Hi ladies,
Sorry, this is long!
I had trouble establishing nursing when my baby (1st) was born on 8/1. After a week of trying on my own, I called up a lactation consultant for help, because I couldn't get baby to latch on, and when I pumped (Avent Isis) I was only getting a half ounce.
The LC said I needed to increase my supply first, rented me the medela hospital-grade pump, and had me pump every 2 hours, take fenugreek, eat oatmeal, N/A Beer, chicken soup, etc. After 2 weeks, the most milk I could pump in a whole day was 12 ounces. The LC said if that's what I was getting, I wouldn't be able to exclusively breastfeed. So, I declined working with her to re-establish the latch, afraid we wouldn't be able to mix bottles and breast, and knowing that after that hellish 2 weeks I was emotionally and physically spent from caring for me, baby, and trying to pump so damn much.
When baby was 6 weeks, I returned the pump, but tapered gradually with my Avent Isis. When my milk was almost gone, I luckily reconnected with a friend who shared her experience with breastfeding. She didn't get her full milk supply in for 4 weeks, and said that she never achieved letdown with the pump. After talking to her, I wanted to try nursing again, to see if it was just that I needed baby at the breast.
Friday baby was trying to suck on my arm while I was preparing a bottle, so I pulled up my shirt to see if he would nurse. He latched on well and stayed on for 35 minutes!! After over 4 weeks with only bottles!!!
So I've put him on as much as possible and have still been giving him formula after he nurses. My breasts have gotten much bigger and he nurses well, taking in a lot of tissue and staying on each breast for usually between 10 and 30 minutes.
Right now I nurse first, then give formula after. The problem is that if I nurse for 45 minutes, then give the bottle, he stays full for a couple hours before wanting to nurse again, and I'm not having any luck getting milk out with the pump, so I'm not getting as much stimulation as I would if not giving formula. But, if I don't give him enough, he may get dehydrated or just not get enough calories. Right now I DON'T give formula at a couple of the feedings each day.
My main question is this: How do I know the best way to taper the formula off? I've read a bunch at Kellymom.com and the info there says to taper supplementation only 1 ounce at a time, but baby was being bottle-fed formula and EBM 100%, so I'm not really tapering from supplementation, but from total food. Baby was eating between 25 and 35 ounces of formula/EBM per day prior to re-establishing nursing. Since nursing, he's been taking about 18 ounces of formula per day in addition to nursing roughly 3-4 hours spread over about 6 nursing sessions.
How can I make sure he's getting enough total food, but also get him to more breast time to keep my supply going up/stable? I've read about counting wet diapers and whatnot, but it's really inexact. He's wetting 6+ diapers per day, but not super-heavily, and this is fewer wet diapers than he had when on 100% bottle. I don't have an accurate scale and don't want to pay for an office visit just to check his weight.
Do I have other options for making sure he's getting enough? Should I be doing this on my own, or should I be getting help from a lactation consultant? Given the cost of doing that, and my experience with the first LC, who was supposed to be really great, I'm a bit reluctant to hire anyone.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Questions? Sorry this got so long!!
Sorry, this is long!
I had trouble establishing nursing when my baby (1st) was born on 8/1. After a week of trying on my own, I called up a lactation consultant for help, because I couldn't get baby to latch on, and when I pumped (Avent Isis) I was only getting a half ounce.
The LC said I needed to increase my supply first, rented me the medela hospital-grade pump, and had me pump every 2 hours, take fenugreek, eat oatmeal, N/A Beer, chicken soup, etc. After 2 weeks, the most milk I could pump in a whole day was 12 ounces. The LC said if that's what I was getting, I wouldn't be able to exclusively breastfeed. So, I declined working with her to re-establish the latch, afraid we wouldn't be able to mix bottles and breast, and knowing that after that hellish 2 weeks I was emotionally and physically spent from caring for me, baby, and trying to pump so damn much.
When baby was 6 weeks, I returned the pump, but tapered gradually with my Avent Isis. When my milk was almost gone, I luckily reconnected with a friend who shared her experience with breastfeding. She didn't get her full milk supply in for 4 weeks, and said that she never achieved letdown with the pump. After talking to her, I wanted to try nursing again, to see if it was just that I needed baby at the breast.
Friday baby was trying to suck on my arm while I was preparing a bottle, so I pulled up my shirt to see if he would nurse. He latched on well and stayed on for 35 minutes!! After over 4 weeks with only bottles!!!
So I've put him on as much as possible and have still been giving him formula after he nurses. My breasts have gotten much bigger and he nurses well, taking in a lot of tissue and staying on each breast for usually between 10 and 30 minutes.
Right now I nurse first, then give formula after. The problem is that if I nurse for 45 minutes, then give the bottle, he stays full for a couple hours before wanting to nurse again, and I'm not having any luck getting milk out with the pump, so I'm not getting as much stimulation as I would if not giving formula. But, if I don't give him enough, he may get dehydrated or just not get enough calories. Right now I DON'T give formula at a couple of the feedings each day.
My main question is this: How do I know the best way to taper the formula off? I've read a bunch at Kellymom.com and the info there says to taper supplementation only 1 ounce at a time, but baby was being bottle-fed formula and EBM 100%, so I'm not really tapering from supplementation, but from total food. Baby was eating between 25 and 35 ounces of formula/EBM per day prior to re-establishing nursing. Since nursing, he's been taking about 18 ounces of formula per day in addition to nursing roughly 3-4 hours spread over about 6 nursing sessions.
How can I make sure he's getting enough total food, but also get him to more breast time to keep my supply going up/stable? I've read about counting wet diapers and whatnot, but it's really inexact. He's wetting 6+ diapers per day, but not super-heavily, and this is fewer wet diapers than he had when on 100% bottle. I don't have an accurate scale and don't want to pay for an office visit just to check his weight.
Do I have other options for making sure he's getting enough? Should I be doing this on my own, or should I be getting help from a lactation consultant? Given the cost of doing that, and my experience with the first LC, who was supposed to be really great, I'm a bit reluctant to hire anyone.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Questions? Sorry this got so long!!
