To Stop Breastfeeding Or Not
5 Replies
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ok, my son is 4 weeks old and i have exclusively br___tfed up to this point except for the couple times i have attempted to pump. i have tried to pump a couple times hoping to have enough for my bf to feed him a couple times or to have enough for us to go out without me having to go to the bathrooms to feed him, but no matter how long i pump i cant seem to get more than an ounce(it might just be the pump). when he eats he eats close to an hour before hes completely content and so its a hassel to go out without taking forever if i have to feed him, and it hurts to pump after 20 min(my nipples start to feel raw). so i was thinking i should start to move him to formula, but i dont want to skimp him on the benefits of br___tfeeding, and if i switch to formula it would probably be all formula if he takes it. that and im planning on going to wrk within a week or so, so i would have to make the transition to formula soon bc theres no way i could pump enough to maintain what he needs unless hes feeding on them himself. so how should i do this? should i just start formula now, or just keep pumping and hope it gets better the more i do it and suck up the pain(its not realistic to pump while at work for all the time it consumes)? id like to continue pumping bc its good for him but at the same time im getting tires of it and feel it should be time for formula...any tips on what to do would be nice...
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Hi Nicole, have you tried pumping while feeding from the other? Also does your son have problems latching on? My daughter was tongue tied and took up to an hour and a half to feed, since having it fixed she's latching on better and not so slow. She's 6 weeks old.
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he latches on fine and eats well. he pa__ses out at about 15 min into eating but still sucks/eats while pa__sed out, and if i take away from him and put him down he wakes up acting like hes hungry,so it might be more of a comfort thing/want to suck something thing.
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 | C - July 7 |
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What kind of pump are you using? I use the electric double pump (madela pump in style) and it works wonderful. I went back to work after 6 weeks so I needed a good one. I didn't start getting a lot out of my pump until I was back to work. When I was around him all he wanted to do was b___stfeed. Now I pump 3 times at work (10 minutes per session) getting 4-9 oz at a session. It got so much easier after I went back to work. He used to eat for an hour (about 30 minutes on each side) and now after about 15 minutes on each side he is done. I did introduce formula b4 I went back to work because like you I didn't want to spend an hour b___stfeeding him at a store. I would suggest trying different things and see what works for you. I personally b___st feed b4 work and then my sitter uses my pumped b___st milk. When that runs out, she gives him formula. Then if I stay at home after work I try to b___stfeed. If I have plans, he gets more formula.
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 | kc - July 11 |
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When you pump it does take time to build up a supply that is worth the effort. Remember it is a supply and demand thing. Your son is getting the amount he needs. If you are pumping an additional ounce after his feeding that is quite a bit. It took close to a week of pumping when my daughter was 6 weeks old to get enough for one feeding. If you are planning on going to work and pumping is not working for you. You could nurse part time and bottle the rest. Nurse in morning before work, at supper time and during the night. Bottle during the day at the sitter. At work you maybe able to pump one feeding to supplement one of the sitter feedings so the baby will be getting 2 bottle feedings at the most. I lucked out. With my job I was able to bring my daughter with me which helped with nursing. I was able to nurse for 9 months. If you think nursing and working would be too difficult remember you gave your son the colostrom (antibodies) and good milk for a full month. You did the best you could. You need to make a decision that is best for you and your baby. Babies can sense stress. and sometimes bottle is the best. Good Luck and nurse for as long as you can and feel comfortable. As long as he is getting some feedings. Its better than all formula.
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 | m - July 12 |
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he shouldn't be eating for an hour. That's what my dd did in the beginning and I had a low milk supply. I could pump about 2-3 ounces, so it may be your pump. Try getting another pump and give him what you get. You can't do much more than that at this point. There are pills that can be prescribed to you to increase your prolactin which may increase your supply (I did it and it didn't help me much, but it has for others)
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