I wonder if she has learned to associate the bottle with less discomfort, because that's how she gets the gaviscon (whereas she doesn't get that 'assistance' from the breast)? Have you tried giving her the Gaviscon with a dropper before offering the breast? You can mix the gaviscon with a teaspoon of water and administer it that way - that's how we gave Tom his when he needed it.
I second the idea about contacting the ABA and perhaps seeing if you can find a lactation consultant - talk to the hospital where you had your baby or your MCHN to find out where you might contact one. Good luck with the pump in the meantime - I'm sure you already know about the whole supply and demand thing.
Best wishes - dealing with reflux is really challenging.
wishing you lots of luck hun, I know how heartbreaking it can be when they don't want the breast. You have an advantage, she is older & has been breast feeding for a while, hopefully you will be able to get her back on.
And definitely don't blame yourself, it would be very hard to manage gaviscon & BFing, my sister had to do the same, not easy.
Hun, it must have been a very difficult three months for you with a reflux baby It is really hard work to have a reflux baby and it sounds like you are doing an amazing job.
I'm sure you have heard that introducing bottles can cause nipple confusion, but there are other reasons for a baby to refuse the breast which might not have so much to do with the bottle. It might be that your DD is uncomfortable in the traditional lying down feed position. Sometimes mums have some luck with holding the baby more upright during the feed. One way to do this is to be comfortably reclined in a chair, and allow your DD to lie vertically between your breasts. From there you can gently guide her towards the nipple to attach, or at 3 months she might still have the rooting instinct to find the nipple and attach herself.
Another possibility is that this is the normal 3 month fussy feeding period that many babies go through. They suddenly become more aware of their surroundings and decide they don't want to be facing mum and missing out on the world. Sometimes mums find that wearing a breastfeeding necklace can help to keep the baby interested while feeding. Feeding in a quiet, darkened room can sometimes help too, and even having a warm bath together, with no pressure to feed, can sometimes help.
Whatever the reason, lots of skin to skin contact is really helpful in getting those breastfeeding instincts kicking in, and will also help with your supply while she is not draining your breasts for you (a breast pump is never quite as efficient!).
All the best with it hun, and please know that you are doing a great job. This will most likely pass - at 3 months it is not likely to be the end of bfing.
I bought the Swing today - starting to express like crazy to keep my supply up.
Had great success with the 3am feed - she fed both sides for a total of 30 minutes!! I was weeping silently while she was feeding, although I did notice her suck was very very lazy.
Then this morning at 7am, she cried for a couple of minutes, I gave her a dummy to get started, then gently offered my breast - she took it for another 20 minutes.
But then for her next feed - it was back to crying.
I do think it's a pain association - she threw up both feeds - but I got her to feed!! I'll talk to my midwife about alternatives to giving her the gaviscon - perhaps with water prior to a BF and a top up with EBM? (I think my supply has dropped!)
The necklace sounds like an awesome idea Manta - you're right - she is very alert and maybe a necklace she can play with will help xxx
Thank you again girls - I'll give the ABA a shout today
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What on earth have I done!
Our first baby suffered reflux too, and juggling breastfeeds and meds was very tricky!
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