Motilium - how long?

Caro, you read my mind! I've been too scared to tell anyone for fear of being 'told off', but I think Nicholas is doing better now I'm not pumping so much. I truly think I'm one of those people it doesn't work that well for, but everyone drills it onto you that you 'have' to pump to keep things going. I still feel guilty, even though it seems to be working for us. I was using the medela lactina, but recently changed back to the whittlestone, which I do think is better. I was trying to pump between every day feed, but it would take me five or six sessions to get 150ml!!!!! I think if I could get more out I would feel better about it, but honestly, if I never see a breast pump again it will be too soon PMSL! I was scared to stop too, but I was just so over it, I sort of unconciously decided to have a break, and things have been much better feeding-wise for us. I still pump if he hasnt fed well, but that's not too often these days.

I just want to pick your brain on something.......BFing Nicholas when we're out and about is almost impossible these days. If we're not at home, it's really difficult. He just won't latch on properly, and if he does he is not prepared to wait any time at all for my let down. Which results in him screaming until I give him his bottle. Have you any ideas why this might be? It makes me sad because in the past I would feed him anywhere and everywhere with no dramas.

I hope so Caro!

This is a bit off topic, but does anyone else find themselves getting jealous of those with buckets of milk? I try really hard not to, but it's hard :( I know that oversupply comes with it's own problems, but at least those people can feed their baby on their own! Now I sound like a nasty spiteful person, which I hate.

Why can't I have more milk?????!!!!!!!!!

I feel the same Sez. Because I have a large bust people assume large breast means abundant supply which is sooooo disheartening :( It is hard to have to work so hard at getting and keeping a supply sufficient to keep weight gain going when others literally leak all over the place. I wish!!! But each has its own difficulties and what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger ;)

Well, I increased the motilium to 90mg and went away to the family (mine and the outlaws) over the weekend and FF 3 feeds in total over the whole time. I was a little worried as my sister is out the back of no where and I thought - what if I can't supply enough. Arrrrgggghhh!!!!! But all went well and we are none the worse for wear. So I have started the weaning and have gone back to 60mg today and we will see how we go. Still on the antibiotics for the mastitis but it has cleared and attachment is sooooooooo much better - I have normal looking nipples after a feed. I also think I have mastered the art of feeding lying down so I can sleep while Oscar feeds at night (yes, still mostly 2 hourly although there are the odd sleeps of up to 5 hours but they are unpredictable :rolleyes:) All I need is for the right nipple to heal fully and all will be good.

Next weigh in is on Thursday so I will pop in and let you know how we go.

Woooo hooooo!!!! We are up 250g in 2 weeks so top the scales at 4.5kg :rolleyes: It only took 11 weeks to gain 1kg from birth weight but we are on the way up and that is the most important thing. Still on the 60mg but worried that supply has already dropped off :crossfingers: that it hasn't though. Hope you are all doing well with your own breastfeeding and babies :hug:

That's an awesome gain Michelle - well done. I'm taking 60mg now. When Ned was feeding very poorly when he had the flu my supply dropped right off again. Going to try to drop back to 30mg but I'll probably start weaning once he hits the 12 month mark anyway so he'll probably only be having 1 or 2 feeds a day and hopefully my body can just produce enough for that wirthout the motilium. And you know if I make it to 12 months I will be soooooo stoked, even if I have had to take motilium and everything else for supply!

Oh well done everyone! You are all so inspirational :D I really need this thread for support, I'm struggling a bit this week :(. It didn't help that I went to a gathering today and there were three woman there talking about their low supply issues. None of them are still BFing, but one of them had a newborn and was saying how she put her onto formula because she was doing bottles anyway so she may as well, and the others all agreed, that's what they did. It made me feel a bit like I'm crazy, and wonder if I'm doing the right thing being so damn stubborn. It's so good to come on here and see that I'm not the only one who feels strongly about this.

I know you have to make these decisions for yourself, but it's great to have so much support on here. And to see you all doing so well! You are wonderful, strong women and your babies are very lucky to have such fab mummies!

Nicholas is doing so well I don't have to have him weighed for another three weeks! He does love his bottles, which makes me sad, but I know I should be happy because it means that he puts on weight. I just really want to be able to continue BFing so badly. Sometimes I think that this feeding thing consumes me, like there's nothing else important in the world. I spend so much time and energy on it, but IMO it is worth every second and more.

