Is my baby confused? (tired Mom needs help)

Question

I had breast reduction surgery (nipple relocated and 3lbs removed). At the time I didn't plan on having any more babies, but plans change.

I've been trying to breast feed my little girl, but she's hungrier than what my "snack packs" (my new name for them) can provide. I'm supplementing her with Similac and now she's NOT a very happy camper. She cries and tugs at my b*****s and screams while being offered the bottle. I know this is nipple confusion, but I'm at a loss as to how to fix it... Do I stop breast feeding and maybe get a pump to add some of my milk to formula or will this nipple confusion work itself out? She just cried herself to sleep and it breaks my heart to see her in discomfort. She's 10 days old, btw.

Any advice is appreciated.

Answer 1

My baby girl, 4 months, does the exact same thing with me and it's extremely frustrating. I make enough milk and I know it's not nipple confusion as she absolutely refuses to take a bottle with either breastmilk or formula in it. For us, I've come to the conclusion that I have a very strong letdown, which my daughter likes, but doesn't want to work to get the rest of the milk out. Needless to say, I've spent hours online looking for what could be the root of the problem and how to fix it. Everything I researched said a baby who fusses at the breast like that either wants the quick milk a letdown provides, is being choked by a strong letdown or has some issue like thrush that makes breastfeeding painful for them.

So, to me, as long as the last two are ruled out, it sounds like your daughter wants more milk, but she's not getting it, either because you're not producing as much as she wants/needs or because she too doesn't want ot work for it. To top it off, your daughter, since she's 10 days old, is probably going through a growth spurt and wanting even more milk than normal. Every time my kids went through one they got fussier during the day/night and while eating and wanted to eat constantly.

To help fix the problem, you do need to stop supplementing as the more you supplement the less you make. Since your girl doesn't seem to want the bottle this may be the perfect time to try and boost your supply.

To do so, offer your breast much more frequently than you would normally, every hour even, and let her go as long as she will. Continue the feed session by pumping your b*****s once your daughter is done until a couple minutes after the last drops of milk come out of your b*****s. If you get some out, try giving that to her as well. If not, over the course of the next few days, your milk should start to increase.

One side note of caution, keep a close eye on your daughter's urine output to make sure she is still having enough wet diapers just in case it really is a supply issue. As long as she's having several a day, you can overlook the fussiness of her feeding while you increase your supply, but if the number of them drop you have to supplement as you don't want to dehydrate or starve her.

I would also recommend taking fenugreek supplements. When my girl started screaming at the breast I too wondered if it was a supply issue so I tried fenugreek and it really does work to boost supply even if you are left with maple syrup smelling pee and sweat. :) It actually made me so engorged I quit using it and realized that supply really wasn't an issue for us. You can get it at most health food stores and some grocery stores in the US, including Whole Foods.

I would recommend contacting the la leche league for help as well, however, try contacting someone local to you as I desperately emailed the contact email they provided on their web site about our issues and never received a response. :(

Check out the links below -- they have a lot of information about growth spurts, how to breastfeed through one of them, how to tell if baby's fussiness is a supply issue or something else, if it is low supply how to increase it, etc. Also some info. on fenugreek.

Good luck!

ETA: Just realized you mentioned not having a pump. You could rent a hospital grade one for a few weeks until your supply is matched out with your daughter's needs. I rented one for about $40 a month with my first child. Or, I highly recommend the Medela Pump In Style pump. A little pricey but it gets out almost as much milk as the hospital grade ones, it just takes a little longer.

Answer 2

It will make it more confusing for her if you are always switching between breast and bottle.  Try just one for a while and see if it works.  If you express milk and just waste it or put it away for later then your body will start to produce more.  Even if you only waste an oz a day!

Answer 3

You are going about it in all the wrong ways!!

The more you supplement, the less you will make...your milk supply will go on how much is being taken..so the more being used..the more being made..you get me?

So...pump pump pump!!!! get her off the similac and breastfeed exclusively....you need to be more educated on the matter...

My newborn fed CONSTANTLY! it doesnt mean she isnt getting enough...just let her feed all day if she really wants to...it will get better i promise..

Please take it into consideration what i have said....breast is always best!!

Be persistant!!!

All the best x

Answer 4

I would talk to you dc about this one or your midwife someone who knows what they are talking about  

Answer 5

There is no way to know how much milk you will be able to produce and express until your milk comes in around the fourth day after birth.  The amount of milk you will have then will be dependent on the number of connected ducts and state of the nerves that affect lactation.  The glands connected to the ducts that were severed during the surgery will produce milk initially, but because the milk cannot get out, they will gradually stop making milk and will atrophy over the first two weeks.  You will probably experience the some engorgement as a result, in addition to the normal fullness when the milk comes in around the fourth day.  After the engorgement stage is over and the glands have atrophied, your milk production will be dependent on the glands connected to the intact ducts.  If they cannot produce enough milk initially, there is much that can be done produce more.

Answer 6

Talk it over with a professional and if it still isn't working for you switch to formula. Regardless of what some people think it's not the end of the world. I have two very happy and healthy children that were formula fed. I know you want to make a success of the breastfeeding, and rightly so, but if your little one is as distressed as you say, it may end up being the only option.

Answer 7

the tugging on your nipple means that she may not be getting the letdown or milk that she needs

I would stick to one or the other at the moment in order to stop the confusion

I have the medela swing pump and it is brilliant i can get the milk out of me to feed my son via bottle and he is satisfied

But when he feeds off of my b*****s he will suck for hours at a time and then he comes off and is happy but is screaming for food an hour later so he is just not satisfied when feeding directly off of me

Though you should go to a parenting centre i have been to learn how to feed properly and it got us to feed you may need some extra help die to the surgery

GOODLUCK i hope it all works out for you soon

Edit

Yeah at hospital the lactation consultant gave up on me and my son and said that there was nothing she could do to get my son to suck and that she had exhausted her resources pfffftttt lot of help that was

Ohhh i just had a thought

I hve to use a nipple shield have you tried them that is the only way we can get my son to latch

Goodluck again

Edit again  

Ok well a trick i used when my milk started to lapse is feed her on one side for 5 minutes or if your getting a pump go 5 minutes one side then five minutes the other then repeat it

It is a pain in the *** and they do cry while you are swapping them but you get better stimulation when you have let down on one side and then pump i dont know why but it works for me and i went from producing 80-100 ml from both b*****s to getting 260 ml

Gee youll be sick of my edits lol