Crushed

[ezymay]

DS has lost weight close to 200g in a week. The mastitis is still hanging around. I'm devastated. Poor DS seems starving, he just sucks and sucks. This morning I let him suck for 2 hours and he was still showing hunger signs so gave him a sup feed with formula cause we've used up the little EBM I'd collected from trying to clear the mastitis.
I never had mastitis or supply problems when EEing with DD. So to have this all happening so soon makes me feel like such a failure!!! In prep for DS I did the ABA class, I had a drug free birth, lots of skin on skin straight after birth, bubs was never taken to the nursery all opposite of what happened with dd, which I thought was where a lot of our feeding issues came from with her so I thought things would be different this time around.

[Danielle_NZ]

oh hun I'm so sorry things aren't getting easier, I'm still learning so unfortunately I have no advice but I wanted to offer you a big

[Trillian]

Have you had an LC around to make sure that everything is going fine with attachment or if there could be a problem like tounge tie? IME, every baby and every BFing experience is different and sometimes to need to learn how to do it all over again

[ezymay]

We saw an LC last week just before the mastitis set in. She said our attachment was good, but mostly I'm using shields cause of existing damage. Yep he's been checked for tongue tie.

[HotI]

Was bub weighed with the same set of scales each time?

Hope he grows some more for you this week.

[Melbournemumma]

Oh Ezy, I'm so sorry that things have been hard this time round. Big and I hope things get easier soon.

[RhiChiChi]

Can you do some expressing after feeding your DS to push up your supply? Sounds like you have a slow let down & he is working extra hard for the milk with little gain atm. It would be very tiring sucking that much, so he will be using alot of energy and that might be making him more hungry too.

[ezymay]

Yep same scales. I expressed after feeding him this arvo and got about 90mls. Whilst i was expressing dh gave him a bottle and he drank 120mls of formula. His suck seems to have weakened.

[Arimeh]

I have no advice (cos I know nothin) but just wanted to drop off a and some

[onthefly]

I'm sorry Ez And you must feel like utter crap with the mastitis.
It sucks it can't just be straight forward for you. I hope you can turn things around quickly

You know you can make plenty of milk, so perhaps the issue is with his feeding. Not draining the breast well might also account for the mastitis Are you pumping?

[glorious]

can you get rid of the shields? is there lots of milk in the shield when he has finished a feed? perhaps they are hindering his attachment if you can get 90ml after a feed?
how many wet nappies is he having?

are there other stresses in your life atm?

[Kmn]

Is he otherwise well?
200gm loss could be the difference between being weighed just before a wee/pooh and just after one as well.
Make sure you have a follow-up weigh pretty soon, to tell if you have a trend (which then might need more action), or a once-off blip.
Can you feed shorter and more often, and maybe offer 3 sides each feed - that way there will be more letdowns and he may actually take more milk in total....

please get the very best help you can
hugs.

[RhiChiChi]

Yep same scales. I expressed after feeding him this arvo and got about 90mls. Whilst i was expressing dh gave him a bottle and he drank 120mls of formula. His suck seems to have weakened.

90 mls is a good pumping session, so don't be put off by that. Just be wary of topping him up with bottles due to nipple confusion - he will suck differently on a bottle to your breast. Can you set up a feeding tube that it attached to your breast which feeds the milk (EBM or formula), so he *thinks* he is feeding from the breast, therefore stimulating you but still getting milk from the tube to keep hi satisfied. That way he will also keep sucking your nipple & should help with the mastitis. My gf did this until her DS (it was her third baby too) got the hang of feeding from the breast. My gf got the midwives to help her with the feeding tube but the ABA or google might have info on it. GL

[ezymay]

Thanks for the support everyone. Here in tears because I'm right back where I was with DD...struggling with getting him on the boob, Having to then give him a bottle (DH is doing that) and me pumping! Exactly what I wanted to avoid.
I think he has gotten used to the bottle already. I really hate this!! I'm so angry it's not going how it's supposed to. We were doing ok, he got back to his birth weight so I'm not sure where we went wrong?????

Tk yes I have been in touch with someone from the group.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

Take a big breath! This is one of the common hurdles in the early days and is by no means a showstopper! Many of us have been for driving lessons, done the test, and still manage to wipe out the letterbox in one of our first excursions with the new P-plates on - you will get over this. We rarely decide we will never drive again because of that one encounter with the gatepost.
Babies are so small and their systems so immature that they go up and down very easily. Sometimes babies are a bit jaundiced, which makes them sleepy and disorganised, or still getting over the birth.
OK - now is not a time to worry about the nipple shields, so if you have stopped using them and that's the reason why your baby won't attach, get them back again - they can be sorted out another time.
So, the drill for the next few days should be....Breastfeed every 3 hours, day and night. If baby has been on the breast for 20 mins, take him off, burp, nappy change, wake up and give the other side for 20 mins. Express both breasts - 5-10 mins. Don't feed the milk to the baby - save it.
You may find that you are feeding frequently for a few days - that's OK - your baby has been having quite large bottles and will need to adjust. Already you will probably notice your baby has gained weight and is more organised at the breast. If you are worried your baby hasn't had enough, give him one bottle after his last feed at night - no more than 90 mls. Remember babies feed at least 8-12 or more times in 24 hrs

[ezymay]

Thanks Barb, that sounds like a plan. I'll give it a go.

[RhiChiChi]

Thanks Barb, that sounds like a plan. I'll give it a go.

Sending you tons of support. You go girl!

[onthefly]