I always wanted to breast feed desperately, but after a pretty horrible induction, 26hrs of labour an emergency c section, poorly in hospital, totally flat/inverted nipples and no milk till day 10 because of aneamia alfie ended up being bottle fed.

When I eventually got home, I was gutted he was not having my milk, so decided to go down the expressing route. I hired a medela symphony and started expressing on day 6 and my collostrum came in on day 8, milk on day 10. After about 10 days of expressing 12 times a day I was meeting his needs totally and we didn't need to use formula any more.

Well 10 weeks later I'm still going, but my boy just seems starving.

He eats every 1.5 to 2.5 hours and takes between 4 to 5 oz each time. That is 10 to 12 bottles a day. He is taking a min of 40 oz a day and a max of 60 oz.

I am just finding it so so hard, I literally have no time time to leave the house. He drinks his bottle, is then winded and changed (all this takes about 45 mins) then he has about 30 mins of play time with me, then he normally naps for around 15 mins to 30 mins, during which time I express, make up the next bottle and then sterilise all the equipment ready to go next time. As I finish he starts to wake and the whole process starts again.

I just don't know what to do any more, I really want him to have my milk, but I am not sure I can physically keep this up.

I wish he would take more in a bottle and then go longer between feeds to give me chance to do things, but no matter what I try he wont take more than 150mls and he normally takes 130mls and so is then starving, chewing his fists and crying less than 2 hrs later.

He also has colic and is on colief from doctor, so can be pretty full on with his crying, last sunday he cried for 3 hours without stopping, which is a long time for him to go without food!!!!!!!!!

Up till he was around 6 weeks he used to go 4 to 5 hours through the night, but that stopped and now there is no distinction between day and night because he is just so hungry all the time. For example last night he had a bottle at 9, 11.30, 1.45, 4.15, 6.45.

Should I just accept this as an extended growth spurt?
Should I change to formula?

I really don't know what to do for the best

Hello

First you should be very proud of yourself for expressing so well and giving bubba the best start.

Will your little one not take more oz per feed? It is quite normal for little boys especially to go through growth spurts and need more milk. I would stick at it for a little while longer, seeing if he will take more oz per feed and if he still is very hungry, perhaps consider swapping a breast bottle for a formula one to see if that helps?

Blimey Michy no wonder your struggling to keep up if he's taking up to 60oz a day!!

Perhaps you coud try topping up your EBM with a little formula to try and lengthen him out? Rather than just give him formula, mix a little in and take some of the strain off from yourself.

Dont give up hun if BF is really what you want to do, there are tons of other alternatives!!

I hope one of the BF mummies has some more advice for you hun

No advice just wanted to give you some You are doing so well. I never BF so i dont know what its like. But i really take my hat off to you as it sounds so hard XxxX

I'm not sure if he's a bit old, but is there any way you can try and get him feeding from you at all? Have a look here for advice.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...to-breast.html

i agree with polo.....or maybe just supplement some of his bottles for formula so you can get something done/time to yourself

He just has no idea how to breast feed, I do offer him the breast daily, but he has never latched on successfully and gets very very cross after around 15 seconds or so. He is totally bottle dependent, of course I wish now that when I got out of hospital I stopped giving him bottles and only offered him the breast, but he enjoyed his food so much and got so frustrated at the boob that I just couldn't do it.

Maybe I should try it, do you think then that 4oz of combined EBM and F would last him longer than 4oz of just EBM?

You see I could give him as 6 oz of EBM at a time as I produce enough, but he just wont ever take more than 5oz.

No he just wont take more milk in one go.

I might try a swap, thanks.

Im not sure if he will take any more but it might take a bit of the strain from you hun having to express so much a day