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Antheia you have always impressed me with your determination to get this one thing right :hug: I know what it's like to be in your shoes and it hurts so bad. Maybe give him some formula for tonight so you have a bit of a rest and tomorrow things might be clearer and give you a new energy to keep going. And you are NOT useless to them, you're their Mum and you love them so much you would do anything to make things go right :hug:
:hug:
I was going to say the same thing - take a break and sleep on it.
Oh hun, I have no idea about breastfeeding but I wanted to tell you that you really aren't useless :hug: You went through so much to grow your bubs, and you did a great job. Even now, if there turns out to be a problem that can't be fixed, it doesn't mean you've failed at all. Please try what the others have said, give him some formula tonight and get yourself some sleep, you'll feel so much better for it. :hug:
Sweetie, you're definitely not useless.
I could have written your last post myself. As much as I love breastfeeding my babies, I just don't seem to get it and my babies seem to lose weight. The only thing that worked for me was expressing.
Having said that, ask your ECHN if there is a breastfeeding clinic nearby. I went to a brilliant one at Wallsend hospital and they were so helpful and were the ones to confirm Anelise's tongue tie when no one else believed me. It is a free clinic. I know that Wallsend is probably too far for you to go to, but I am hoping there will be one nearby for you.
I can't give him any formula tonight cause its a public holiday in nsw today. Nothing open.
Oh hun, by the sounds of things, you are doing a fantastic job. Breastfeeding is hard. I have breastfed all of my babies, and I still find it hard, tiring and stressful. How has he been this afternoon? Still fussy? I know it's difficult with other kids around, but can you just sit on the lounge/bed (wherever) and just feed whenever he wants it. Or just cuddle him if he's restless.
But that is all i do every single bloody day. I sit in my room pretty much ignoring my family to get thing damn thing right. That is what i mean bu he is always on me. If he is awake then i offer him the boob. My whole life revolves around having a bby stuck to my chest. I have't been outside in weeks just so i can BF him. I don't see how i can offer it to him any more then i already am.
Antheia i have no advice but i couldnt read this and not post.. Please stop beating yourself up. You are doing an amazing job with your little ones and the early days are so hard.
Try and be kind to yourself
Antheia, I just wanted to give you a big :hug:. It sure is hard in those first few weeks. I remember one DS was on boob for 3.5 hours straight - I nearly went mad! Plus I didn't have any other chidlren to worry about. From what I can see you are doing an amazing job, good on you for trying so hard to get it right hun. You must be so tired, and that makes it even harder to think clearly. Whatever choice you make, I hope you feel better soo. Please remember you are doing your very best and your children know that and they love you!
Rach xx
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:comfort: honey you are NOT useless at all!!! Look at what your doing for your babies, your reaching out and asking for help. Please dont beat yourself up about this you are not a failure...far from it you are a bloody fantastic mum of 4 gorgeous kids.
Is there an emergency chemist open at all?
OK, if there isn't anything open - no biggie, just go on as you have for tonight and then head to the shops in the morning.
One electric breast pump on its way to you babe. Hope that it helps with your supply and to calm the 'im not giving him enough' nerves.
:comfort:
Antheia, can you try Barb's suggestion of 20 minutes on one side, burb, 20 mins the other (and then back again if needed). Sometimes scheduling the feeds a bit allows baby to get more milk more quickly and might give you a bit of a break. At least just for tonight.
:hug:
Hun you'll get through this!!
You are more then what formula could EVER offer!
hi ive experienced something similar. toook a bit of effort to get bf going (needed motillium, lots of feeding, expressing etc) thought all way going wel, went off motillium. The got to our 8 wk check and bub hadnt gained any weight in the last couple of weeks.
Like u i thought everything was ok as she seemed alert, happy etc so it was a huge shock and i felt terrible.
Does the clinic u go to have a LC you can talk too, as that reaaly helped me we realised bub was only getting roughly half her quota of food per feed, hence while she was on the boob so often. (the LC did this by weighing her before and after a feed).
Anyways the plan for me was to start using motillium again, feed 3 hourly (obviously soonwe if bub wanted), express after a feed and offer bub a top up either with previously expressed milk or formula (i didnt express enough so was usually formula).
It seems to have payed off although bub still gets a bit of formula once a day (the bit extra just seemed to really make a difference). But bub is now 5 1/2 months and still breatfeeding.
Im not saying u have to do this or its the b all and end all, but just letting u know getting the advice i did (for free from the LC at my local clinic) has made it possible for bub and i to keep breastfeeding, so its reallly worth looking into a LC if u want to continue to bf as it may be possible for u to keep going.
If it doesnt work or its just to stressful so be it (i dont have other kids to run around after). Hope u can figure something out and be happy and confidant that bub is getting enough evewn if it means formula.
Also it does not make u a bad mother and does not u mean u didnt do it right if bfing doesnt work out for u. As ive discovered its not as easy as i thought it would be and it just doesnt always work for some ppl.
good luck
oh yeah also i did the 20mins each side thing, also the LC said she should have at least 7 feeds in a 24hr period.
I'm online on FB if you want to chat somemore T :)
:hug: ... I only have one other thing to offer... try to stop stressing cos that doesn't help hun. It doesn't help your supply. You said about being outside... how about taking you and bub outside in your yard and sit there and BF in the nice fresh open air?? Calming and you can watch the kiddies run around?