Hey everyone, my baby is 8 days old. In the beginning she cried all the time, because she wasn't getting enough. We were VERY exhausted, because all she would do is cry. My nipples were cracked, and they started to get infected so we decided to supplement with formula.

They are all healed now, and I really want to breastfeed her. When I give her my breast, she sucks for a while, and then she gets frustrated,and begins to shake her head, and cries. This is when I stop, because she won't latch on anymore. My breasts are drying up quickly now because of this, and I really don't know what to do, other than give her a bottle after she get's frustrated.

Does anyone have any ideas on how i could get her back on the breast?

I had the same problem with my DD...Are you pumping? That was my problem if you are not pumping you need to be to keep up your supply and try feeding when you know your baby is hungry...that worked for me but just for a few weeks b/c I didn't pump to keep my supply coming in...Now I know to get a good pump for the next baby and to try not to give the baby a bottle as long as I can... just the breast. I think the bottle confused my DD and made it hard for her to lach back to me.

__________________

Hi, thanks for your reply. No i haven't been pumping. I don't hahve one. So, how did you get your DD (what does that stand for anyway? I'm new) back on the breast?

Are you saying that we should cut her off the bottle completly? I don't know if i have the heart to do that. Knowing that she is crying from hunger, when I can be filling her tummy just breaks my heart

first off, congratrs on youe dd (darling daughter; dear daughter etc).

secondly, the first rule, feed the baby. it is best if it is exclusively at the breast, but obviously that isn't the only to do it.

can you get a pump? are you eligible for wic?

to get the baby back on the breast, you don't need to cut her off the bottle completely, but the more bottles she gets before she gets good at latching onto a real nipple, the harder it will be and the longer it will take. if after she nurses for a little while, she is still frustrated , and you think she is stil hungry, give her the supplement (the best supplement is your milk, but whatever you need to use is fine). aBUT i would advise doing it without a fake nipple. there are lots of other ways to supplement, a syringe, medicine droper, eyedroopper, cup, spoon, etc. even a newborn can be cupfed. in countries where bf is the norm, if a little one is in the nicu and needs supplemnted with their mother's milk (or another mother's) the nurses cupfeed the tiny babies. this way, when they are released from the hospital, breastfeeding goes more smoothly.

also, i would suggest trying to nurse well before you think the baby is hungry, as that way she isn't frantic and instantly frustrated if there isn't l;ots of milk right away. you can also try hand expressing just a little to get the milk flowing before latching her on.

make sure she has a really wide opened mouth, and that she isn't latching onto you like she would a fake nipple..

she should be nursing very frequently, babies who are nursed are pretty much always on the breast in the beginning (or at least it feels like it) this is completely normal.

the more often your nurse (or pump or express at the very minimum) the more milk will be made, as it is a siupply and demand process.

also, are you on ANY medications? some medications can reduce milk supply.

if it is truly a supply problem, you can get it built back up with frequent nursing, and there are also hernal galactogogues you could use, or prescription galactogogues.

is there anywhwere cloe you could rent a good electric breastpump to get some stimulation until you can get the latching problem taken care of?

do you have the number of a *GOOD* local breastfeeding support person or a board certified lc? if not, let me know your location, and i'll help you find one.

latching problems are usually pretty easy to solve in person by an experienced professional. i can't do much for you on the computer except give you info, whereas in person i could watch and likely pinpoint the problem.

__________________

info about renting/buying a good pump: Where to Find Medela Products and Breastfeeding Specialists


nipple confusion:
Nipple Confusion - Medela


alternative feeding devices:
this is my preferred one, it is what my mother in law used to feed my daughter my expressed milk when i had to have emergency surgery: SoftFeeder - Medela

the reason i like them best is because there is no sucking to confuse the baby like there is with a bottle.

these are supplemental nurser systems: Starter Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) - Medela Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) - Medela

they work by letting the baby nurse frmo you, and if necessary delivering a supplement to the baby through the tube (the tube goes in the mouth along with your breast) and the baby gets the flow like they would with a bottle.

kellymom.com :: Alternative Feeding Methods

there are also nipple shields which are useful in some cases where the baby is looking for somethign like a fake nipple since that is what they've gotten used to.

lots of links that may be helpful for you:

kellymom.com :: Newman :: When the baby refuses to latch on

kellymom.com :: Newman :: Finger Feeding

kellymom.com :: Help -- My Baby Won't Nurse!


i need to go, or i won't get my exercise in before i hafta get ready for evening service, but i'll be back tomorrow. these links are likely enough to keep you busy for a bit.

__________________

Love the advice from Mom2tig! I would not just stop the bottleing feeding...I feed my DD with both then she got back on the breast then she would just push me away...I wish I knew about this site and all the books and people where out there to help me but I ended up just formula feeding...now I know alot more than I did...call the hospital where you gave birth and they should have a lactation nurse, they do here in GA not sure if every state has that, and the advice from Mom2tig is great! Congrats on the DD and I hope you found something that works for the both of you.

__________________

BFing is like a supply and demand, if your baby is crying because she is not getting enough, your body will only produce more milk if your baby is sucking at your breast, and if you offer a baby that young a bottle it is very easy to get nipple confusion, I would not offer the baby bottles at all. I had to teach my 2 week old DD how to BF because she was in the NICU for 2 weeks, and it was the hardest thing I ever did, but I set my mind that it was going to be my only option and she never had a bottle. Bottles leak out faster and babies get lazy when offerd a bottle and get upset and angry when you give them the breast since they have to work harder to nurse. Keep trying, you can totally do it. Have you tried nipple shield? I do not normally recommend those, but in your case it may be vital. You also need a double electric pump and you need to pump after your baby nurses each time for 10 minutes or so. You need to call your local LLL and LC for an appt. Drink lots of water, take your prenatals, and don't give up, nurse, nurse, nurse! You CAN do this, but you need to act fast before you damage your milk supply.

__________________

if you change your mind, relactation is possible. it is a lot of work, but it is very doable. lmk if you want more info on it.

__________________