my baby is not taking breast feed please help?

Question

my baby was kept in NICU for 3 days after birth and got used to feeder. When they discharged him, i tried to give him breast feed but he started crying always. I tried very hard for hours but he is not taking it. so i used breast feeding nipples. From those nipples aswell he sucks for few minutes n then starts crying. I started extracting milk manually through hand pump and started giving him. Now he is 17 days old and i am still trying to breast feed him but he cries and as soon as i give him bottle he starts drinking. i need help as i want to breast fed him.
Thanks

Answer 1

It is going to take some time and effort, but it is well worth it. First thing I would do is find a lactation consultant in your area and set up an appointment. The help that I received from a LC was awesome and it helped me get the hang of breastfeeding. Also I would go to La Leche League group meetings. You can get some wonderful advice there as well. Good Luck and don't give up!

Answer 2

Try pumping your breasts just long enough to draw out the nipples and get a letdown. Then offer him the breast. He may be more willing to nurse as he'll get a quicker reward this way.

Consider discontinuing the bottles and offer any supplements/pumped milk with a spoon, soft cup (like comes with Pepto Bismol), medicine dropper or oral syringe instead. Then he'll need to meet his sucking needs at the breast.

Have a lot of skin to skin contact with him.

Try nursing him when he is not quite awake.....he might not realize and latch on.

Offer a bit of expressed milk right before offering him the breast. (spoon, cup, dropper, syringe as above) This might help take the edge off his hunger and make him more willing to cooperate with nursing.

Have someone stand behind you with a medicine dropper and drop a little milk across your nipple into the corner of his mouth as you try to latch him. The taste may help him remember what he is supposed to be doing.

Contact a Lactation Consultant or a La Leche League Leader for help. A LLL Leader will probably be willing to visit you at home and will help you for FREE!!!!!

Answer 3

i had a semi-inverted nipples, CS delivery, and very small supply of breastmilk and had the same problem. as i really wanted to breast-feed my baby when we came home from the hospital, i tried very hard to breast feed him. i felt devastated because the baby cried a lot and didn't want to feed on me. so i went to mixed feeding. i spent most of the time lying beside the baby and have him sucked my breast everytime he moves or is awake. when i feel that he still needs more or if my breastfeeding doesn't make him sleep i give him about 2 ounces of formulated milk. It took me more than a month to have my supply enough to satisfy my baby. i continued with the mixed feeding until he was a year old and this also helped me weaned him when i came back to work.

just be patient, breastmilk is really good not only for your baby's nutrition but also for your mother-baby relationship.

Answer 4

Be patient and don't let yourself get frustrated. My girls were both difficult too. (my son latched on like their was no tomorrow) Keep on doing what you are doing try the breast first if he becomes upset with that pump, atleast he is getting the nurishment from the breast milk like that. You might want to purchase a better pump one that does not make you do all the work. Good Luck hope he takes up with the breast.

Answer 5

well your baby just prefers the easier way of being fed. breast fed babies usually take up to 6 weeks nothing but the breast in order to establish good nursing skills. nursing for a baby is alot harder than just sucking on a nipple attatched to the bottle. it takes alot more sucking power and sucking action. im not sure how to get your baby to prefer the breast over bottle do you have a wic office near? you can call them they have breast feeding conslers and they should be able to help. but im pretty sure your baby just prefers the bottle over the breast. i have nursed 2 babies and am 37 wks and will nurse this one when she gets here

Answer 6

Maybe try a breast feeding group in your area as they`re always very helpful and can give hints but best advice to you is to keep trying be patient and calm it will work!

Answer 7

you might not be able to. i think they call it nipple confusion. truth is it's much easier for them to eat from a bottle. they don't have to work hard to get the milk or formula.you may have to pump and let the baby drink from the bottle. you can try asking the nurse for any ideas on getting him to latch on. good luck

Answer 8

this is slightly difficult!!!!
One way to get your baby from not taking the bottle is to keep trying to give him the breast. You are going to have to keep trying to give him your breast and if he does not accept then don't give him the bottle. Keep trying to give him your breast and then eventually he will take becuase he wants to eat. It is going to be difficult to hear your baby cry because he wants the bottle so be prepared to have your heart ripped out a few times!!!

Answer 9

Be persistant and patient ~ it will happen but until then you need to pump to keep up your supply or you will have a whole new problem. If this keeps up contact a lactation consultant ~ the hospital you had him at should have one on staff and she will be more than happy to help you, her help and advice should be free.

Answer 10

Did they help you at all at the hospital?
Contact an LC or LaLeche League ( I hear that they will come to your house) and they will help you and your baby. I commend you for your determination.