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Hi there, I have been exclusively pumping since week 2 due to being ill with shingles and an infection and never managed to get baby (now 7 weeks) back on the breast. I have been trying recently as I really want to do plus going on holiday and would be so convenient for me then also but anytime she goes on she gets frustrated after about 5/6 minutes so I end up just giving her expressed milk...anyone got any tips on getting her on and keeping her there?
Thank you, much appreciated.
Here's a link that you may find useful: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/back-to-breast/
I think some people have luck with a "finish at the breast" technique where they offer supplement first and then when the baby is calm, bring her to the breast for the comfy, full, warm snuggly feelings, which you want your baby to associate with the breast not the bottle. You could try a nursing vacation where you hang out skin-to-skin with baby and let her latch whenever she likes. Another technique is dreamfeeding or nursing right as baby wakes or falls asleep, since many babies will latch better in a drowsy state than a fully alert one. Some people have luck doing a "rebirthing" in the tub (I know mine always wants to latch on when we're in the shower!). You could try an at the breast supplementer like the Lact-Aid, maybe, or other instant reward techniques. It sounds like you have some success already, so maybe try to take note of anything that you are already doing that coincides with her greater interest in nursing and keep recreating those situations. You want to lure the baby back to the breast, so try to relax and not stress too much if your progress seems non-linear.
Good luck!
http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/back-to-breast/
Also, ditch the bottle and use an alternative.
EPing is much, much harder. I did it for 18 months....no vacations for me.
I didn't have to suffer through anything as bad a shingles! But I did have cracked and bleeding nipples so I had to start all over like you when he was about 6 weeks. I did the bottle FIRST then offer the breast. He was used to taking 4oz in a bottle so I offered 3oz and then the breast for every feeding that day and if that went well I took it down to 2oz then next day. That way he wasn't so frantic trying to latch and waiting for the let down. He got to figure out how it worked without thinking he wasn't going to get any food.
Do you do breast compressions to stimulate a faster let down? Or pump/hand express until you let down so its a little more instantly gratifying? I pumped for the first three weeks until hubby went back to work. I didn't have an extra pumped and ds cried if I put him down to pump. I just looked at him and said little man I'm not giving you formula so if you're hungry you'll have to latch. Somehow I guess he understood bc he latched and refused bottles after that.
Anyway the point is keep trying mama! I'm sure you'll get there!