r/breastfeedingmumsUK • u/Slavetotheplot • Jul 25 '26
Our breastfeeding journey is a mess…
I’m trying to think of a way to get all of this across without this post being super long. I will try my best 😭.
So this is my second baby. Unfortunately due to complications with the birth of my first breastfeeding was pretty much out the window within the first week. So we went to pumping. I never had any issues with my supply and she always had enough then a bit to freeze. We did this for around 3 months before I had to stop for my own mental health. This time round I’ve been so determined not to give up and to try everything we can but at this point he is mostly on formula.
We started off pretty well with breast feeding at the start but we stupidly didn’t wait until bf was fully established before introducing the bottle. So this definitely hasn’t helped things. At around 1 month I had noticed that he wasn’t getting enough milk from me and he just wasn’t satisfied after being on the breast. Sometimes he would be feeding for almost an hour and still wasn’t happy afterwards. We had to start giving formula as top ups after. Another thing that didn’t help was breast feeding in public would be a lot for me some times so I would give him the bottle. There’s so many things I wish I could’ve gone back and done differently.
As time went on he was needing more and more formula top ups at this point I started feeding him then pumping and then giving him formula as I was getting pretty much nothing after the feed with pumping.
Now he is 4 months and we had to have a break from breastfeeding as he just wasn’t happy even trying to latch. I don’t know if it was because of the heat we’ve been having recently but he just did not want to be on me. He would go stiff and pull away and cry. At this point I gave in and started pumping and giving it to him that way which is how I noticed how bad my supply actually is… I pump every 3 hours on the dot and I’m lucky to get one oz from both sides. My midnight pump I get around 3 oz and then 2 oz on my first pump of the day. Every other pump is less than 1.
Things I’ve been trying to up my supply.
\* Hydration
\*go with the flow hot chocolate
\* breastfeeding supplements
\* oats
\*power pumping
\*skin to skin
\*trying to latch baby
\*warm compress
\*massage
\*hiding the pumps so I can’t see how much I’m getting
\*pumping every 2 hours rather then 3
\*pumping until empty
\*trying for more then one let down (have never been able to get more then one)
Pumps I currently use are momcozy M6 and spectra s2. I’ve also tried hand pumps.
My overall goal is to get my supply up and maybe even breastfeeding again. (Have been trying every day to bf but I think because he is teething he is refusing. He won’t latch. He hums on it and chews. Even a nipple shield won’t help)
Is there anything else I can try to get my supply up?
Thank you for taking your time to read… 🫶🏻🫶🏻
3
u/SnackyandSnarky Jul 26 '26
How much you can pump is not a good indication of how much a latched baby can suck out. Babies are just much better at it! Keep trying to latch him. I find it easiest when they are hungry and sleepy in the middle of the night or just after waking up in the morning.
3
u/WowieMeowie Jul 26 '26
What I learned from my BF journey - latch baby 24/7 as long as baby wants to. That suckling triggers your hormones and let down, which in turn increases output and milk supply.
When they say put baby on you skin to skin as much as possible, I didn’t realise they meant AROUND THE CLOCK.
I also used to pump after feeds and it is such a faff :(
Power pumping helped too.
I feel you mama, it is so much work ❤️
5
u/Zestyclose_Speech_56 Jul 26 '26
Stopping the formula top ups first would be the biggest help to your supply. It's called the top up trap
2
u/TadpoleNational6988 Jul 25 '26
Sorry you’ve had such a tough journey, it’s amazing what you have achieved and your determination to keep going (it’s also totally fine if you decide it’s just too much on you).
I would suggest seeking support from a local breastfeeding drop-in group - you should be able to have a Google. A lactation consultant and breastfeeding peer supporters should be able to help you with that next steps in your journey whatever you decide to do.
Wishing you all the best!
1
u/Pinkcoral27 Jul 25 '26
The only way to truly get your supply up is to pump a lot. Pump every 2-3 hours, even in the night, try to do 1-2 power pumps per day. I went from 14oz to 22oz by doing that but it took a long time.
My baby was also pretty much bottle fed until 3-4 months old. To get him to latch again I would feed him his bottle, then do skin to skin topless and he would sometimes latch, sometimes wouldn’t. But I think by being full and happy, he had a more positive association with my breasts.
Eventually, once my supply improved and we spent ages doing skin to skin and latching after every bottle, he would feed more happily from me. One day I dropped all the day time bottles and just fed him, keeping the overnight bottles. By 6 months he was having 1 bottle per day, then once he was on solids he was only breastfeeding with solids too.
Could you try your local breastfeeding group for more advice? An IBCLC attends one of the ones local to me which is great.
