Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply sorry to be such a whiner, need encouragement

hey all, I am truly sorry to be such a whiner, but I am about ready to give up.

DH went out of town last night and I spiked a fever....just over tired I think, i wound up giving Ben two bottles for middle of the night feeds. I just neeed to get back to sleep. He took the bottles fast as opposed to the LA which takes him usually 45 min on average.

Add to this my left is plugged again and I am sick of fiddling with it.

After the two bottles feeds, Ben seemed more alert this morning. Awkae and eye opened for a longer spell.

I don't want to quit BF, I love it, but it is so hard right now.

I saw an ibclc and she said my latch was good. But Ben just takes forever to finish off 2 oz in the lactaid....

Help?

Thanks and again sorry for the rant,

eden

Dear Eden, I feel for you. Sounds like you are really frustrated. After Joshua came home, I also felt like I was constantly nursing. I kept track for a couple days and discovered I was *literally* spending 6 (SIX!!) hours a day nursing at first. but that was just what my milk supply needed. Are you putting your feet up each time you nurse? Do you have water near you all the time? Do you have a good book to read or junky TV to watch? All these things will make you more comfortable and relaxed even if feedings last a long time. And remember, new moms are not SUPPOSED to get anything done except baby stuff. <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />
At night I found that I could stay in bed to nurse, using a backrest pillow and other pillows to totally support my arms and back and head. I was sitting, but leaning way back into the pillows with my body relaxed. I was just tired enough to be able to doze while nursing that way. Not ideal, but those cat naps were WAYYYY better than sitting up in the rocker for hours each night. That tip alone was a sanity saver for me. Try it, OK??? I got a tiny lamp and put it next to the bed so that I had just enough light to latch him on-- then I would just doze back to sleep as he ate.
To speed up feedings you could shorten the cord that goes around your neck holding up the lactaid so that the lactaid is higher as he nurses. What are you putting in the lactaid? I found that if there was even an ounce of breastmilk mixed in with the formula, it flowed faster and easier.

You may need antibiotics for that fever and breast soreness. A breast infection can make you feel very flu-ey and depressed.

Another thing you can do to help the amount of milk he is getting is breast compression. For 5 min of each feeding on each side, try gently squeezing and compressing the breast as he nurses. Another good thing to increase supply is the double switch. This may help him stay awake, too. Nurse 10 min on each side, then repeat, (like this: L. 10 min, R. 10 min, L. 10 min, R. 10 min) so that during a feeding he will have nursed a total of 20 min on each side.

The last two tactics I would just do during the day. Basically at night I would keep it as relaxed and low-maintainance as possible. Ideally he would nurse as you doze.


have you tried finger-feeding with the Lactaid? If he needs a bit more supplement, that would cause less nipple confusion than the bottle, and you husband could still help with that too.....

Hang in there, Eden. I bet this can still work for you. I know how much you WANT it to work and I will be praying it starts to get easier soon.

Oh Eden,
I feel so sad for you! I can sense your frustration. I have no advise as I just started the protocol 2 weeks ago, but I wanted to offer cyber hugs and let you know I'm here cheering you on! Keep nursing that baby...you'll be glad you did. {{{ Eden }}}

Jen
Mommy to two little boys
Adopting another : )

Eden,
You are not whining!!!! You are supposed to come here for help, okay? That's why we are here!
I don't have any suggestions, as I have never breastfed anyone, yet. But I do know that at that age, Daphne would take a long time to finish her bottles, and it was hard to keep her awake, too. So it is not just a breastfeeding thing, it is his age.
Are you able to lay down while nursing him? I, obviously, haven't tried it yet, but I am told it makes things a lot easier. You can just latch on Ben, and start snoozing. See if you can do it. And get that boy on your left breast. Do you have a Maya wrap? Put him in that, and hook him up to your left breast and leave him there for awhile. You will get used to walking around with a child on your breast, and the Maya wrap is supposed to be very comfortable.
Don't give up, sweetie, you are doing great, and you have come this far. There will be a time in the near future that this will all happen more easily, and you will wonder what you were having a hard time with.
Hugs,

Hi Eden,
I agree with what everyone else is saying,,,just wanted to say I hope things get better for you. Hang in there , Cathy

Now I have a really yucky deal! My plugged duct gave way to mastitis...but here is the icky part...........

when my plugged duct gave way it gave way to tan sticky stuff....I guess that is because I didn't use that breast at all for awhile and went back to square one almost. It is mucousy and yucky.....I am going to have to pump that side again like crazy.

ugh!

Eden

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry about the mastitis! Hope it clears up QUICKLY!

Jen

Eden,
I've been checking in here everyday, just to see how it's going with you. How's it going? How is the plugged duct/mastitis? Is it better now? Did you get antibiotics? How's the baby doing?
Keep us posted! And I hope you are all doing well.

Doing better!!!!

Baby is doing very well , except for baby acne! Ben is gainging weight and eating better and the mastitis seems to have taken care of itself...no more fever and I am nursing on the side again....one fo the things is that I picked at a milk blister so much it scabbed over my one good duct on that side so now I have to pick it ( gross!) everytime to get it going....who knows....I may wind up being an amazon nurser....one side only~

I love nursing so much....it is so wonderful .

How is your situation shaping up Dawn? I am still sending my best vibes!

Love,
Eden

Our situation is looking good! I feel confident in it, but I am still nervous something will happen to make BM change her mind. I think I am "gunshy" because of the last situation. Any prayers you send our way would be appreciated!
We are trying to figure out travel arrangements, and see when we will fly out there. I am going to fly out for the birth, and then Jim and Daphne are either going to drive or fly out afterwards. I am hoping they will be flying. Jim's coworker offered to use his frequent flier miles to help with airfare, so hopefully that is the route we will be using. I am not sure if I will make a reservation for me before the due date, or just wait until she goes into labor. We are trying to figure that out right now. We don't want me to be out there for a week or more before she has the baby. I have never been away from Daphne even overnight, and it's going to be so hard. Plus, staying in a hotel for weeks gets expensive. Jim will be bringing a laptop with him when he comes, so I will have computer access then. In the meantime, I may try to find a library to access the 'net.
I am glad you guys are doing better. Keep trying to nurse on that side, as I know it will get better. And nursing all through it will help you in the end. I am watching your progress, as I have never nursed before, either, and want to make the most of it. I am only bringing two bottles with me, I think, to make sure that I am nursing the baby the whole time. I will have time in the hotel room of just the two of us, to practice nursing, and see if we can get the hang of it quickly.
I am so excited, the baby is all I can talk about. I am praying that this all works out well for everyone, including BM. And that the time passes quickly. I am thinking this may be the last adoption for us, and that we may move on to trying to conceive after this.
Thanks for listening to me ramble. It's hard to get me to shutup these days! <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />
Hugs, Dawn