I know how you feel sezjm. Alot of my friends and family think I'm crazy. Even my gp asked me the other day when I plan on stopping bfing. I went to get a script for more motilium and I had to convince her again. She also told me I could start Lily on solids and then I wouldn't need to bf!!! Grrr, I need all the support I can get this isn't easy and I get this from the very people who should be supporting me the most. I must admit though that my DH has been really good lately. He will feed her a bottle when she neds one but will sit and watch her feed when she having a bf, it's really lovley :D .
Glad to hear Nicholas is going so well. Remember that you are doing the best you can and we can do no more than that. Rather than beat yourself up, accept that and things get easier. They did for me anyway! You are a perfect mumma for your little man, don't be so hard on yourself ((hugs)) . But I do know how you're feeling. ;)

Thanks again Kelly. I'm going to keep coming back and reading that post.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr at people who are not supportive. My mum has been so fantastic through this whole caper, as she had to comp feed my brother, but she has just really upset me. I told her that I'm over bottles, and that I'm hoping that when Nicholas goes onto solids that we can reduce the amount that he has. She told me to get that idea out of my head, that's not going to happen. You know, it might not, but I have to at least try, and think that it might work. Otherwise what's the point?

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I really think people just have to justify their own decisions. My mum weaned my brother at 6 months when he went onto solids, because it was all such hard work. Now that's fair enough, I can totally understand, but it doesn't mean that I have to. If she says anything again, I'm going to have to have a chat with her. I can't have her upsetting me like this, that comment has really gotten to me :cry:

sez, it is SOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it! You are doing the best job. It would be too easy to give in and give him a bottle. You deserve a medal and Nicky is so grateful to you for sticking it out :hug:

Sez - like you I am so glad to have this little corner of support when I am having a bad day. Mum's (gotta love them) can make the most inappropriate comments. Particularly when they are still often dealing with their own breastfeeding decisions. My Mum got double brownie points the other day though after telling me I was doing a great job and she wouldn't have been able to do all of this for this long. Bless her - it made my day.

On the other hand, I am finding this process all so hard at the moment. I think I just want sleep (and yet here I am typing when the little man has gone to bed and I should be sleeping :rolleyes:) The 2 hourly feeding is still happening through the day and most of the night. I can get lucky and have 3 hourly feeds or one 3-4 hour gap at night and then back to the 2 hours on the dot. Gotta love predictability but I am sooooo tired. I have even resorted to giving a FF purely to give me a break which in itself makes me feel guilty and like I am doing all this work to just give in when I am having a bad day.

For the positives (I have to find a bright side) we can now feed chest to chest so feeding out is better. Attachment is better too and so is the volume but I am still taking 60mg and not too keen on decreasing just yet. And Oscar - he is just gorgeous, smiling, almost laughing and making this whole bumpy road worth the time, effort and exhaustion. I can't imagine life without him.

Sorry for the self absorbed vent - I just need to get it out occasionally so I can face the next day where my body is not my own and worse, it isn't doing what it is meant to do.

Michelle, firstly - GO TO BED! (Pot calling kettle and all that........hehe)

Secondly, don't be so hard on yourself hun. You know what? Being exhausted is going to do nothing for your supply, so if nothing else, reassure yourself that giving him a bottle so you can have a break could actually be really helpful. You are NOT giving in, far from it in fact. You've have worked so hard to get to this place, you are entitled to a rest at times. I remember how exhausting it is getting up so often, and how you'd do anything for a stretch of sleep longer than two hours! Just remember, it will get better.

WOOHOO :dance: for all the good things happening for you guys! And it sounds like there is a lot going right for you - it's just hard to see through the fog of fatigue LOL. it must be great to be able to feed more comfortably out and about now.

Lastly, do not apologise. That's what we are all here for, to listen, help and support each other. Goodness knows you've done it enough for me :)

Thanks Sez :hug: Just needed to get it out. Feeling better this morning. And yes pot, you should have been in bed too!!!!

How are things with Nicky??

You're welcome Michelle, anytime :)

We're having a bad refusal day here :( I'm really trying not to get stressed, as I know that makes it worse. I remind myself that we've had bad days before, and we get over them. Today is quite bad though. I think I'm just panicked that one day he won't want the breast ever again, and then we're up $hit creek because I don't get very much when I express. I'm sure he had a growth spurt last week as he's now having more formula than ever, and he had a couple of days where he wanted to feed every 1.5-2 hours. He's certainly getting bigger and fatter!

Does anyone know if I can get a good idea of what's going into him by what's coming out? *TMI warning* Most of the time his poo is soft, but not runny, sort of a mix between BF and FF poo I guess. Sometimes he actually does a firm poo, like an FF one (but not for over a week now). Sometimes it's quite runny. Is this indicative of how much he's getting of each type of milk? Yesterday's was quite runny and that reassured me that he was still getting plenty of BM, but maybe I'm wrong?

