(Also in BIO and Breastfeeding)

Hi girls,

So here's the deal - Lo is almost 6 weeks old and in the past 6-7 days he has started feeding roughly every 50 mins, the times between feeding seems to have got less and less as the weeks have gone on, so as you can imagine my nipples are very sore. Also, he's packed on a few pounds in the past couple of weeks, which I'm really happy about, but as I've had a cesaerean every time he leans on my gut to feed it has started to make the area around my incision start to feel extremely tender and uncomfortable again.

When he's feeding he now only seems to want to feed for around 5-10 mins and then doesn't want anymore. I read somewhere that I should try to wind him or change him and then try him on the same breast again but he doesn't seem interested.

At the moment all the pros go in favour of turning to formula feeding instead. I don't want to give up breastfeeding but I don't think I can continue doing it if it carries on as it is at the moment.

Thanks in advance for any advice
KM xxx

Hi,

I felt like this a lot in the early days but I always persevered because after a few days things improved and I was so glad I hadn't given up. My LO is 10 months now and I'm still feeding.

At six weeks he could be having a growth spurt which would explain the frequent feeding, but also he's getting more efficient at feeding which is why he feeds for shorter periods - he's not necessarily getting less milk, but it does feel like it.

You could try some nipple shields in the short term to help with the soreness and maybe try a different position so there's less pressure on your scar. I always found that lying down facing each other was a lovely way to feed.

Is there a breast feeding clinic near you? I got loads of help and advice from mine and also from the La Leche League - especially at 3am when I was in tears!

Obviously you have to do what's right for you, but we had lots of blips in the first three months and just when I thought I couldn't cope any more, things improved.

Hang in there, you're doing brilliantly and it WILL get easier very soon.

B xx

Hey I think mothercare do special under garment type things to protect c sec scars, might help take the pressure off, I found lanisoh amazing for sore nipples. As bf is well established you could try expressing to give you a small break and to get your oh to help? Sounds like you're doing well with lo's weight gain x

Also have you tried some distraction techniques between feeds? Just perhaps if you can him go longer he'll take more in one sitting x

I also had a CS and didn't have the problem you describe, there's many positions. breastfeeding is time consuming and exhausting but it is the best you can give your baby. If you give up you're doing it for yourself not your baby. There's not a baby in the world who's not interested in the boob, if he's not interested then there's something amiss. Go and speak to HV, get some support and everytime you heave your boob out you're doing a wonderful thing and it only gets easier. I'm afraid I wouldn't have given my baby formula unless my boobs actually dropped off, it's not the best food for them. Also increased feeding is just a growth spurt, it will pass and ignore any nonsense about getting him to wait 3 hours between feeds, just give him it when he wants it, and yes that won't leave much time for you but that's what the early days are all about. The plus side for you??? All your baby weight will drop off. Don't give up because once you have you can't go back.

Just to say sorry but I think saying " if you stop bf its for you not your baby" is a potentially upsetting comment, as much as a baby needs nourishment it also needs a happy mummy and whilst bf is ideal its not always possible or straight forward, its a very emotive.subject.

i disagree, mich, completely. having a baby is about doing what is best for them. you make sacrifices. breastfeeding at first is difficult, but it is stil the best thing for the baby. to give formula because you want to do things for yourself is a selfish mummy, not a good mummy. i persoanlly think my baby's happiness and health is more important than me getting "me time".

it doesnt last long when they want milk all the time, it's not much of a sacrifice when it's the best thing for your baby. my god i would have been happy to not be in pain due for nearly 2 weeks with every feed to one bad attachment, but i kept going as it is the best thing for my baby. i would not have been happy giving up because it was easier for me, i would have felt selfish.

moo, 6 weeks is growth spurt time. and just like busby says babies get quicker at getting the milk. go to bf groups and take all the support there is aout there and remember 6 weeks is a turning point. most women stop at or before 6 weeks, so you have done a fantasitc job so far. get past this point and you'll be on easy street. if you want further confirmation, check out the pros and cons for formula and breastfeeding. you will notice all the pros for bfing are health benefits for mum and baby and all the pros for formula feeding are all about the ease for mother.

