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Six hours and sixteen minutes of feeding since 745 this morning. Less than 200 mls of formula through the day and quite a bit came back tonight.
K4T, don't ever think you've hijacked - if I've started a thread that helps you, please jump in as much as you like
Holy cow you need a medal! Well done for sticking at it so much :D.
Well done, emmajayt. Lots of access to your bbs and you'll be able to cut back the top ups. It sounds like she got most of what she needed from you today and your bbs won't take long to respond to her increased demand.
Good on you for persisting too. That sounds like a rough way to start out as a new bfing mum.
With DS1 I bowed to pressure because I "didn't have enough milk" and gave him formula. With DS2 I was much more informed and had a wonderful MCHN (who was also a lactation consultant) and we successfully breastfed for nearly 14 months - I was aiming to get to 6 months!:
During those times when my LO wanted to cluster feed I practically had my boobs out all day so he could just feed, feed, feed. This would go on for about three days at a time then he would slip back into the more regular times of feeding.
BTW, some awesome advice on this thread ..... you ladies should all pitch in and write a book!
Oh and, need I say it? I think you're doing a wonderful job!!
Thank you all for your amazing words of support. It definitely has given me the encouragement to keep persevering. Since 6 this morning she's spent 6 hours and 40 minutes feeding and only 100 mls of formula. Starting to feel like we are getting there - I'm seeing much more milk and really feeling heavier
As you get more comfortable with dropping the top ups and just breastfeeding, try to watch the baby and dump the clock. If she is happy, has plenty of wet nappies, and is growing out of her clothes then everything is working just fine.
Do you know many people irl who breastfeed? The ABA can be great for support if you want to find people close to where you live.
The two of you are doing wonderfully!
:cheer:
There's lots of things that can be important to keep track of in a week old baby that you can probably let go of now. Don't time feeds, don't think about time in between feeds - just, as HotI said, watch the baby. Active, alert when awake, weeing lots and growing then all is well. BF babies after a few months can start to go weeks between poohs, so if, once you get rid of the last of the formula, she no longer poohs frequently then that is OK too.
Well done to you.
The huge change is probably the motilium doing its job - and it works better the more baby sucks, so you are certainly helping it along!
Emmjayt wow that's incredible progress! Stick to your guns and don't believe anyone who suggests low milk supply or whatever from here on in. It's amazing how many things are incorrectly put down to low supply. You are proof you can build up your own supply enough to gradually let go of formula.
Well she's been up since 7 and in a bit of a feed/sleep/feed pattern. Every time I start moving to put her to bed she latches on again.
Just after I wrote that she woke up again and I went to change her nappy - I was expecting a pooey one cos she was so cranky last night, and boy was there a massive poosplosion. Got her cleaned up and she did a massive wee - I guess that tells me she is getting enough. She's having a good kick on her mat now, with breaks to gaze at her fingers and grizzle if I don't pay her enough attention. Once she knows I'm looking at her I get a massive smile. How to train your mother ....
I've got the number to call for my local ABA group so hopefully I can speak to them today - between there and my mothers group which is more than half BF'ing we'll get there
Well done you! :)
Woohoo emmajay! That's fantastic progress.
Def call your local ABA group, it is great to be able to talk face to face with other bfing Mums. You'll probably find someone else who's been through this before too.
Are things still going well emmjay? I hope you're still able to reduce your top ups.
I just wanted to update that everything is settling down well for us. It took a bit over 3 weeks to get back to birth weight but DD is gaining weight and sticking to her (very low) centile now. Loads of wet and dirty nappies. Evenings seem to be a cluster feed/comfort sucking bonanza and I still occasionally get anxious that she's not getting enough milk then but every time I've topped her up with EBM she just keeps being as unsettled and suckle-happy as before so it helps reassure me that most of its just being overtired and wanting comfort. I still don't get much from expressing but it's more than before. To be honest I really slacked off with expressing but just got a new handsfree bra that makes it so much more convenient so I'll have to be more diligent and try to build up a freezer supply now.
k4t, that is fantastic news. So good to know she is gaining weight.
News here not so great - she actually lost 400gms in a month, while growing 2 cms in length and 1cm around the head. We still have lots of wet nappies, she's mostly really happy and alert and doing some things at a 6 - 8 month old level according to the MCN. I'm always getting comments from other mums about how alert she is. We started her on some solids 2 weeks ago, and she loves them, leaning forwards to get them, and doing a great impersonation of a magpie when food isn't forthcoming quickly enough. So now she is having 5 - 6 BF's a day, 2 serves of solids (1 Farex made up with formula), and 1 formula top up at night, sometimes 1 mid afternoon also, sleeping 7 - 8 hours a night, and finally having good naps during the day. Her first feed of the day is all BM, and is probably the most satisfying BF for her.
I had no luck with my local ABA group - called the number I was given countless times and got constant engaged tones or an answering machine. After leaving three messages (and the name on the machine matched the name I was given) and no call back I've given up. I know that she is a volunteer and is probably very busy with her own family, but there is a limit of how much time I can spend trying to get through.
I'm still grieving my inability to exclusively BF DD, but I'll keep BF'ing her as much as I can to give her the benefits, even if it isn't all me.
You are doing a fantastic job hun, u should be so proud. Fwiw my dd1 was topped up with ebm, formula or cows milk on & off for virtually the whole 26mths we fed for so it can be done long term. Any bm is better than none, for as long or short as u can do it. Ur doing awesome
Thanks hun x
Sounds like she's dong really well! Great work.
I'm sorry you didn't get through to your ABA group. If you have info on the meetings, you could just show up. It's possible the contact person is away on holidays, even. It's a real nuisance for you, though, and totally understand your not wanting to chase them up further.
Hi,
The good thing about breastfeeding is that it's not measured in the the mls she drinks! You are breastfeeding! And there is no reason that you couldn't keep on doing it for as long as you want. If you wanted to pm me with your aBA group name I can check out what's gone wrong.