breast feeding problems

My baby is just over a month old now, I started breast feeding right after delivery, everything was going fine the first couple days, then xmas eve night I was up all night with her none stop nursing and she was still hungry screaming (my milk didnt come in yet) so I cracked and gave her an oz of formula and she went right to sleep. thats how it went until my milk came in a couple days later. everything was going good i was nursing every 2-3 hours and able to pump a little inbetween feedings. then my milk supply dropped to where i had to start giving formula again, so i stopped nursing and just pumping every two hours, and i was only able to get an oz to an oz and a half all together, everyday im giving her more and more formula no matter how often i pump, i even nurse then pump and give her formula to keep her not hungry. today i nursed her at 4pm and had to give her almost 3 oz of formula after, 2 and a half hours later i go to pump and i got no milk out of my right breast and only a half a oz out of my right. I really wanted to only breast feed no formula and i dont know what to do.

<blockquote><b>Quoting jessthom89:</b>" My baby is just over a month old now, I started breast feeding right after delivery, everything was going ... [snip!] ... right breast and only a half a oz out of my right. I really wanted to only breast feed no formula and i dont know what to do."</blockquote>




stop supplementing and stop pumping. NURSE ONLY for a few days. you might.Be nursing for 60 hours straight but that is about the only way you will get your supply up and regulated. you can use supplements to increase you supply like oatmeal and fenugreek, but that will only increase production. it won't regulate it. the more you supplement the less milk you will make because your body will think your baby isn't eating as much.

stop giving formula. What made you think your supply dropped? What you pump is NO indication of what you are producing. I could never pump 1/2oz some women just dont respond well to a pump. At a month they are still regulating your supply and everytime you supplement you are hurting your supply. Just let her nurse as much as she wants even if its all day. Her sucking will stimulate. Drink plenty of water and make sure you are eating. You can try fenugreek, mothers milk tea, have a dark beer or google a recipe for lactation cookies and make them. If she is peeing and pooping and gaining weight your supply is 100% fine.

How do you know your milk supply dropped? Are you just assuming by your child's reaction? Often times what happens (soon after birth like a week and at three months and so on) your child goes through a growth spurt. They will eat and eat and eat. My kid screamed a lot too. They are getting enough food, just upping your supply. My boobs felt so empty but thats normal. Formula feeding is only going to hurt your supply. I would wean your child off the formula (i'm assuming this is what you want, that's why I suggest it) and allow your child to nurse. The more they nurse/you pump the more you will make. You can also take herbs like fenugreek and mothers tea to up your supply.

after nursing she keeps searching for food and flipping out, every time i try to offer her the breast again and she pulls right off and starts crying

Quoting jessthom89:" after nursing she keeps searching for food and flipping out, every time i try to offer her the breast again and she pulls right off and starts crying"

She might be getting used to the bottle. She doesnt have to work at it as much as she does when nursing. The bottle is instant food nursing they have to wait for let down and work for their food.

she does fine when shes first on the breast then about 10-15 mins later she gets off so i switch her over then she does it again and starts screaming and rooting and will not re latch

Quoting jessthom89:" after nursing she keeps searching for food and flipping out, every time i try to offer her the breast again and she pulls right off and starts crying"

Fussing at the breast is a normal behavior in babies. Just keep nursing through the fussing and your supply will go up. Baby will not starve.

hi i am having the same kind of problems, my baby lost under his 10% at day 15 so we've been had to do formular topups at the moment i am breast feeding then giving him my expressed breast milk then if still looking for food i am then giving the formular now he's just got over his birth weight which is great but now i want to just breast feed and stop the formular.this breast feeding is hard work