Sorry but when did I ever say anything about "me time" when I said mummy being happy I meant as opposed to being miserable. I'm totally pro bf just think it's wise to be careful with words as for some people its not easy and to infer they are selfish for making the decision to stop is potentially very hurtful.

Also wonder where you get off constantly forcing your opinions on what makes a good/bad/selfish parent ? Goodness knows how you find time to be a mummy when you spend so long on here criticizing or sat there polishing your halo ..........

Have you tried lying down on your bed and feeding him along side you. I do that for her breakfast feed, it's a lovely start to the day. Just don't do it when you're knackered or half asleep in the middle of the night if you're worried about the baby sleeping in your bed/co sleeping.

Moo, my son (now 19wks) did exactly the same thing around 6 weeks, I had days where I didn't leave the sofa as he was so hungry! It is the time for a major growth spurt, it maybe something you have to plow through! The best thing you can do it keep latching on as your baby will also be increasing your supply by feeding more frequently so by giving the odd bottle of formula you will affect the supply situation. If you want to see how much he's feeding you could express if he will take the bottle?

You have got to 6 weeks and it does get easier from here, I had a nightmare first 4 weeks and it wasn't until I'd seen a bf counsellor that things improved for us. I also bought a 'my brest friend' pillow, it is a hard foam pillow you clip round your waist and it did the trick for us as I didn't have to hold him and made latching easier - this could also help your section scar.

Nipples will eventually harden up a bit, lanisoh or kamillosan creams are great, as is hand expressing a little milk and rubbing it on the nipple then exposing to the air. I also used medela nipple shields which were fab, better than boots own!

You are doing a great job, bf can take 12 weeks to fully establish and I promise the older he gets, the easier it gets. Do feel free to email me if you need any more advice xxx

calleigh thats a bit rough mrs - bfing is difficult at the start for most but for some it continues throughout I know from posting that in general bfing has been a very good experience for you with your dd sleeping well apart from the usual growth spurts etc etc, just because it has went quite well (i'm not saying it was a breeze as of course its difficult for all) for you doesn't mean it is the same for all and perhaps you should try to look at it form other peoples points of view, also all babies are different, you may find yourself in a similar situation and bfing may not be the nest way forward. You also contradict many health professionals, I'm sorry but a mother who BECAUSE of bfing is slipping down the road of PND etc etc is of course better of FF fr them and for baby, a mother who is depressed and unable to cope etc etc is potentially far more harmful to a child and them than ffing, which btw isn't arsenic.

It's hard to try and stick up for you in other threads when you are so abusive in others mrs, there is nothing wrong with giving your opinion but try not to dam all the other mothers who don't do it exactly as you have done xx what ever happened to constructive critism

ReOP my ds2 was like this and it was a nightmare, he wouldn't take to bottles at all so I had to 'ride it out' although I am glad i did now as it did eventually settle and I was able to enjoy bfing (I hated it for the first 3 months) and then when I did eventually give it up (about a fortnight a go) I found it so hard andupsetting to do as I loved it so much lol lol isn't motherhood funny that way!!!

I wonder how the militant breastfeeders would have coped if they had no milk? You may breastfeed till your boobs drop off but would you see your baby go in and out of hospital dehydrated and malnourished?

Anyway, If I were you I would keep going and see how you feel in a couple of weeks because 6 weeks seems to be a difficult time with a big growtg spurt. I wonder if a breastfeeding support cushion would help. Some advuce about positioning might be helpful too. Formula feeding is not a quick fix and has challanges of its own although these are rarely acknowledged.

I had a similar problem with Abby (minus the c-section!) and I found that expressing milk was an absolute life saver. I was very lucky in that I was able to express 4 generous feeds by just doing one session with the pump, morning and again at night, this made a big difference to us, and (as I was still feeding from me, during the day) it really boosted my supply, and meant that the feeds she was getting from me became bigger meals, rather than just snacks (If only nipples had gauges on them! Would be sooo much easier!) meaning that she would then go back to 3 hourly feeds.

