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skp View Drop Down
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    Posted: 08 August 2009 at 10:04pm
I am so tired and really disappointed with BF!
As a teenager I had a car accident and was left with a damaged breast and ended up having double implants to try to match them up - so one has almost no breast tissue and they both have implants. My normal breast is producing milk and I feed and express, but since my DD was 3 days old we have been giving her topups as I didn't have enough milk.
So I BF for as long as I can, then feed her expressed milk, then top up with formula. She is only 3 wks old and is taking 50-100ml of expressed and formula after feeding, which seems heaps. The latch is not great now because she knows the bottle has faster flow and will fall asleep on the boob so I take her off and 5min later is screaming, or she gets really angry at the boob and I figure my milk must be really slow and give up.
Can anyone offer any advice, I have seen a lactation person when she was 3-5 days old but didn't get that much from it.
Do I keep latching a trying when she gets angry or falls asleep?
How long should I let her feed for?
Do any other ladies one side feed with success?
How long should there be between feeds to know she is getting enough?

I have tried the feeding tube but find it very hard to latch with it, does anyone have any tips? The tube sticks up in the air when I hold my nipple for her and her mouth is not wide enough to take tube and nipple

I am off to see the same lactation lady on tues but just feeling so down about it all and know sometimes other mothers have such good advice and tips that might help! Sorry about the essay!
And thanks for any help in advance
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Bizzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bizzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 August 2009 at 8:38am
when i had my first child i got bad thrush and would feed off one breast only during the day. bub would feed, have a burp then go back on the same side... i also know a lady who had breast implants who successfully breastfed... it is definitely do able to feed from one side only.

i'm not sure how young your bub is but know that it is quite common for young babies to fall asleep at the breast... my first child was terrible for doing it and for him if i touched his nose it would get him sucking again. other things you can try are stroking thier cheek, rubbing the palm of their hand (its linked to their suck reflex), changing their nappy, taking off a layer of clothes. in the beginning they do need to be encouraged to keep feeding.

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weegee View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote weegee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 August 2009 at 4:34pm
Sorry I don't have any personal experience, I just wanted to add two things:
- have a look at ibreastfed.com, I'm pretty sure I saw a story about feeding off one side only (think it was called "my bung boob" or something like that) and I know there's at least one story about the tube thingy too.
- if she's getting angry at the boob to start off with then it's possible she's getting frustrated waiting for letdown, and because you're tensing up or stressed out you're inhibiting your letdown. There are some great suggestions for slow letdown on kellymom - it's partly a conditioned reflex and there are some things you can try to get it happening faster (various relaxation/visualisation techniques worked for us when we had some issues). Otherwise if she's getting frustrated when your letdown slows, maybe you could look into ways of increasing your supply.

I'm no expert but seems babies can be quite lazy and prefer the bottle because they don't have to work for it - so I'd say you should only supplement when you absolutely have to or she'll get the idea that if she just holds out a little she'll get the bottle. (Also the more you supplement the less your boob will produce - there will be a delay but you have to give your boob some time to adjust its supply. They're quite clever things when they're given a chance!)

In terms of how long and often she should feed, my personal opinion is at 3 weeks old it should be as long and as often as she wants. Look out for her hunger signs (like sticking her tongue out at you or crying with a "na" or "nya" sound) and follow her lead

Good luck!

Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010
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weegee View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote weegee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 August 2009 at 4:58pm
I forgot to say - plenty of twin mums manage to successfully breastfeed and their babies only get an average of one boob each

Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010
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Nikki View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nikki Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 August 2009 at 2:28pm
I think its possible - good example re twins mums. my bubs have both only feed on one boob per feed too - I know its not quite the same .... but the boobs will make as much as they are normally having sucked out. So if I was you I'd keep expressing in between feeds to get your supply up. And keep bub on as long as possible, if shes getting stressed you could try expressing for a few seconds before putting her on so she doesn't have to wait for the milk.
And blessed thistle capsules and complan are both good for increasing supply.

Good luck!
DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs)
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hailstones View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hailstones Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 August 2009 at 3:25pm
One of my close friends only fed her bub from one side (not from any medical reason though - not really sure why) and her wee girl was BF for 15 months - so is do-able.

I would probaly try what Nikki has said - about the expressing before you latch her on to help promote your let down, also 2nd the Blessed thistle, other things that are good for milk supply are Bananas (apparently) and Brewers yeast

ETA - Hope the lactation consultant can help you out, also you could try La Leche for some advice. I know its hard to handle it all when you are so tired!

Edited by hailstones

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