nursing????

Question

my son is 3 weeks old and when he was born i nursed him until he was almost 2 weeks and it seemed like he wasnt getting enough, so i started giving him formula every now and then like his dr told me too. he is now getting used to the bottle and eating more and everytime i nurse him its becoming very painfull. i really want to nurse him, but my nipples are really sore sometimes i feel like crying it hurts that bad, and i know if i dont nurse him my milk will dry up. should i just give him the formula and forget about nursing? this didnt happen with my first child. which they weighed different. what should i do?????

Answer 1

I agree with Mystic Eye CDA too. I'd like to add that I've read in several sources that you should NOT use nipple shields, this method will discourage proper latch-on.
Also, try taking 2-3 capsules of Fenugreek each day to stimulate your milk production. This was recommended to me by the hospital when I had a similar problem & it worked for me.
Lastly, don't hesitate to call your hospital & ask the Lactation Consultant for help.

Answer 2

Please don't give up...you can do it! I hate it when I hear about doctors telling moms to feed formula. BF is based on supply and demand. The more formula you give a baby, the less milk you make. Unfortunately you probably didn't need to supplement in the first place. It's normal for a baby to eat constantly for the first 8-12 weeks or so. It can seem like they aren't getting enough to eat, but the reality is that breastmilk is very easily digested and a baby's stomach is the size of a walnut. It doesn't hold very much. The best way to get back on the ball with breastfeeding and to wean off the bottle is probably going to be a two fold approach. First, pumping and second when the baby is supplemented, use a SNS (supplemental nursing system) you can buy these cheap on Ebay or rent one from a hospital. This stimulates your breasts to produce at the same time teaching the baby how to latch on properly. There is a great site to find lots of help and answers here... http://www.mothering.com/discussions/
Go to "breastfeeding challenges" . Good luck!

Answer 3

i know what you mean. there was a point i had to stop nursing for 4 days because i was so ill. and when i started again it hurt my nipples really badly. plus she wasn't really wanting to nurse. it depressed me. but i went out and bought some nipple cream and applied it several times a day and kept going at it. there are many products out there for sore nipples for the nursing mom. they should be in the same aisle as the bottles. and the great thing is that you don't have to clean it off before breastfeeding.

also, i suggest when it's feeding time start with the breast, not the bottle. and try each side. i used to have to manually express a little breastmilk and rub it on my nipples (which works great for sore nipples too). i did this to help get her attention. but don't try too long. if he gets too fussy, he may not take the bottle either.

there's a website, not sure of it's name, but it's the la leache league, or something similar. they give wonderful advice on this type of stuff. and in some areas, they have people who can come directly to your home and help you work on this. it's great. over time, i breastfed my daughter strictly again. but it did take a couple weeks of trying and crying. good luck. i wish you all the best in the world.

oh and if you can't continue to nurse, don't feel bad. it's ok. formula feeding has it's benefits too. give yourself a big hug for at least trying. and another from me.

Answer 4

My daughter is going to be a week old tomorrow and the hospital told us to mix the breast milk with the formula if she was still hungry.

I was also having a problem with my daughter not latching on properly to my nipple and the lactation consultant in the hospital was trying to assist with the problem, well the 3 hours she spent pulling my daughter from my nipples left them sore and irritated to say the least.

When we got home from the hospital, I rented an electric pump(hospital grade) and trust me it is well worth it. My nipples are better after only 2 days of pumping, we can actually see how much food we are feeding her and if she wants extra food, we can mix the formula with the breast milk.

I am using the Medela brand breastfeeding bottle system, I love it, you can freeze, store, refrigerate, pump, and feed from the bottles. They are easy to clean and not expensive at all-I have not tried any other bottles since I was planning on breastfeeding when I got pregnant, and these were the only breastfeeding bottle systems I could find that were affordable.

Answer 5

Firstly fire your doctor and find one who knows about breastfeeding. Your son was likely getting more than enough milk, despite of any "signs" that he wasn't (like constant nursing, sucking his hands, fussiness etc). Not to mention the first 6 weeks are a constant growth spurt. Secondly, assuming he wasn't you should have been referred to a lactation consultant or La Leche League to work on the latch and other feeding issues rather than suppliment with formula. You need support, not formula. Formula is just easier from the doctors stand point.