I know expressing isn't for everyone, but it worked wonders for us. so maybe it's worth a try?

I am also very firmly in the happy mum = happy baby camp, I think that the negative effects from having an exhausted/unhappy mummy are far far worse than formula/EBM (which is perfectly OK for babies - despite what people may say). So I really would ignore all the judgement, and do what YOU THINK is best for you and your baby.

Good luck hun.
Nx

this is the kind of thing I was talking about (sure I've seen it raved about on here before)

http://www.c-section.co.uk/c-section-c-belts.html

Giving up BFing is a really hard decision to make - it sounds like you and your lo are doing really well with it and as 6 weeks is likely to be a growth spurt it could be very worthwhile to continue but only you can make the choice.

My situation is very different to yours but thought it may help to read how it feels once that decision has been made. (it may also let the bfing malitia see that sometimes the decision is heartbreaking) I started off BFing, by day 4 my nipples were cracked and oozing pus it was soooo uncomfortable when my daughter latched on. She was getting really upset and raging to the point she was bright red all over she also had a rash. The midwifes kept telling me I had to make a choice about whether I would give my baby a bottle or not. A GP came to see her and said that she was getting upset as she was picking up on my discomfort when she was feeding so I decided to give her a bottle then try expressing to allow my nipples some healing time. The next day my baby was transferred to the local SCBU and put in an incubator - I continued expressing and topping up with formula. When she came out of SCBU I tried her back on the breast but she would not go back on at all. I felt like a complete failure - in hindsight I think that was the start of my PND, But I also feel that the MW's and GP had a huge part to play in me putting my daughter onto the bottle that night - as it turned out my daughter had septicaemia so her rages were because she was ill not because I was uncomfortable bfing. Sorry if I've hijacked your thread for some personal therapy but like I say thought it may help to see the other side.

WOAH!!! I wasn't expecting such great feedback, thank you.

I appreciate everyone's opinions even though some comments seemed to be worded a little harshly, even if it wasn't meant to be read that way.

Only 2 days after being sent home from hospital I had to call out the BF specialist as LO had made both my nipples bleed which made me cry with agony as I was feeding him. I had to give him formula while my nipples healed.

I've already got a tub of Lansinoh cream which I agree is very good.

I've been expressing since day dot and yeah it does help loads although some days I get a lot more expressed than others.

I've tried the nipple protectors but not for a while so I might dig them out again, now my nipple feels about 10 inches longer they might actually fit!! (And yeah MrsD they were Boots own so I may have to invest in the Medela ones)

I've got 2 V pillows which I couldn't live without, although I've found today that I think the stretching sideways to pick him up is causing pain in my belly as well.

I'm going to try a different position and maybe have a look at that c section belt, I've never heard of one of those before, thanks for the link michmummy. I'll probably give the HV another call next week too if it carries on.

As I said, I appreciate everyone's comments and advice and Dangermouse, thanks, although I'm sorry to hear how things worked out for you I appreciate you giving me a different take on it. I hope everything's ok with you now. I must admit, the day I had to give LO formula because my nipples were cracked did make me feel isolated from him and like I wasn't needed anymore.

KM xxx

KM

The best piece of advice I ever saw on here (in relation to BF) was to never give up on a bad day (thanks Maenad) and that always stuck in my mind, and kept me going through growth spurts, thrush, mastitis and cluster feeds. It got very difficult at times, and like MB says there were times when I hated it so much that it made me terribly unhappy. But, I kept at it and now at 8 months I absolutely love it, and the hard days seem a distant memory.

Hope it gets sorted for you, you seem a lot more positive in your last post!

There's a reason lots and lots of women quit BF at 6 weeks. The 6 week growth spurt is NUTS. Seriously, it just gets easier from here on in. Why not give it a few more days and reassess?

You're doing a fantastic job.

Fully agree with Calleigh and if a mum wants to stop BF and give formula she will always find a reason......baby too hungry/boobs too sore/too time consuming/didn't make enough/made too much etc etc etc. I wonder how all those women get on in Africa with their boobs that somehow don't work. Sorry I think it's all nonsense.