Transition from expressing to BF

[Lisa B]

Hi there,

I have posted in the EE thread and have received some wonderful advice for expressing including to keep on try to get my bub on the breast. I had a consultation today with a breast feeding support person from my council. They offered a different strategy than the hospital, actually a very opposite approach including using the cradle hold and letting bub nibble at the breast and gently shift to alter the attachment. Anyhow, as a result I was able to BF the last 2 feeds but bub seems to be grizzly and frustrated.

If you have been an expresser during the initial weeks and moved onto BF in subsequent weeks:

Did your bub take awhile to get used to the breast? Was your bub grizzly and frustrated during the initial feeds and pulling his/herself off the breast?

Did you worry that your bub was getting enough? How did you know if he/she was?

Did you notice a change in his/her sleep/feed pattern? The last couple of feeds by breast my bub has been awake after the feeds and needed settling to sleep. When I've used express in the bottle he falls asleep pretty much whilst drinking.

I'd love to hear your experiences and any tips in assisting with the transition.

Thanks

[Kmn]

I just started slowly - one or two feeds a day, when we were both not unhappy.

We had fall-asleep-on-boob problems rather than attachment problems though.
By 2 months he was back on full time bf.

Now that bub will attach, you may find you need to feed more often - you probably weren't bottle feeding 8+ times a day, but you can expect to BF that often. And they will set their own pace.
By 3 months we had this for a feeding pattern:
7am, midday (big sleep in between) 2,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,midnight (big sleep).

Babies should become more unsettled around 2 weeks old. So it may just be coincidence.
And keep an eye on wee output - lots of wet nappies and at least one pooh for a little one, though the pooing can reduce after a few months.

well done to both of you!