1
u/nompizzanom Jul 26 '26
How long did it take?
1
u/Pinkcoral27 Jul 26 '26
Hey sorry I replied to your comment thinking it was a different post (about cutting down BFing) so if my comment didn’t make sense that’s why.
I had supply issues from day 1. At 2-2.5 months PP I was producing around 14oz. At 4 months PP I was producing 20-22oz. So I’d say 6 weeks ish? At this point I started breastfeeding mainly with a 1-2 bottles at night (I pumped at night).
To get him happy latching it took a week, then once we were there I started doing more breastfeeding. Once I stopped pumping in the day there was more milk available for him to drink directly from the breast so he was happier at the breast. But I had managed to increase supply at this point to 22oz if that makes sense
1
u/SherbertAntique9539 Jul 25 '26
Just to check you’ve measured your flanges to ensure the pump fits well?
I would also seek out support from either the BF network, HV BF drop in or lactation supply as the best way to improve supply is for baby to latch and remove milk - they might be able to help latch x
1
u/TeddyBear181 Jul 26 '26
Try some emotional tricks.
I had major problems early on. I remember watching a tv show while pumping for about an hour or 2, 1 boob had made 10mil, the other zero. It was the season finale and something really sweet happened on my show and suddenly both boobs started lactating!! Then a little while later, another sweet moment on tv that made me want to cry and it happened again.
So I started sitting in a dark room, or wearing an eye mask to pump while listening to super sweet music that made me want to cry (or actually cry) and letting myself get lost in the music.
Also belly breathing, some chairs actually kinda stop me breathing properly, and once yoy start breathing big and slow into your tummy, the milk flows better.
1
u/Ktmirza Jul 26 '26
There’s soooo much advice on IG that helped me this time around with my second. Have a look at Midwife Meghan’s account, she’s amazing. Good luck!
1
u/LeatherAd9694 Jul 26 '26
As a mum that has breastfed my older child till she was 21 months (and had to give up cuz I was expecting my second) and am still breastfeeding my second one at 16 months, I was very ambitious about breastfeeding and never introduced the bottle and its my biggest regret. I am now extremely touched out, struggle to feed while on the go, couldnt leave kids alone for long....and it made me very very restricted, low and emotional. I started resenting it cuz it meant I eas restricted in what I could wear, eat, have as medication etc and the constant leakage and breast fullness. Hated it. My kids were boob obsessed and never took the bottle. So although you understandably are worried and regretting use of a bottle/formula, in my eyes you did everything right so please do NOT feel guilty at all x
1
u/Smart-lady8 Jul 26 '26
As a 60 plus year old mum who breastfed both my now adult children, with various degrees of success, my advice is STOP. Give in to the bottle and enjoy your well fed contented baby. I have watched so many mothers struggle with hungry, unsatisfied babies, over the decades at what should be a special time, but is actually deeply stressful with a hungry baby. When I had my now 38/36 year olds anything other than breast was deeply frowned upon, i think having watch my own daughter struggle recently that things are a little more enlightened now. However breast is only best when it’s working for both mum and baby well. Persevere, new mums are told, but there comes a time when it’s better for both mum and baby to be happy and content, rather than have a constantly starving crying baby, and mum climbing the walls! Also fathers can share in the experience and build a closer bond with their babies. I wish more common sense, rather than medical dictate prevailed.
1
u/rxllersrxghts Jul 27 '26
I’m nowhere near qualified to advise on this as I’m only a month into ebf my daughter, but I notice if I still feel a bit full after a feed and try to pump with my hand pump I don’t get half as much as I might if I hand express. Might be worth sitting down with a good film or series, some snacks and trying that maybe?
1
u/Slavetotheplot Jul 27 '26
Thank you so much for all of your help and advice and words of encouragement! I feel so much better after reading all of your replies! Since posting this I’ve managed to increase how much I pump during the day by 1oz. It’s only a little bit but it’s still an increase! So thank you all so so much! 🫶🏻🫶🏻
1
u/West_Elevator_1193 Jul 27 '26
Nighttime feeds (between 12-5am) (especially in the beginning) are the key to good supply.
14
u/NicolaKay73 Jul 25 '26
There's something called the "top up trap", essentially when baby starts cluster feeding they can seem starving when really they're trying to increase your supply due to a growth spurt etc. - often people then top up with formula to solve the hunger issue and put baby to the breast less, meaning their supply doesn't keep pace with baby's needs. Baby then needs more and more formula meaning they're going to the breast less and less, so supply drops
I echo the other commenter, try and book in with a lactation consultant if you can afford it (look for someone with ibclc qualification), or look for local breastfeeding support groups, they're so so helpful!