relactaing after a week

[jessiehannan]

I get that I need to wean from formula and how, and let her nurse and pump every two hours, but do I wean from formula once I get a supply built back up? SHe is willing to nurse, and will do so for about 15 minutes on each side in the morning, and again at night, but not during the day. Do I grdually work in more nursing sessions, and how long do I need to try on my own before I start taking fenugreek? (I quit because I had oversupply and couldn't take being thrown up on after every feeding, but now I have a hospital grade pump and want to try again. Even if I just pump and feed in a bottle, or get one bottle a day of breastmilk I would be happy. There is just so much information out there that I get confused. I think I need to purchase a SNS, but won't have the money for a few weeks. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ima062002]

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html
and
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/decrease-formula.html
and
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html

are links that should answer all your questions :).

[whitnessforhim]

First of all an over supply can be something you and your baby can work together to correct. Feeding on one side for several conscecutive feeding is usually what is recommended.

I think it is great that she is still willing to nurse and thats one less thing you will have to worry about as you go back to exclusively nursing. I would recommend working at getting her to the breast and nursing rather than pumping and feeding a bottle. It is so much easier and less hassle and way better at maintaining your supply!

What I would do is offer your breast to your baby at every feeding. Don't push it just offer it. Whether she nurses 5mins or 10mins or none at all I would pump after you nurse. Whatever you make from pumping I would use that milk to supplement with first and then formula next if you have to. If you've had an over supply before I really wouldn't think about fenugreek at this point until you give everything a try to get your supply back.

This all sounds very doable to me and I think its great that you're exploring this options.
Ima has some good links for you to read and I am sure other really wise women will be along soon to give you more great advice.

[jessiehannan]

Hmm, I am slowly but surely understanding this more and more. How long do I pump for? 30 minutes? until milk stops coming out? If I wait until milk stops coming out I will never stop! I always get milk when I pump, since Tuesday, when I only got some out the first time, now when I pump, as long as the pump is on, milk comes out. Not a lot, but I do have milk. I am letting her nurse first, for as long as she will, she will come off, cry, we will relatch, she will come off, cry , relatch, and if she gets frantic, screaming hungry I go ahead and give her the bottle, then pump. I let her comfort nurse first thing in the morning and before bed. I have discovered also that I don't eat and drink enough. If I wait until I get hungry or thirsty, I only eat once or twice a day, and I drink very little. I know that drinking a beer will help w/production, but does it matter what kind?

[whitnessforhim]

OK after reading your response could it be OALD (over active let-down). Does baby gag or choke at all after your let down? Check out this http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html for more information about OALD and see what you think.

I would pump 10-15mins after baby nurses. How much are you pumping when you pump?

[jessiehannan]

It was over active letdown and oversupply, she would choke, gag, and after she would eat she would throw up around 8 oz, and she was 3 weeks old. So I quit breastfeeding cold turkey and just gave her formula in a bottle. The last day I was engorged from that was Sunday. I got my breast pump Tuesday and when I pumped that night, I got an ounce. Yesterday I got 1/2 an ounce all day, but I din't pump regularly, and she nursed for 15 minutes on each side in the morning. Today I have offered her the breast at every feeding, letting her nurse on side tuntil she fusses, which can be from 5 to 15 minutes, then switching sides, supplementing, and then pumping. SHe is eating between 1/2 an ounce to an ounce less of formula after she nurses. So far in today I have pumped a tablespoon or so. Now I am just trying to reestablish a supply after not bfing for a week.
Right before I quit I hand expressed 3 ounces in 1/2 an hour.

[Nipple_nectar]

First question: how old is your baby?

Second question: how long did the two of you exclusively nurse?

How long has it been since you were nursing?

I realize that you could quickly be dealing with an oversupply again but we need to treat you carefully as you are in danger of permanently losing your supply. The pulling off and crying may initially have been due to OAL but I do believe now it is being caused by nipple confusion (http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_confusion.html) which can really be daunting to turn around.

You need to stop using bottles entirely if you want to re~establish nursing. Yes, you need an SNS, I don't believe you can do this without. You should probably get in touch with an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, IBCLC for short, check the hospital you gave birth at and see if there is one on staff, if not, check the directory on the home page of this web site. You would benefit great from live one on one help with this.

