Babble

I have a 3-week old son.  So far, he has a habit of falling asleep at the breast and taking his sweet time nursing.  I've been combating this habit by switching sides frequently, changing his diapers, rubbing his cheeks, and tickling his feet.  Our nursing sessions last anywhere between 45-minutes (when he isn't very hungry) to 2 hours.  Ouch. 

Because he still takes so long to nurse, which results in incredible soreness, I've been resorting to pumping as much as possible (every 2-3 hours) in order to ensure my supply increases.  I'm also taking Fenugreek and drinking as much water as possible.  Because I've been pumping so often, I've been able to measure my supply...it isn't adequate and I've had to supplement with formula once a day for the past few days. 

Recently I had a medical procedure that required me to waste my milk for 24 hours.  It was SUCH a relief to know that I wouldn't have to struggle to ensure that my guy would have enough milk (3-6 ounces) when he awoke.  My issue is that I very badly want to nurse/provide breastmilk for my baby.  I'm not sure where this self-imposed pressure is coming from, but I cannot help but feel REALLY inadequate for not being able to do so without supplementing. 

 With all this said, I am in no way condemning anyone that opts to use formula.  As parents, we all strive to do what is best for our kids, and what is best for one isn't always best for another. 

How long did it take those of you who breastfed to get up to speed with your baby, or did you not have any issues?  When can I expect to have an adequate supply?  Do any of you have any tips for me in this regard?  Thank you for your help!

Wow - half of your posting is the same as mine under "trouble nursing" - I'm much worse off than you: I have to give him 3 oz of formula at every feeding. I'm on a second round of Reglan now, because of how lazy my son has gotten at eating - falling asleep, etc. I got so mad, I'd stop before he was finished. It was worst in the night, so my husband feeds him formula at night (he works nights and I work days) and I just pump a couple of times at night.

I've just come to accept that I'm not enough (he is a huge baby), but it's still hard. A saner woman would give up, especially since I can't eat dairy (or peanut butter) because of him.

 Worse, when he is eating well, he hits or throws himself around sometimes. And those nails!

But on the other hand, I don't want to give up the closeness with him when it is good - it's just a wonderful feeling, especially if I lay down and we feed on our sides - that's a great feeling. I'm just not willing to let it go yet, and I'll understand if you aren't either. But I'll also understand if you pay it in a go all formula. Try the Reglan first, though, and maybe Mother's Milk tea from Traditional Medicinals before you feed your son - it might help the let-down. You might even invest in a supplemental nursing system - small tubes deliver formula at the breast to encourage him to stay latched on and stimulate more milk. But it is a slow way to do it, but it keeps him from getting used to bottles. Beware - mine cost $53, but there's a cheaper single-use one you can try that's cheaper.

Good luck, and feel better knowing you're not the only one.

We have the same issue with the nails/hitting/throwing during "good" feedings.  My poor guy gets so fired up about eating, he winds up scratching the crap out of his face. 

I will have to check out your original posting...I'm sorry I missed it.  How old is your son?  I really commend you for all your efforts and not giving up despite everything you have to do to continue to have that cloesness with your son.  It's good to know I'm not alone; on the other hand, it seems like every mother I know had absolutely none of these issues while nursing.  Your advice/encouragement helps, though.  Thanks so much. 

He's 3 months - I didn't catch how old yours is, either. My goal is getting to 6 months, although still not sure whether I'll really want to let him go.  

Check out the La Leche League website (www.llli.org/WebUS).  I used the information available online to deal with thrush and colic.  There are also links to each state that you can use to find local support.  Perhaps going to a meeting would give you the chance to discuss your concerns in person with someone who really understands and can make suggestions. 

Keep trying!  I'm pretty sure there are things you can do to make nursing work, but don't feel guilty if you've done all you can!  Your babies will be fine either way.  The most important thing is for you to enjoy this time as much as you can.

Keep us posted!

 Hi, I was ready to throw in the towel at about 3 weeks also.   My son would nurse forever.  I think just about the same as yours.  I have come to the conclusion that he took so long to nurse because he is tongue tied (which I did not know until he was 3 yrs).  My daughter, second child, nursed much more quickly.  I would definitely check out his tongue.  
How do you know you're not producing enough milk?  Is your son gaining weight?  I never had any luck with pumping, but I had plenty of milk when they nursed.  I really don't think you can conclude that your supply isn't adequate by measuring what you can pump.  My girlfriend nursed her 3 kids for 6 months each and never could fill a bottle by pumping either.
I would recommend reading The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, it gave me so much encouragement when I was ready to give up.  Definitely hang in there, this is the absolutely hardest time.  After about 3 months it is such a breeze.  Way easier than making bottles, (and washing bottles).  Good luck and don't give up.

I'd say don't worry so much about judging how much he is getting by the pumping amount.  Babies get more than you can pump and he's very young, he doesn't need so much at one time.  His tummy is very small.  As long as he is gaining weight, he's fine. 

