Hi everyone

Here is the question for anyone who wants to skip the essay...is it normal for expressing using a manual pump to make my nipples slightly sore or am I doing it wrong? And does anyone know if I can mix EBM and formula together or do I need to keep them seperate?

My LO was born two days ago. He was a pretty low weight and had to have his blood sugars monitored, he wouldn't take the breast at all after he was born, not even opening his mouth so I agreed to him having formula. Unfortunately, his blood sugars got on the verge of being too low a couple of times and he still wouldn't latch so again had to have formula.

I have been hand expressing my colostrum/milk while in hospital and been giving him this before his formula. Now he's home I've used my manual breast pump to express off as much as possible. First time I got 15mls, second time I got 30mls MW at the hospital said for his weight 30mls is about what he needs to be taking for the frequency of his feeds so not doing too badly.

We're using closer to nature bottles and I'm offering him the breast before every single feed to see if he'll take it but so far no luck. About 5 different MWs also tried in hospital but he was just too tiny/sleepy from the birth, so it's not just me. I think we might be getting closer as he did just close his mouth around my nipple for the first time but then he just let go again (repeated about 5 times) he just doesn't seem to know what to do?

I guess I'm just after some reassurance that I'm doing okay, even if he isn't directly BFing.

xx

Hi Katy

Firstly congrats on your LO!

Have you tried squeezing your boob to help your LO latch on? Take a look at the Jack Newman website there are some great videos about latching on.

My pump can make my nips a bit sore but they have toughened up now - Lanisoh will help!!

I would also offer him the breast after his bottle so you do breast - bottle - breast

I think the breast-bottle-breast advice is great.

I would totally expect your nipples to be sore at this point... no matter if it is from the pump or from him latching. They aren't used to be pulled and squeezed yet. Definitely get some lanisnoh. I think you can get it on prescription in the UK.

It definitely is a learning process for both you AND baby. You might even try to interupt his bottle feed and give him the breast once and see how that goes. Have your breast out and everything ready. When he is in good suck-swallow mode on the bottle, switch him over as smoothly and quickly as you can and see if he will continue.

Obviously if this frustrates him or causes extra trouble, don't try it again! LOL

As for mixing EBM and formula... I have not heard that you shouldn't and have known some ppl that do. But unless it makes is LOADS easier on you, I would personally keep them separate. They taste and feel different (textures). If you give him straight EBM he will start to understand that as food, too, and will hopefully figure out to carry on latching and feeding at your breast when he starts to take it from there.

Also, have you tried squirting a few drops of milk directly into his mouth when you try to get him to latch? Maybe he needs to figure out that is where milk comes from!

I had the same issues with low blood sugar as you to begin with and had to express/bottle feed formula from day one.. 1 month on and we're still struggling.
If you are determined to BF then hopefully you will get there, but in my experience, each bottle I give, makes latching on slightly harder for my LO, what I wish I'd been told at a day or two old was not to use a bottle, but to use a cup or spoon so that bubs doesn't get used to a bottle teat..
If I had my time again I would definitely speak to a MW about doing this to feed in the early days so as to try and prevent the nipple confusion later on.

Thanks everyone.

TL- I have tried all of those to no avail

I know it seems early to give up but i'm really considering just exclusively expressing xx

Honey, exclusively expressing is very very hard!!! Talk to someone (like Sherileigh) that has done it. It is the HARDEST route to take... harder than BFing and harder than FFing. Don't give up just yet. Keep at it and talk to a LC as soon as possible! Tomorrow would not be too soon.

Hi hun,
Congrats.
I also had to give formula as Billy was little he didnt actually have a proper bf till 5 days pp......however i just kept on offering him bb first......it was hard and it took time but by about 7 weeks he was exclusively bf.
Relax before you offer him the bb.....each try is one step closer xxx

Thanks everyone.

Well I think it's safe to say my milk is definitely coming in. Managing to pump between 2-3ozs each time, which is all he's taking anyway at the moment, so only had to give him about 3ozs of formula in the last 12 hours

I tried him at the breast again before and I think we're getting a bit closer, he actually showed interest and attached himself, even sucked once or twice but then fell asleep. I'll keep trying. xx

hey ;-)
edward is SO like Ruby in this dept!
you know i pumped exclusively for 5 months, and while im so glad i did it, it was VERY hard work... i was pumping every 2 hours night and day to keep up with her, which meant pumping while out and about / in other peoples houses / while driving lol.....

if its your only alternative, then go for it, ill help you all i can, but id defo keep trying him on the breast, as its SO much easier! id recommend LOTS of skin to skin time, and also bathing together, the only times ruby ever did anything like latching, was when we were in the bath together! (not sure what thats about, but ive seen a few people now say the same thing!)

ohh.. i mixed ebm and formula at the start when she was having both, then again at the end before stopping completly.. she never had any probs with that, we used aptamil as its suppossedly the closest to BM.... i didnt store them mixed tho, just topped up with formula before feeding her...

and re the pump... if you are going to be pumping long term you DEFO need to go for a good electric pump, i used a swing, which i cant fault, but if i was exclusively pumping again id go for a symphony (double) purely for the time saving factor! it does hurt at first, but then so does direct BF, lansinoh helped, and i found kamillosan cream fab too!