I can't put off school this semester and I'm taking as low a course load as possible (I'm on financial aid probation and if I don't make up 2 units by this semester, they drop ALL my financial aid forever...and I need it to finish).

I plan to call the lactation consultant I was seeing before and speak to her as well as my son's ped about this on Monday.

Here are my questions:

With my son's diet restrictions, what do I need to cut out of my diet?

What is the time commitment looking like?

Any other tips that might help in my situation?

And lastly, is it worth trying? If you were in this situation, would you try?

Thanks, ladies, and sorry so long.

__________________
Jen
Mama to Nate 05/03/06
And 3 angels (01/07, 09/07, 01/08)
Expecting #2...dating u/s 3/19/2008

Hi,
As someone who has 3 kids and did not nurse 2 of them due to latching and supply issues, I would not try. You will need a solid block of time to relactate and your schedule does not seem like it will accommodate that starting in 9 days. If you had frustration with latching on before, you'll have just as much now since he is used to a bottle and isn't going to want to go back to a more labor intensive way to eat.

I am now nursing my son and he is almost a year but it took 2 other attempts before I was successful with nursing. I felt bad to some extent and really wanted to breastfeed my kids but it just didnt' work out. With my second, she latched on fine but I had supply issues and my milk didn't come in until 8 days after she was born. We supplemented after day 3 because she was hungry and once my milk started coming in, we tried to nurse again but she wanted nothing to do with it since the bottle was easier for her and she got what she wanted faster and easier. I was disappointed but I knew that she would grow just fine on formula.

As far as your diet goes, if you were to go back to breastfeeding, you'd need to eliminate most milk products from your diet. Whatever has milk proteins in it that can pass to him. His soy allergy means you would need to avoid any food with soy-anything in the ingredients. With that restrictions, you would need to carefully plan your meals to provide you enough nutrition for you and him as well as to avoid his allergy foods.

If you are determined to try, then I'm sure it can be done but it will be a lot of work. I personally, wouldn't try.

Relactation is a LOT of work, and I agree it doesn't sound like you'd have the time to do it. You can't go at it half-effort. It has to be full on, full blown, or it won't happen.

I think that's your biggest problem, not the baby. Three weeks was really way early in the process to have made any long term conclusions about your son's latch or general nursing behaviors. The first six weeks are usually complete chaos and no patterns emerge until later. What's true today is likely false tomorrow in those early weeks.

You can certainly try. I wouldn't embark on any elimination diets as all of those things seem more related to formula than breastmilk (reflux, milk protein sensitivity, etc.) While milk proteins in the mother's diet do go through to the baby, it's typically not in enough amounts to affect the baby.

Keep in mind your baby is now three months old. That's an entire lifetime from 3 weeks old. What was true then is not likely to be the same now.

Good luck no matter what you decide.

If you end up having any more children and you want to breastfeed them (and if you're considering relactating, I can only assume you'd be likely to attempt to breastfeed any future children), I highly suggest trying to get to that magic 6-8 week period before making any firm conclusions... What's an ordeal at 2 weeks is typically nothing at all by the time your baby hits two months old. I always suggest mothers go into those first weeks expecting things to be absolute and total chaos.

__________________

I've run the gambit to be able to breastfeed. I've done suppliamental feeding systems to avoid nipple confusion when suppliamenting was necessary, I've taken fenugreek, blessed thistle and domperidone to increase my insufficient supply, I've pumped after every feeding for days in a row even when they were only 1.5 hrs apart to begin with.........and I know the guilt you speak of when contemplating whether going with formula is just easier.

Even I don't think I'd try in your situation. At some point you just have to accept that it's more important that you feed the baby rather than what you feed the baby. My first two grew strong and heathy on formula after the first early weeks of trying to nurse.......yours will too.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Shannon

__________________

Why don’t you consult your doctor. That may help.