
Originally Posted by
@llli*lllmeg
So, baby was gaining appropriately when you were nursing? If so, he was getting enough milk. If not, he was not, which would explain him being desperate to nurse. Even if you had good supply, a milk transfer issue would prevent baby from getting enough. But I see you say weight gain was good.
Did you have forceful aka overactive letdown maybe? I see one doctor suspected a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, which is caused by forceful letdown, and indeed is linked to normal or faster than normal weight gain. If that is severe enough it can cause gastrointestinal issues, and in that case, bottle feeing would appear to “cure" the problem-no more breast, no more forceful letdown. Unfortunately, your doctor telling you to hold off on nursing so your baby gets more hindmilk is exactly the wrong thing to do, this actually makes the "imbalance" and other effects of forceful letdown worse. But there ARE lots of ways to fix ffld and continue to nurse.
Also some babies are super fussy and needy in the early weeks and calm down later. It is possible you baby calming down coincided with your decision to stop nursing at the breast, but was not caused by it.
If you are happier now and baby is happier now, I am not going to argue with success. You know your baby best, and of course it is entirely your choice to stop nursing if it was not working for either of you. I understand you are sad, and if you want to nurse again, it woudl make sense to try. If the issue was indeed forceful letdwon, that will be helped if your supply is lower now. If the issue was baby needed t omature a bit, that will have ahppened as well. You can always encourage your baby to nurse again, work on rebuilding your supply, and if the issues start again, stop again.
But since these forums are visited by lots of mothers who are struggling in the intense early days, I have to point something out. I am sorry but an infant cannot be "addicted" to breastfeeding. He can not be “obsessed” with it. Addiction & obsession implies an unhealthy attachment to something, usually something that is itself not healthy. ALL healthy newborns are born with a strong, powerful, instinctual need to suckle at the breast, because their survival depends on it. This need does not go away because you have to go somewhere in the car, or when you need to attend to your other children, or have other responsibilities, or even when you sleep. They are infants and all they know is their instinctual need. In many cases, this can mean a baby is going to be nursing pretty much around the clock for at least the first 6-8 weeks, some babies will nurse way more than others, and this is normal. As far as an infant getting behind on milestones due to nursing-I do not see how that is posssible. Human beings have nursed thier children for-well, for the entire history of the human race. All mammals nurse thier babies. Nature designed this perfect system that allows a baby to get all the stimulation he needs-mostly, while nursing. (Again, a baby who is not able to get enough at the breast may get behind in lots of things, of course, as such a baby is going to be malnourished. Also, if a baby is in intense discomfort that would make baby appear distracted and unhappy) Of course it is tiring, frustrating, and the rest. I suspect your baby was uncomfortable due to forceful letdown and /or baby is one of those extreme high need babies.