Sezjm, I find that if Lily has had a big day on formula, then her poos are firmer than when she's had a big bm day, kwim? Usually they are quite runny, lighter in coluor and kind of soak into the nappy (sorry tmi!!) but if she's had lots of formula, they are a darker, army green colour and thicker like yogurt (that's gross, sorry!!!).
Sorry to hear Nicholas is being fussy. He's probably growing in one way or another! According to the 'wonder weeks' book he will be coming into a really fussy period between 15-19wks. My DD has just come out of it thank god. She was not sleeping well and snacking all day, not having whole bottles and only having one bb when usually she has both. So maybe try to keep that in mind?
I have had a few days where Lily has been fussy on the breast too. She gets frustrated and will latch on the come off and complain, go on, come off...she drives me batty sometimes. This morning was much better though so I am happier.

Michelle, ((HUGS)) to you too. I think we all need to be less critical of ourselves. Just think when our bubbas are adults and becoming poarents, we will have this wealth of knowledge and experience to share with them! :) and like your mum did we will be able to support them. I hear you on needing sleep, I have just caught up on some after a very fussy period from Lily. She was up anywhere between 3-6 times a night :( . Oscar will probably settle some more soon. This growing business isn't as easy as it seems!

I hope the day improves for you both, try not to worry about it, you're doing your best, and worrying just makes things worse.

Thanks Kellie, especially for the tip about the fussy period. I will definitely remember that! I think we might be going into it, as he's been waking in the night, which he normally doesn't do, and he's back to wanting to feed more often today, but he's stuffing around more with his feeds.

Glad you had a good morning, I hope it continues for you! :)

Thanks Kellie :hug: It is good to have someone a few steps ahead to let me know what I am in for. I am waiting to get a wonder weeks book which is on back order.

Sez - Oscar has been fussing at the breast since Saturday, flipping his head back and forth and pulling off the nipple. Big ouchies there!!!! I was worried about volume and flow but I can still hear it when he feeds so that isn't the problem. Like Kellie, Oscar was also having sleep issues - nappping through the day only and getting fussy at the breast and then getting really grumpy. His night waking was no different but he needed to go to bed around 9pm or else he took ages to settle.

This morning we spent from 9-12 in bed with him nuzzling the breast and feeding when he wanted (which was almost continual but partly comfort sucking). He has slept most of the time when he hasn't fed and he is currently lying in my bed sleeping soundly after a proper feed at 12. No pulling off and no fussing (except when I swapped from the nuzzled breast to the full one). Maybe you could spend a couple of hours tucked up in bed with your shirt off and try some skin to skin without the pressure to feed. Good excuse to have a nap and watch tv or read a book if nothing else :dunno:

As for the poos - we have gone for 7 days between poos for the past 2 weeks which made for a spectacular poo last night!!! My new, white MCN got christened :cryinglaugh: So I don't think I am much help there really!!

PMSL Michelle, that's too funny! Which MCN was it?

I think I will try a 'bed-in'. I did that before, and that's what really got him to work out how to be hungry and put on weight. I think I'm scared to though, because he always wants a bottle these days, I can't even feed him in the night in bed anymore without him wanting a bottle.

Nicholas fusses and pulls off alot, but I'm almost 100% sure that's because my flow isn't that quick and he gets frustrated. Especially because he knows that the bottle will be faster. I've done some more reading on the low milk supply website and I'm trying to bottle feed him as they suggest.

Thankfully, our last feed was a reasonable one, good for today anyway. Let's hope it continues!

It was a tots bots - very cute too and it fits his scrawny little bottom. My BBH is still too big and gapes around the legs.

I found if Oscar was given a bottle that had a faster flow teat he was a bit fussier at the breast if my let down was delayed for any reason. DH got the message that getting the feed done quickly is not in my best interests so sit there and be patient during the few feeds he gets to do and use the slow teat!!!

Is Nicky on a slow flow teat - it might annoy the hell out of him but make him work harder so a delay in let down won't peeve him as much :dunno: Try not to be scared about a bed in - just be prepared for tender nipples!!! Oscar has a tendency to feed and then snack on the same side if we feed in bed - part comfort suck and part nutritive suck. Particularly overnight when I am asleep and not watching what he is doing :rolleyes:

But - one good feed is a bonus. You are doing great :hug: and I hope the rest of the day is just as good.