Hello! I'm Jenny, mom to my sweet little 12wk old boy.
We just came home from our 3rd meeting with the LC 2 days ago, and I'm super discouraged!
Our nursing relationship started out pretty good despite the jaundice and bili blanket and my milk waiting til day 5 to come in. I thought I had a good supply and he a good latch. Then when ds was about 1 mo the nipple pain was bad, I was treated for yeast (and ds too), but pain came back so LC at my OB's office sent me to the LC at the hospital (2 counties away).
When I went to see her about the nipple pain, she wanted to focus on ds's weight and weight gain (ok she did offer some latch tips to improve ds's latch and offered to look out for yeast, but no yeast treatment even though my nipples were still so red). But she wanted me to weigh him regularly, pump after every feeding, nurse frequently, start fenugreek...
Admittedly the pediatrician almost got on me about ds's weight gain just the week prior at his 2 mo check. He had only gained 1lb above his birth weight by 2 mo. (His birth weight was 6lb 14oz and at 2mo he weighed 7lbs 15oz and today he weighs 8lbs 9oz.) But I pointed out that my dh is tall and very thin and ds gained over 3 inches since birth and seems to take after dh. So the ped let it rest but did point out that he wasn't staying on the growth curve.
So, I left the first LC visit armed with a pump and started all the things she said. It was discouraging and stressful. After the second visit I went home with a scale. Now I could see how little he was eating--less than an ounce per feeding. But some feedings at night were over 3 oz! But in the end after this week's visit (10 days after starting all this intervention) she says even though I've increased my supply a bit and he's gaining weight a little faster than before, it's not the 21oz per day that he needs and he's not gaining up to the right amount per day...so he needs formula to make up for it.
I am so torn up about this! I don't want to supplement with formula. But I don't want my baby to go hungry!!! I'm nursing and pumping and giving him every drop that I pump after he's done. I've added blessed thistle to the fenugreek I take starting 2days ago.
But until my milk supply gets up to what everyone says he needs, will he be ok?! Am I starving him!
Is he going to be ok? Do all babies need to eat the "recommended amount" in order to thrive?
He has the right amount of wet and poopy diapers every day.
Will a few ounces of supplemental formula after he's finished nursing sabotage any milk supply increase efforts? I thought the #1 thing to do to increase milk supply was stop any supplementing. I've considered if I give the formula, only give it with the SNS.
If he starts formula will I ever be able to wean him off it? I feel like if I start formula now, I may increase supply, but I'll always be behind. But I don't want to keep the formula from him if he needs it!
I thought LCs were supposed to be so supportive of bfing?! But I don't feel like I've been given enough time to build my supply back up. Is that because my baby's at risk if I give it another week to see?
(Before the stress of having all the kids home for Christmas break, I had an oversupply--over active let down, leaking all the time, painful fullness between feedings. Can stress really do a 180 on my milk supply! )
I also left this visit with a treatment protocol for yeast (finally!). So I'm stressing about that too! How can I effectively kick this yeast (clean and sterilize everything) while I'm constantly either breastfeeding or pumping?! And DH is my big time advocate/support/helper and he has to leave on a trip for 6 days next week and ill be home with the 5kids!
I'm a wreak! Just great for milk production I know!