 My son is 8 months old and I'm a working mom.  I do supplement with formula because I can't pump enough at work to supply him through the day.  When I was home the first 3 months, I nursed almost exclusively, but there were times when I just needed a break and I supplemented.  I also feel the need to stick it through.  I wasn't sure at first how long I would nurse.  I hoped for at least 6 months.  Now I thinkI can make it until he's a year old and can drink cow's milk. He's a late teether, so we'll see how I do when his teeth come in.  When the time comes, I will miss the nursing part, but I won't miss pumping.  It's quite tedious.

 Part of the problem probably comes from the fact that he has a milk protein allergy, so he was screaming his head off and acting like he wasn't getting enough food - that's how I know (think?) he's not getting enough. Because of the milk allergy, he wasn't gaining weight - e went from 75th percentile to 25th percentile in 5 weeks, but he';s back up to 75th now, so I'm realizing I've probably trained him to take so much. But even with whatever I can feed him and 3 extra ounces of formula, he can only go 2 1/2 hours between feedings.

While I'm at work, hubby feeds him 5 ounces, usually but I think the thickness of the formula sort of makes up for whatever more I'm giving him.

I too pump at work, and will eventually miss bf, but not the pumping.

The La Leche website was a huge help, and I think there's a lot I can do to increase my supply, including going ahead and pumping 15 minutes after I feed him. It won't happen often, but a couple times I've had to cut feeding short, or he was falling asleep on me, so I went ahead and pumped and got some - wasn't expecting that. Going to keep trying it.

steffmarcusky, just wanted to put a word of encouragement in.  My son is a year now but nursed every 2 hours until he was about 4 months, then stretched out feeding to all of 3 hours - if I was lucky.  He has ranged from 25-40 percentile weight wise but is happy and healthy.  So, it is quite possible that there really isn't any problem with your supply.  It's so hard to tell and you can really drive yourself crazy worrying about it.  But it's important to remember that some babies have faster metabolisms and some are slower.  Now that my son is eating solids I'm amazed at how much he can put down (in addition to nursing) but he is still a little guy when you look at the growth charts.  Anyway, my point is that frequent nursing doesn't necessarily mean supply is low.  Hang in there - it does get easier.  (At least it did for me.)

It's very true about the frequency of feedings--not all babies can go as long as some experts suggest.  My daughter nursed every hour and a half for about three months.  I tried stetching out the feedings to two hours, thinking she would nurse longer if I pushed a little, but for a couple days, she started crying at an hour and a half and didn't nurse any longer than usual.  I gave that up and went back to nursing on demand.  My daughter is nearly 11 months old now, and she still nurses as often as every 3-4 hours in addition to eating solids.

It's also very true that pumping is no indication of how much milk you have.  My lactation consultant said that because I'm constantly producing, by infant could have nursed almost constantly, and there would have been some milk available at all times. 

Try to listen to your baby.  I firmly believe that they know what they need. 

You're doing just fine!  Unless you need to store up a supply, take a break from the pumping right now (you've got plenty to deal with besides that).  It's perfectly normal for baby to want to nurse frequently and for a longer time.  They get a lot of comfort from that, even after their tummy is full.  Very important to keep in mind:  what you pump is NOT reflective of what your baby actually gets.  Baby will always be able to get more milk from you than a pump.

So keep nursing on cue, switch breasts after baby falls asleep (so that baby gets all the good hindmilk, try to get a full feed on just one side - one breast is the entree, the other is dessert :)  ).  The pattern you're describing is exactly what my little guy did, and I have always had a great supply.  It doesn't sound like you have a need to supplement at all - 6-8 wet/poopy diapers a day with just breastfeeding means you're doing just fine!

Some great resources: www.kellymom.com and www.askdrsears.com

Hi Fergylergy -

I would highly recommend seeing a lactation consultant - does the hospital where you had your baby provide any support in that manner?  My baby took forever to nurse and I ended up with cracked & bleeding nipples.  We went to a lactation consultant and she was diagnosed with a weak suck.  We've been down an 8-week long road of breastfeeding, pumping, supplementing with formula and occupational therapy (just little stretching and strengthening exercises for her mouth) - but I am now successfully breastfeeding exclusively.

Your baby may have no issues at all, but at the very least a lactation consultant can reassure you that everything's fine and you're right on track.  It looks to me like you've gotten very good advice in all the previous replies as well.  Hang in there!! 

hi there, My daughter is now 14 months old and I breastfed up until 7 months.  It took me at least 2 months to really get to grips with breastfeeding, after the initial pain and cracks, then I got nipple thrush twice, which affected my supply etc.  BUT I carried on because like you I really wanted to do it.  so good for you - that is half the battle.  You will provide what your baby needs.  I know of tiny women who have breastfed 9lb newborn babies. My baby was tiny so she had to feed less but more regularly.  It's all individual, much like each baby.  All I can say is keep going, hang in there, it's worth it for you and your baby.  I credit the fact that my daughter has had one cold since birth to breastfeeding.  Every bottle fed baby I know of has been prone to far more illnesses - I'm not putting down bottle feeding at all, but it's just my take on it. I'm a big fan of breastfeeding - so much cheaper and easier!  So keep going, you're doing a grand job.  And if you can find the time to post on here with a 3 week old baby in your arms then you're a super mum already!

PS there is a great new website with loads of articles etc on it about everything to do with parenthood, motherhood, babies etc - gurgle it's called.  might be worth checking it out x