Re: help! ready to give up :(
I really feel for you and hope things will get better. I had my son on the 20th, and if I didn't already go through this once, I'd think something was wrong. He eats practically hourly during the day. Last week, we had some commitments and I sort of overdid it. This week, I'm taking a big chunk of the day to lie in bed with him and nurse nurse nurse. One thing about those weights you describe -- I bet they were all on different scales, so that amount of difference doesn't add up to a whole lot for me. Plus, baby's are supposed to be back to birth weight by 2 weeks -- and it seems as though yours in back to birth weight now, a few days early, so that's encouraging.
As others have said, breast feeding is supply and demand. My son essentially hangs out on my breast between 5 and 10 pm -- I probably nurse him 6-8 times in that period. So I drink a bunch of water, chill out on the couch and make sure my husband can tend to my four year old, be in charge of dinner and help me with whatever I need. It's a family commitment.
I'm not an expert on getting a child off of formula supplement -- I'll let others chime in. I just want you to know that a lot of what you are describing is totally normal newborn behavior, and you don't have to feel so desperate. It'll get better and easier, and I'm pretty sure that with a little work you will get off the formula.
My DH said today -- "There's really no way to do anything else than nurse in the first 6 weeks, if you want to breast feed your baby." It was a nice acknowledgement of the commitment and sacrifice it takes in the beginning. Hang in there. You an do this!!
Ellen
Mama-surgeon;
DS Ethan 12/16/2008
Breast fed/pumped 11 months as a surgical resident, 80 hours a week at work
DS Abram Daniel 12/20/2012
Feel like we've gotten a strong start