Formula at young age?

[~Belinda~]

Bindy - I put DS onto formula when he was 2.5 days old as I couldn't handle the pain, my BP was sky high and I was stressing out so much it just wasn't a good environment for the bub. Plus, if I had continued, i feel sure that I would have got some sort of depression for it. I felt great relief when I switched to formula and it was the right decision for us. I tried him on Nan ha as that was what the hospital had, and then a few weeks later switched him to s26 gold when he got constipation. He has been fine since then. So no problems here. HTH.

Oh that's a relief, I bought some back up today JIC I need to go onto FF. I bought Karicare Gold Plus...I hope that's a good one! Nipples are so sore that I was crying today after a feed, I will not get depression for this, it's just not worth it! I will see how I go expressing off right one for a couple of days...it's really not worth all this upset...sometimes people just have issues BF and I really won't feel ashamed or a failure if I resort to FF. We'll see though how my nipples go...

[~Belinda~]

Jasmine was on formula and EBM/and BF from about 4 days old. I stopped EBM/BF at 2 weeks old

Why is that Kimbaz? Did you have really sore nipples too? The pain is unbelievable!

[Janie]

Bindy hun, if you're still having pain, I really think you should call that LC. I'm sure she will be able to help you on the path to pain-free breastfeeding! And trust me, it's wonderful thing

Give her a call, it can't hurt.

[ShootingStar]

Yes i did. At 9 days old my nipples were blistered, cracked and bleeding. Jesse was wanting to feed every hour also so it wasnt helping. Just didnt work for either of us. I tried to express but to be honest, so early, i think that was the worst decision as it just made my nipples worse. So he was switched to formula at 9 days old and dont regret my decision for a second. Absolutely nothing wrong with him, he is a bright and intelligent little boy who has only ever had the occasional runny nose if that.

[Kar]

Bindy
It took me 17 days to get my DD on to the breast, and then it was with a nipple shield. It took me another 3 months to get things going properly.

I'll never forget the piece of advice that a wise LC gave me. BFing doesnt happen overnight. It is a relationship and on average it takes about 3 months to get established properly.

I breathed such a huge sigh of relief - I hadn't realised how much pressure I had put myself under to have BFing down pat with in a few days/weeks.

The nipple pain, in the first few weeks, is really excruciating for some women. Some good advice from a LC can help enormously. Like getting the attachment checked out or trying a different hold or a new pillow etc.

In the end I didn't have enough breast milk to feed my DD - so I combo fed until she was over 7 months old. (I would have kept going but I had to have some major surgery and had to wean).

You and your baby have only been at this for 2 weeks so far. If my own experience is anything to go by that will have felt like an eternity. Just try to take one day at a time. Get some lansinoh on those nipples, and keep them out and airing for as long as you can. (I used to walk around with the flaps on my bra down all the time in the early days). Take some panadol if you have to.

If you can, just give it a little bit longer. It is amazing how quickly nipples can heal themselves. Yours may feel very different in 24 hours. If you have to top up your baby with FF - then do so - don't feel guilty about it. But do get yourself some support from a LC, or ask the hospital where your baby was born if there is a residential program for feeding problems. At 14 days old - they will get you in to it very quickly. I went in at 15 days after DD was born. I came out 4 days later BFing. They were so nice to me there.

BFing is SOOOOOO much easier in the middle of the night in winter than getting up to heat up a bottle when your little one is screaming his/her lungs out. But if BFing doesn't work out - formulas these days are great.

[CatherineL]

Bindy - i'd give the LC a call anyway even if you fell like things are on the mends... It's nice to just have that reassurance that your doing it right etc. At the end of the day I think you really need to take a step back and decide whether it's actually working or not. I mean we all know breast is best but if you are truly torturing yourself over it is it really worth it? I must admitt that I almost gave up many times and many tears were shed - but I am so happy and proud I persisted and still going strong. It's a great feeling Good luck mate.

[~Belinda~]

Yes i did. At 9 days old my nipples were blistered, cracked and bleeding. Jesse was wanting to feed every hour also so it wasnt helping. Just didnt work for either of us. I tried to express but to be honest, so early, i think that was the worst decision as it just made my nipples worse. So he was switched to formula at 9 days old and dont regret my decision for a second. Absolutely nothing wrong with him, he is a bright and intelligent little boy who has only ever had the occasional runny nose if that.

