So after a pow-wow with Dr. Linda and JB, we are going to be moving to a breast feeding / formula combo. I cried a lot after the weigh-in about this, but then my husband (in a nice way) told me I needed to "snap out of it." You can't control the uncontrollable, right? I have tried hard and it just isn't what is best for Abigail so we'll try something new. Okay. Snapped out of it I have.
We are pretty sure, now that this is happening for the second time, that the problem is probably related to how fast I expel milk. I produce enough, but we think it just comes out very slowly. Both my breast feeding babies (Isaac was obviously formula fed) have eaten for incredibly long periods of time, slept through the night very early (most likely due to exhaustion from feeding so long all day long), and then didn't gain good weight.
With Elijah, we waited way too long, and by the time we figured it out at three months, we decided to go straight to formula. I didn't have a Veronica at that time and I had another tiny little babe in the house and just didn't think I could manage trying to eat and pump and watch another baby. But this time I have Veronica and so I think I am going to attempt to pump and bottle feed and breast feed. We'll see how it goes.
Once her weight catches up, we could consider trying to return to only the breast, or at least only breast milk. In a sense, I am slightly relieved. I was basically feeding her all day long. I didn't have more than a few minutes between feeds, and with two other children and a big dog, this was incredibly taxing and emotionally depleting. After just two days of the new schedule (breast feed thirty minutes and then give her a bottle with formula), she is soooo much more content between feeds, goes longer, and I have time to get some other things done (like take a shower or brush my teeth.)
I'm going to have a good attitude about this. In the end, no on can tell which one of my boys was formula fed and which was breast fed. They are both happy, healthy children. That ist he goal with Abigail, and if that means bottle fed, so be it. Just going to do what is best for him and not get myself in a tizzy about something relatively meaningless.
On to our next adventure!
6 comments:
It's tough when the body doesn't cooperate. When I went back to work after having my daughter, I started to pump. The pump just didn't work well for me. It never completely emptied my breasts. I was lucky to get 3 ounces in the 9-10 hours I was away from her, pumping 2 or 3 times.
There was no way that I could send only 3 ounces with her to day care and expect that to be enough for 8 hours.
So we had no choice but to supplement with formula.
I was a little upset at the time, but that changed to relief. I was trying to drink lots of water, take fenugreek, pump more (hello! I'm at work 8 hours a day, how many breaks can I take to pump and still get my work done?!). Once we decided to supplement with formula, there was less pressure for me with the pumping.
It was also nice to be able to say to my husband, "Don't wake me up under any circumstances. If she's hungry just make her a bottle of formula!"
So, we were able to do bottle and breast, milk and formula. It worked well for us and we kept that up until the 12 month mark when we switched to cow's milk and weaned.
Good for you for trying so hard, and good for you for realizing that breast feeding isn't the sole metric of a great mom! Best of luck.
I had a problem too with my milk supply. Was frustrated about it. But in the end we all want a healthy happy baby! Supplementing was a HUGE LIFE SAVER!!! What works for me and my baby may not work for you or your baby! JUst go with the flow! YOu are doing great!!!
I was in the same boat as you. After 6 kiddos my milk never came in. I tried EVERYTHING. On demand feeding, pumping after feeding, medications to help produce more milk, heck, even went so far as taking the doctors advice of drinking a beer a day. NOTHING. I was devastated. I just wanted breastfeeding to work for me just once.
We soon realized that no amount of trying was going to work for my kiddos. At 3 weeks old they were already drinking between 6-8 ounce of formula and at 10 weeks old they had graduated to cereal mixed in with there bottles. They were big eaters and nursing was just never going to cut it for them. I still nursed them for comfort until they were about 3 months old, but after that, they refused and went solely to the bottle. It was the hardest time for me but I soon realized that a happy healthy eater who needed the extra calories was the only way I could go.
Hugs to you hun. It will get better I promise. And just knowing right away that she needed the extra help was the best thing a mommy could do. Hang in there
You know I know how you feel. We had to supplement early on with Addison. Luckily, a good lactation consultation suggested the med I am on, and we have been able to sustain nursing. BUT it would have been a big relief back then to just bottle feed if it would have made her a happier baby. It just didn't, so it wasn't the answer for us. We do what we have to do for our babies...but it's ok to have emotions about it too! Breastfeeding is such an intimate experience and a personal choice, and it's hard when what you would CHOOSE for you and your baby doesn't exactly work out. So glad you are making peace with it and I know she will be just fine:).
as someone who also struggled with ebf, I found this article (link below) to be very helpful. It helped me gain perspective with the feeding issues we were experiencing. Sounds like you have a good grasp now, so I am hesitant to comment. Hopefully you will find the article helpful at best, and interesting at the very least. I wish you and your family all the best.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29710422/ns/today-parenting/t/case-against-breast-feeding/#.TkwGyaN5mK0
I would suggest looking at the WHO charts, not the CDC charts - it's more accurate for breastfeeding moms.
I know you have mentioned Babywise before - did you know that it has been associated with Failure to Thrive? Make sure you feed on demand, not on your schedule.
Also try drinking malt beer, it is supposed to help!
Marie
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