want to go back to breastfeeding

Amy - posted on 03/25/2009

Quoting Stasha:

GO FOR IT!!! I had to stop breastfeeding my little one for a couple of weeks when he was a newborn because he was having a hard time with jaundice. I pumped until the doc gave the Ok and then we were back to breast without a hitch! If you have not been feeding exclusively breastmilk you may want to use a supplement like nursing mother's tea to help get your supply back up to par, or pump a little after each feeding, which will also bring supply up. Best of luck to you!

i have been expressing exclusivly so still have a good supply

just breastfed him!!! he latched on after about 10mins of being on and off and then fed for 10minutes and fell asleep.

things are looking good :)

thanks for everyones positivity!

Stasha - posted on 03/25/2009

GO FOR IT!!! I had to stop breastfeeding my little one for a couple of weeks when he was a newborn because he was having a hard time with jaundice. I pumped until the doc gave the Ok and then we were back to breast without a hitch! If you have not been feeding exclusively breastmilk you may want to use a supplement like nursing mother's tea to help get your supply back up to par, or pump a little after each feeding, which will also bring supply up. Best of luck to you!

Emily - posted on 03/25/2009

Keep trying - you should be able to re-latch.  You might want to find a lactation consultant if you need help (www.ilca.org) or a local La Leche League chapter (www.llli.org)  Just keep putting him to the breast when he's hungry and don't offer the bottle - then your supply will increase in accordance with his needs.... you're doing the best thing for you and the baby... good for you... keep at it!

Amy - posted on 03/25/2009

thanks everyone - also had a long chat with my mum on the phone and am going to try and breastfeed exclusivly, cutting out all bottles and will see how we get on over the next few days.

Amanda - posted on 03/25/2009

No its definitly not too late. Introduce the breast to him when he is not hungry so you and you baby can figure latch and positioning. Pump a little before you do feed him to get your milk flowing a little faster since he is already used to the quickness of the bottle. I would try the football position since it is easier to see what your baby is doing. He should be getting the majority of you nipple in to his mouth, you should be able to hear adible swallowing, and you will see his little jaw extending forward. It you need help I would call the hospital and ask them to recommend a lactation consultant to help you with more specific questions. A lot of the time insurance will pay for lactation visits to an LC. So send the bill to your insurance don't not go if you think that it will be too expensive. I hope this helps. Your milk and breastfeeding is the best thing for your little guy. Do lots of skin to skin this will stimulate milk supply. Skin to skin is something your BF can do also with the baby to bond with him (not when the baby is hungry though).

Karen - posted on 03/24/2009

i shouldn`t be too late i bottle fed my son for the first 5 days formula before i started bf...and then went to only bf he took to it very well after having a bottle and i am still bf feeding now 5 months later xxx

Lee Anne - posted on 03/24/2009

If the desire to have him at the breast is there, then most definitely get him there! I'm a La Leche League Leader and would encourage you to foster your breastfeeding relationship if at all possible. One way to get things running smoothly would be to eliminate the bottle all together. If the need is still there for him to be fed by someone else on occasion, they could do so by eye dropper or oral syringe. This will lead him back to the breast as it will be his only source of sucking. You could also discontinue use of the pacifier if you use one and allow him to use the breast for comfort. The combination of these 2 things may get you two nursing exclusively again!

Tamara - posted on 03/24/2009

I don't know if you've gone over to http://www.kellymom.com as of yet, but they are an excellent resource for all things related to breastfeeding including an extensive page on how to bring your child back to the breast. Best of luck! I know you can do it!

Amy - posted on 03/24/2009

ive got a good supply of milk as ive been expressing so thats not an issue.

thnks for the replies - im going to try it and see how it goes

Kristi - posted on 03/24/2009

Just breastfeed exclusively from here on out, at least until your supply is established. To avoid becoming a zombie be sure to sleep when your baby sleeps. These early weeks are survival weeks. No more expressing and you should be fine.

Jessica - posted on 03/24/2009

It's not too late at all.  I had surgery three weeks after my daughter was born, and with all the meds I was on and where the incision was, breastfeeding was not an option for that period of time.  You CAN get your supply back, even if it has dwindled, and if he still will latch on, then you should be fine.  If you want help with getting your supply back up (if that is an issue) try taking Fenugreek- you should be able to find it in your local health food store.  Helped me out a lot.  It was hard to even pump after the surgery, so my supply did dwindle down.   Either way, you're doing the right thing feeding him breast milk, whether it's directly from you or from a bottle- and honestly, my daughter never had a problem going from bottle to breast, and it sounds like your son is the same way- so take advantage of that, and still allow dad some time for bonding, and if you're on the run and don't want to nurse in public, you can always feed a bottle then, too.  I know a lot of moms think that you should only feed from the breast so they don't get confused, but there are options of bottles that mimic the breast...and as I said, it was never a problem for me and my daughter!  Hopefully I'll be as lucky this time around! :)  Good luck!  (oh, and any other moms who read this- anyone start taking fenugreek BEFORE having the baby?  I'm due in May and wondering if I'll have problems with my supply again!  I'll post this to all later!)

Jenny - posted on 03/24/2009

You should still be able to feed, just keep him strictly on the breast for awhile, when breastfeeding an infant you dont want to introduce the bottle until they are 4-6 weeks old, that way they dont get nipple confussion.