Hi Kellxx! Yes I don't think Madeleine was getting much milk at all, seemed to be diminishing a bit because she wanted to feed every hour too! That wasn't helping, she loves her milk! I think at the end of the day, you need to do what's best for you and happy mummy = happy baby. Formula is not poison, she's still getting expressed feeds so she's full and sleeping great! She is such a little angel and I'm happier giving my nipples a break! Thanks for your input...

Thanks everyone else for your advice, at the end of the day, I'll do what I feel is right for me and Bub

[Lyndall]

Thats fantastic that you have her back on the boob, well done
I have just put DS on formula at 3 weeks of age due to him not being able to or want to latch onto the boob after several lactation consultants and various midwives trying to support and assist me to no avail he just would not take, we tried everything we could nipple guards, expressing lasted 2 weeks until getting mastitis its been a rough month and feeling guilty as well as so many people look down on you as you are unable to BF. The thing you need to remember is that you always do what works and what is best for you and your baby and not worry about what others may think as you have done your best and many will tell you that breastfeeding is not easy. good luck

[~Belinda~]

Lyndall, turns out, Madeleine was FF from about 2.5 weeks but it was so much better for us both when she went onto formula. She is now 7.2kgs at almost 11 weeks and such a healthy, happy Bub. She's also sleeping through from 9pm-6am...

I really like that she is a FF baby. I never worried about what other Mum's thought, they're not Madeleine's Mum and you must do what is right for you and Bub so everyone is happy! There is so much other stuff to worry about in life.

We are really enjoying our little girl

[ShootingStar]

Bindy.. thats great to hear everythings going so well for you and little Madeleine! Its nice when youre just able to enjoy them the way they are without any worries or stresses. Enjoy every minute hun as they grow up WAY too fast!

[~Belinda~]

Thanks Kellxx, we are enjoying every minute. Feeding is only a small part of the rest of their lives in my eyes, no drama at all FF her!

Hope you are well xx

[prama]

Bindy, glad all is going great w your FF. you sound so happy!
I'm still at crossroads. We're going to see an LC Barb recommended as my final resort.

I did something really stupid the other day, I've been using nipple shields for the last 4 weeks and I thought I could bf w/o them. so i took it out at the end of the feed, and let Lakshman feed without it for a minute. It made my nipple much much worse. Im in lots of pain, I get pains all the time not just during feeds. Im now just expressing the right breast, it's too painful. I tried to put him back with a shield yesterday, I thought it would have healed after 2 days but no......

I know, there's so much focus BF, those who go on FF feel like they've failed..... it's not the end of the world...

[~Belinda~]

Thanks Prama, best of luck with BF'ing. There's no way I could of continued after a couple of weeks with Madeleine and I certainly have never felt like a failure, no way! Good luck with everything hun

[prama]

Bindy - I'm mostly FF now. I only BF once in the morning, my supply is getting low too. the pain was getting too much. It's started to affect me, Early Childhood nurse thinks I have PND so I'm going to go see someone. BF-ing once a day at least makes me feel i havent completely failed.....

[~Belinda~]

Oh that's awful...I hope you get help for your PND. See...I didn't want to continue because I was pretty teary at every feed and it just wasn't worth getting upset about. Feeding your baby is only a small part of what lies ahead of them for the rest of their lives, you have not failed in any way.

[prama]

Thanks Bindy.. I'm FF more and more, I think doing it gradually is working for me.
I've had good support to switch to FF from GPs and Early Childhood Nurse. As they say, and they are right, my health is more important to my beautiful baby than just breast milk.
Thanks so much for your support and understanding.

[~Belinda~]

No worried Prama, always here if you need to chat

[Taurusa]

I BF for the first week, and i too was crying during the feeds. I feel that the pain for me was worse than the pain of the labor... (and they gave me no drugs) but with labor pain you know when it is out it is over, with the BF pain you know when you are finished, in the next hour you will have to do it again.

I went and saw a LC, and she tried her best, but to not much solution as my nipples were so damaged he couldn't latch on. I expressed and gave it to him for a week. I found making the decision to FF VERY HARD as i did feel a little of a failure, and really did love the closness of BF. But as Prama said, i could feel the depression setting in, and for my mental health i had to stop. Caleb is three weeks now and loves the bottle. I am still waiting for boobies to completely dry up, but they are leaking alittle less each day.

I have had a few reactions like 'Oh, your not BF!!" but know a happy mum is better than a depressed one for my little man. And boy it is nice to be able to wrap the towel around me again LOL!