First, let me tell you my philosophy, so that you get an idea where I am coming from. I believe that, for babies who do OK on formula, the nurturing at the breast is even more important than the milk. I know that, in my communication with Dr. Newman he said basically the same thing, more than once. That's certainly not to say that the milk isn't very, very important! In the vast majority of situations, babies who are fed at the breast with a supplementer get a significant amount of breast milk, even if their moms do nothing else but that. So, my suggestions center on trying to get feeding and nurturing at the breast well established. In my experience, many more babies and moms who succeed at that go on to receive the benefits of breastfeeding beyond the first few months. Those months are the biggest challenge. After that, it gets to be less work and more fun. Toddler nursing is especially wonderful!
My first suggestion is that you consider giving the Lact-Aid another try. If you can get things going with that, you can forget the pumping, if you want, and just feed at the breast. That takes stress off of you because you are feeding the baby and expressing your breasts at the same time. If you still want to do some pumping, you can do it less often, or pump the other side while nursing the baby. It is also entirely likely that you will produce significantly more milk with the baby at the breast being your primary breast stimulation, than with the pump. I could never pump more than a tablespoon of milk a time, and usually only about a teaspoon, but produced up to 16 ounces of milk a day with just the suckling to stimulate it. That was without any kind of medication or advanced preparation.
The Lact-Aid is tricky, at first, but if you stick with it, it gets to be simple. I say that with a total of several years of using it, with six adopted babies. It also depends on what you want to achieve. With my first son, born in 1983, I had almost no help or support, but I did have a Lact-Aid. Like you, I found it very difficult. After a few days of using it, I also had such sore nipples that I didn't want anyone within three feet of my breasts. I ended up feeding with a bottle and nursing for comfort. That was much better than nothing, but very far from reaching my goal of nursing for at least a year. By about three months, he was no longer interested in nursing. Because he had learned that he wasn't getting a good flow of milk from my breast, like he did the bottle, he wasn't doing the nutritive suckling.
Later, with his younger brother, I decided I was going to stick with it and conquer the challenges. I knew that other mothers had done it and figured I could, too, and I did! One thing that helped was that I made myself concentrate on getting nursing with the Lact-Aid established, and not worry so much about milk during that time. Like I said, focusing on getting feeding at the breast going well will tend to help you produce more milk, in the long run. Babies benefit from it for several years. Immunologically, getting some amount of breast milk can be even more important beyond six months than before it, because that is when the stores of maternal antibodies the baby is born with run out.
Have you taped the Lact-Aid tubing, before? It can be very helpful, while you are getting started with it. The pink hairsetting tape works very well. I found it best to use a length of tape about three inches and tape it lengthwise from above the areola to down just above the nipple, with the tube sticking out about a quarter inch over the nipple. You won't want to keep taping it to your areola for long, because removing it can be difficult, but it can be very helpful while you and the baby are learning. It is also good to have a nursing bra that has a frame that goes all the way around the breast, because that helps you keep the tube under control. Usually, once you get beyond the first few days of doing it, the bra frame is all you need to help you keep track of the tube. Here is a picture of the kind of bra I mean
http://www.biggerbras.com/goddess-full-f...&subid=9816 It is helpful to control the situation as well as can, in other ways. Swaddle the baby in a receiving blanket, so that you don't have little hands flailing around. Have pillows to hold the baby up to your breast, something to put your feet up, etc.. Breast size, arm length and that kind of thing varies, so it may take a little experimenting to find what works for you.
Have you tried different positions? I found it helpful to start with the baby in an upright clutch position, facing the breast, with his legs going under that arm. I could see the baby's mouth and the Lact-Aid tube very well, in that position. I am trying to post a link to a fairly good picture. Don't know if it will work or not.
http://www.smartparenting.com.ph/images/...ing_on/5_FB.jpg I tried to keep mine sitting up higher than that. I can't tell if she has her arms supported, which is what I did.
To try to minimize frustration, find a time when you think the baby will be interested in feeding, but not real hungry, to work on getting the Lact-Aid working for you. Have a bottle ready, too. If things start to get frustrating with one session, go ahead and feed with the bottle and then try again another time.
How many Lact-Aids do you have? It is very helpful to have enough that you don't have to wash and fill more than twice a day. A pack of four Lact-Aid units costs about the same as a double kit. With six, you can wash and prepare them once one day and twice the next. Some moms refill the bags once, which I think is safe, as long as you get it right back into the fridge after using it the first time. I didn't do it with a newborn, but I did after a few months. You can make it on just two Lact-Aids, but you just have to plan a little better. Having one ready and waiting in the fridge when the baby wants to be fed takes a lot of stress away. I kept one in the fridge in a Tupperware tumbler, with the neck cord all ready attached. I ran hot water into the tumbler, to take the chill off and then just flipped the cord around my neck and the unit under my shirt. You don't have to have the supplement warm, but most moms do like to take the chill off of it. I have known moms who didn't like using the neck cord and found other things that worked for them. One folded the unit into a tea towel and then laid it across her upper chest. You can use a cloth pocket with clips and clip it to your bra. Some moms sew clips onto their bras and just attach the unit directly to it. I have tried all of those, but the way I specified above was what I found as the easiest way to get ready to go. I could do it all with one hand, so I didn't even have to put the baby down. Don't be afraid to be creative in finding what works for you.
If you have a husband or partner around, they can help a great deal. Sometimes it helps to have someone to assist in getting the baby and the tube positioned properly. Some husbands take responsibility for keeping the Lact-Aids cleaned and filled. Keeping any other children in the family under control helps, too, and so does keeping visitors to a minimum. I didn't have much help of that kind, but it is nice if you can get it!
Clothing is important, too. When you are learning, it is helpful to be able to take your top off. That is better even than wearing something that buttons up the front. Later, wearing something that lifts up from the waist is very helpful. I found that kind of thing better than nursing clothing with slits because it was both easier to get to the Lact-Aid, and easier to prevent exposing your breast to anyone who happens to be around.
I guess the last thing I should say is that this sounds complicated, but it is only like that in the beginning. It is kind of like training a puppy. If you put in a significant amount of effort right at the beginning, it makes things much, much simpler in the long run!
If you decide to try the Lact-Aid again and have any specific questions, I will try to answer them, and I am sure other moms here will too. I hope this isn't rambling too much to follow. I am trying to get back to helping other moms more, like I used to and I keep thinking of things I haven't thought about in a while. My youngest child weaned more than 13 years ago, so it has been a while!
Best Wishes,
Darillyn