The reason your breasts are hurting is because you son is getting used to sucking from a bottle, which he can just suck the skinny end bit. Which means he isn't going to latch on to your breast properly.

If I were you I would discontinue the bottle immediately. I would offer the breast often. Ever hour during the day, and at least every three at night. Pay VERY close attention to his latch. Try to get as much of the breast in as possible. Make sure his lips are curled out not in. There are lots of websites which pictures of a proper latch, find one that makes sense to you. If it hurts with each suck try moving him slightly. Although it will take some time to heal.

I would go and rent/buy a pump tomorrow. A hospital grade one (the kind you rent) is the best, and cheaper in the short run. If you are going to need a pump later on anyway it may be better to buy. While you are at the drugstore buy some largist syringes. Once you have the pump offer the breast often, but not necesarily on a schedule follow your babies cues. Pump every 3 hours for 15 mintues. If you need to top your baby up offer the expressed milk via the syringe.

See a lactation consultant and/or the La Leche League http://www.llli.org as soon as possible.

Also you should read this:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html#supply

And most of this:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html

Answer 6

That depends on what you really want to do. If nursing is something you had your heart set on and enjoy doing, DON'T stop! For one, it's (nutritionally) best for your baby, and if you decide to stop and then regret it after, there's no going back! Definately keep trying until you decide for sure what you want to do. I went through the same thing- my daughter just wanted the bottle and eventually refused to nurse altogether, and I was very sad. I wished I would've worked harder to build my supply of milk. You can take Fenugreek to help with the milk supply. For the meantime, I would suggest expressing the milk, pumping or nursing more often to relieve the discomfort. Trust me- I am VERY sensitive, and noone could convince me I would ever get used to the pain of nursing, but you DO get used to it. The more often you nurse, the easier/less painful it becomes. Good luck!

Maybe this site can help you further...

Answer 7

I feel for ya! I had the same problem with both of my children. With the first child (my son) I stuck it out for a month, then stopped nursing (he was liking the bottle better) because he never latched on right. With my second child (my daughter) I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to try with her, I waited 6 whole weeks with lots and lots of pain and crying and all of a sudden, she latched on. It was perfect! I nursed her for 11 months. You have to be patient with it. Im sure your baby will prefer breast over formula anyday :) But if it is too painful for you, I would gradually go towards the formula. A unhappy mommy=unhappy baby! Good Luck!!!! What ever you decide to do is the best decision!

Answer 8

are you eating enough? If there isn't enough calories in your milk, then it's like feeding your baby water, he will get most of the calories you eat, I had this problem, my family had me eating every time i walked by the fridge, and in a couple of days, breastfeeding was back on. On the sore nipples, ask your doctor about nipple cream, I don't remember the name of it but there's one that does help, and try breaking the suction with your finger, if you pull him off, it will make you really sore. If this hasn't helped the call back to the hospital where you gave birth and ask to speak to the lactation nurse. they will answer you question and maybe even see you even after you have been discharged

Answer 9

Nursing was painful for me my first few weeks until my nipples got used to it. Giving a baby that young a bottle when you are wanting to nurse is hard because the baby finds the bottle alot easier than nursing and won't want to go back and forth. Pump your milk to keep your supply up and if you have to give the baby breastmilk in the bottle then you will know how much he is getting. Good luck.

Answer 10

My suggestion would be to use Medela nipple shields (you can find these at babies r us, target, etc.). They're kind of a hassle, but I wouldn't have been able to breastfeed without them. I had trouble with my baby not getting enough milk, because she was having trouble latching on correctly. I had mastitis and was worried about her getting enough milk, and my pediatrician suggested trying these. These were a godsend. They're actually made to protect sore nipples, but it also gives the baby something more to latch on to. This might help your little one get use to nursing again and protect you at the same time. I used these for a couple of weeks, until my baby got use to it. It took a few days to wean her off of these; however she's almost six months now and loves to nurse. I hope this helps...Good luck!