You can check out the relactation boot camp at www.fourfriends.com/abrw

I agree that I would just offer the breast every two hours and if after any nursing, follow that up with a minimum of ten minutes per side with a hospital grade pump. You should be back in business in no time and if the OAL creeps out then we will help you deal with it, there are lots of options for you:)

[jessiehannan]

I found an SNS for really cheap, $18 instead of $50, at the local medical supply company and I am going to buy it next week, I won't have the money til then. I exclusively bf for almost 3 weeks, she still prefers the breast over the bottle, and I am going to pump every 2 - 3 hours until I get the SNS, as well as offer the breast. Right now I get in two get nursing sessions a day, morning and night, which I figure is good for a week of not breastfeeding at all. I got to speak to the lactation consultant today, and their is not one w/in 100 miles of where I live.
I believe that in my favor, she still takes forever to eat, and only eats 2 ounces at a time, at the most, she eats often though, and will comfort nurse. After I offered the breast again, she will not take a pacifier.
Not so much in my favor, she gets upset quickly if she is really hungry, and that takes about the five seconds it takes for me to pick her up and becomes almost impossible to calm, and the fact that i forget to eat and drink.
So until I get the SNS, I am offering the breast first thing in the morning and at night, and during the day when she isn't frantic, and pumping. Once I have the SNS, I am going to reduce the amount of formula by one ounce every 4 days, until no more formula, and any expressed milk, until no more formula, then no more expressed milk.
I hope this works, but it is the best that I can do, and my only option.

[whitnessforhim]

Sounds like you have a fabulous plan there!! WTG for getting that baby to the breast as much as you have. It may not seem like it right now but you really are doing great!!

One thing I can add is if she's fussy during the day, probably because she's alert and hungry and doesn't want to wait for the letdown, try pumping just until your let down happens and then offer the breast. She might be more willing to take it during her fussy times.

Eitherway it goes I like your plan sounds like you are on your way to uping your supply and I have a feeling that you'll have this baby on the breast fulltime in no time!!

Let us know how its going!!

[jessiehannan]

Well, since yuesterday I have already noticed an increase in supply, I pumped a little over 1/2 an ounce all day, and she nursed twice for a good period of time, in the morning and at bedtime. She then nursed on the side that doesn't produce as much, for about 10 minutes, and this morning before she woke up for the day I pumped 1/2 an ounce already. I drank a whole bunch of Gatorade last night, and I think I may be dehydrated and need to drink more water.

[madelsmama]

Good news all around!

[dodoe80]

Keep it up, bfing is much better than pumping, I exclusively pumped for a month in the beginning and was a big pain (we had latching issues) but now that we are BFing it is worth the hassel.

[jessiehannan]

I just have to say that i have noticed an increase in supply already! Yippeee! Maybe it won't be as hard as I thought it would! :hugegrin:
Being able to have some one give me a pat on the back makes such a huge difference! I got between 1.5 to 2 ounces today!
"dance3"

[Nipple_nectar]

Wow! You are doing great! Keep up the good work, nursin momma:)

[jessiehannan]

Woohooo! I pumped between 3 & 4 ounces today! So today she had 3.5 oz breast milk (averaging for simplicity), and about 20 ounces of formula. I'm assuming that she is getting enough since I feed on demand, and only as much as she will eat.

[madelsmama]

Good for you!

Are you putting her to the breast at all?

[TayNRobbiesMom]

I just wanted to say YOU ROCK MOMMA! I gave up bfing my DD at 3 wks then regretted it but didn't know relac. was possible. What a dedicated mommy!

[jessiehannan]

I put her to the breast when she will take it, which is mainly first thing in the morning and when I go to bed. Fighting her on it during the day won't help, so I don't, unless she goes on willingly. Once I get the SNS, however, I will not be giving bottles. I got her to take both breasts this morning, but I don't know for how long, and then I pumped 1.4 ounces.
I wish I would have know about it w/DS too, they put me on Prozac for PPD, and they told me it is generally considered safe while breastfeeding, they really haven't done studies to make sure. After all, they can't use human babies to do the studies on... and that they didn't know if there were any long term side effects. My pharmacist and I were on the same page when it cam to the we don't know and a tiny baby. Having to stop bfing made my PPD all that worse too.

[whitnessforhim]

WOW you are doing awesome!! WTG!! Keep up the good work.