Is it a little 2 late? brest feeding?

Question

ok so i love the fact that i can feed my child or well that i should be able 2... at first in the hosp- i got him to eat but he got really mad as if iwasn'tt give-n him all the food he wanted so i went to a bottle :( it hurt to see him cry and i knew what it was... then after that as you can tell he has a hard time when i try to feed him he likes the bottle better! but i still want to brest feed.... it makes me feel better and more happy when i seeI'mm eat from the bottle it hurts and makes me want to cry! but i did it... andI'mm just not sure what to do to get him back to the brest... is it a little 2 late? or is there still hope? what can i do to get him back to my brest?

Answer 1

Sorry don't know cause I haven't had to go through that, but I think you should call the lactation consultants.  I have heard there are things you can do and they can teach you.  Give them a call.  Hope all works out.

Answer 2

How old is your baby?  If he's still a newborn, it's definitely NOT too late.  If he's several months old or more, it will be more difficult, but even then you could still relactate if you really want to and are willing to make the effort.

If he's nursing at all, just keep nursing.  Offer the breast at every feed and encourage him to nurse.  (Try expressing a little milk first to encourage let-down, so he gets immediate rewards for his effort.) Pump after feedings to help get your supply up. If you must continue to supplement for a while (and you probably will if he's been getting a lot of bottles), try offering them in ways other than by bottle. You can offer formula or pumped milk with a tube or syringe. You could also get a nursing supplementer than tapes to your breast, so baby gets supplements while he nurses.

I would definitely recommend getting in touch with a lactation consultant.  She can help you get baby back on the breast, and provide with things you need for supplementing, like the abovementioned tubes and nursing supplementers.  She can also decide if something like a nipple shield might be helpful.  

Good luck, and good for you for wanting to do this.  Getting baby back on the breast isn't easy, but it is SO good for baby.

Answer 3

Call a lactation consultant for help. You don't mention how old the child is. If you are within the first few weeks, you can probably continue to breastfeed with the help of a lactation consultant.

Answer 4

I agree call a lactation consultant, I had the same problem with my daughter I couldn't get her to latch on so I used what was called a nipple shield for the first couple of weeks then after that i no longer needed it. Congrats on your lil' one

Answer 5

Its never too late to get a baby back to breastfeeding

"My Baby Just Doesn't Get It"  

http://www.normalfed.com/Help/babyget.ht...

Relactation and Adoptive Breastfeeding: The Basics

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relact...

Answer 6

A couple things happened that are quite normal.  In the first few days after birth your b*****s produce colostrum, a nutrient rich and antibody filled pre-milk.  It is not a large quantity and can result in a nursing baby's need to eat frequently, even as often as 1-2 hours around the clock taking as much as 45-60 minutes per nursing session.  The frequent need to nurse often makes new moms (as well as helpful grandmas and relatives) think they don't have enough to feed their baby so begin to supplement with formula.  It is an understandable desire to assure your baby gets enough to eat.  Unfortunately, supplementing with formula does several things, one of which you have found obvious.  The effort it takes to suck formula from a bottle is considerably less work than it takes to nurse from mom's breast.  Some babies, if given the option, will hold out for the easier method.  Then, the more you supplement with formula, the less breast milk your body will sense it needs to produce.  Breast milk production is based on "supply and demand".  The more your baby demands (i.e. nurses) the more your b*****s will supply.  The wonderful, amazing thing about a woman's body is that it can easily step up to the task of producing all the milk your baby needs if you make sure you either frequently nurse your baby or pump.  You can increase your milk production and get your baby off formula by setting aside a few days (it may even take a week) to do some heavy-duty nursing.  It will seem like your baby is attached to you 24/7, but it will be worth it in the end.  Set up a little nursing nest complete with a comfy chair, a foot stool, pillows, the phone, plenty to drink, a basket/cooler of healthy snacks and whatever else you may need to be comfortable for up to an hour at a stretch.  Then, sit back, put your feet up, get comfortable, and nurse your baby as long and as often as he wants to.  Establishing your milk supply as well as establishing a nursing routine that makes both you and your baby happy and comfortable can take 6-8 weeks to accomplish.  If your baby is younger than 8 weeks than experiencing nursing difficulties are quite common.  If you were happy with the lactation consultant at the hospital you delivered at then give her a call for advice and tips.  There are other lactation consultants as well through other organizations such as La Leche League or try this website to find a consultant in your area http://www.breastfeeding.com/directory/l...  If your baby is over 3 months you may need some professional assistance, but if he can latch on and suck properly than it will probably just take some time and energy to get things worked out.  Don't give up, it's hard, but you can do it.  This will be the hardest, but if you can prevent from giving him any bottles, the process will probably be shorter although maybe more intense.  His cries may make you buckle, but try not to do it.  If your baby doesn't seem to be nursing as often as every 2 hours then try pumping if you have a breast pump.  This will encourage your production as well as put away some of that "liquid gold" for when you want to go out for a couple hours (in will keep in the deep freeze for about 6 months).  Count the hours from when you begin 1 nursing session until you begin the next - if it takes your baby 45 minutes to empty both b*****s then it will only be 1 hour 15 minutes until he may be ready to eat again - perfectly normal).  You may want to make sure you either feed your baby or pump an ounce or 2 every 2 hours around the clock for a few days.  Milk production is continuous so if you pump and then 1/2 hour later your baby wakes up hungry, you'll have milk to feed him.  If you are going to pump, you can cool the breast milk to room temperature than put it in the refrigerator.  At the next pumping, cool to room temperature and add to the first pumped milk.  When you have 3-4 ounces then put in a freezer container, label with the date of the first pumping and put it either in your refrigerator freezer (where it's good for 3 months) or in a deep freezer (where it's good for 6 months).  In the refrigerator, breast milk will keep for 7 days.  Breast milk will look different at different pumpings and will probably separate in storage.  Just swirl it gently under warm running water and it will heat and mix just fine.