Advice on making breastfeeding work.?

My baby and I are having a really hard time making breastfeeding work. She's 4 weeks old and I am committed to trying everything I can to get her breastmilk. I assumed we were doing fine after leaving the hospital--she wasn't waking on her own- I was waking her up every 2.5-3 hours and we were nursing. Drs apts. indicated she was not gaining enough weight. We saw a lactation consultatnt and she said we were doing just great and my baby took 2.5 oz in 25 minutes--must have been a fluke b/c she still isn't gaining weight great. Dr has me on fenugreek--at each feeding i am 1) nursing (or trying) for as long as it seems like its working 2) pumping whatever is left and bottle feeding herthat 3) supplementing her with formula. This is exhausting--please any advice--personal experience? How long will I have to do this multi-step process?

Here is your #1 mistake.. "supplementing her with formula"
Did you mention that to the lactation consultant? Supplementing with formula contributes to a decrease in milk supply. What you want to do at all costs while you are trying to get breastfeeding down is NOT supplement with formula. I know it seems necessary because you want your child to gain.. but when she is hungry, feed her.. even if it's every 30 minutes. I had an excruciating first 5 weeks of breastfeeding also.. with painful, sore and cracked nipples and a poor latch problem. Feed her as much as you can and with all of your passion and will you have and set pumping aside for now, everything will fall into place. It seems like you are really adament about breastfeeding like I was, so please don't give up. I believe any mother can make it work.. and eventually it does. I felt like I wanted to give up so many times but then all of a sudden one day, my son's latch was perfect and the pain went away. Now, 6 months later, things are wonderful and our bonding experience is truly amazing! He drains my breast in a matter of 5 minutes at every feeding! Remember, you are not the only one learning.. your baby is learning also. With time, patience and perserverance, you will have a wonderful experience! I don't really believe that women give it ALL they have and then after 4 weeks.. switch to formula. To me, that isn't giving it your all. Breastfeeding for some, isn't an easy thing. It just depends on how important it is to you. ;-)

Scrap the doctor and get a CERTIFIED lactation consultant or La Leche League leader. The supplementing thing will definitely wreck things; the pumping isn't a great route to success, either.

"How can you find a lactation consultant?"
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bbrea...

La Leche League: http://llli.org/

Also see:
"How might I increase baby's weight gain?"

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/gro...

If you want to do some reading, Dr Jack Newman's book is wonderful, and addresses the issue of weight gain quite a bit. Reassuringly. http://drjacknewman.com/

My baby is 8 lbs and is 4 months old. Obviously he needs to weigh more. He has to be on a special 24 calorie formula (normal formula is 20 calories). You may need to talk to your doctor about this. I know your heart is set on breast feeding but you really need to do whats best for your baby.
Good luck.

I some what of the same problem. If your baby is having problems with eating Don't give her formula, breastmilk is always better! My little one falls asleep at the breast and forgets that she's hungry, try tickling her cheak to reminder that it's there. If it seems that she drinks more out of the bottle than when you nurse and you would really prefer to nurse. Ask your doctor for a nipple shield it may help. I had to use one to help transition my baby to the breast instead of the bottle!!
Hope this helps. Good Luck!!

You poor love, I know exactly what you're going through as I felt pulled in so many directions with my firstborn. Unfortunately for me I didn't listen to my own instincts and let myself be bullied by the professionals. As a result:
my baby was formula-fed from 6 weeks old
got very bad reflux
played catch-up weight-wise for a long time
and had baby eczema as a result of formula feeding.

Second time round I ignored centile charts (as this information is based on bottle-fed babies anyway so inaccurate) Health Visitors, midwives, doctors etc and went with my gut. If he was happy, weeing and pooing normally, sleeping happily and not stressed or hungry I was happy with what I was doing! He was successfully breastfed until I returned to work and it was such a satisfying feeling.

I remember crying with frustration at my eldest not latching on for ages and having sore cracked nipples. Use nipple cream, cooling pads whatever it takes. This will all seem like a horrible nightmare I guarantee you. Baby is still only 4 weeks old and newborns can lose up to 15% of their birth weight anyway, what the pros don't tell you is, that until breastfeeding is fully established (normally 10-12 weeks -sorry for the bad news!), they gain weight less quickly than formula-fed babies as formula is richer and has a higher fat content than breast milk. However, they catchup eventually and in the interim are getting milk tailor-made for their own specific dietary requirements not some mass produced garbage!

Best of luck with it huni, hang in there and get as much support as you can from other mums, family, friends etc.

Your baby is doing just fine. Just make sure you are not skipping any feedings because of feelings of worry or guilt. If you start to do that, then forget breastfeeding altogether. I say another thing you can change is giving both bottle and breast. It is total nipple confusion! Keep her on on or the other do not do both, she is too young! The way you suck through a real nipple is totally different then the way you suck through a fake nipple, no matter what kind of fake nipple it is.... Once you have her over the nipple confusion she will eat more and more. good luck, breast is best!!!!

Sorry to hear about your difficulties. I have 2 boys - one is 6 yrs who I breastfed for 13 months, and a 3 month old who I am currently breastfeeding. I know that breastfed babies do not gain weight the same as formula fed babies; it is a more gradual gain. A couple things though; has your milk come in? Are you having the let-down reflex when you nurse? My friend tried breastfeeding her baby but never had her milk actually come in due to a hormonal problem.

It seems like an awful lot of work doing all the steps you are doing. You could try skipping the nursing for a few feedings and just pump and give her the expressed milk. This will tell you 2 things. First, it will give you an idea of how many oz of breastmilk you are producing so that you have an idea of how much she is taking in when she nurses. Also, if you weigh her after doing this for awhile, you can see if she is gaining weight. If she does, then it would seem that the problem is the actual nursing (maybe nipple confusion or latch probs).

Good luck, and hope you and your baby find what works for you!!

I hear you about the exhaustion. I too was trying my best to increase my milk supply. I was so tired, but proud of all the efforts I was making. When I went to my baby's well visit, I was sharing my routine with her pediatrician...breast feed, bottle feed to supplement, then pump...do it all over again. She looked at me, and I thought she would be so happy...after all breast is best right?
She said the most powerful words to me..."When do you have time to enjoy your baby?" I couldn't answer her. Your child is only a newborn once...and with my five month old starting on solid foods, I realize now how fast it does go by.
She was the ONLY person who didn't make me feel like a second rate mother b/c breastfeeding just wasn't working. I cried in that visit. Despite my best attempts, including working with the lactation consultant at the hospital, I switched to formula.
I know there is a lot I will do differently with my second baby to help make breastfeeding easier (including not using those awful breast shields- they really don't let the baby latch on properly compromising milk supply from day 1), but I know I made the best choice for my baby and me. Keep up your efforts, but don't feel badly if formula is an answer to your issues. ENJOY YOUR CHILD!!

Ok, stop listening to your doctor, because high weight gain is not the only thing important for an infant. Every child gains at his own pace! If you are nursing on demand, your child is content and making lots of wet and dirty diapers, nothing is wrong. Those growth charts are designed for formula-fed babies, who are more likely to gain weight faster during the first year.
If I were you, I'd continue fenugreek, add in oatmeal and mother's milk tea, nurse every 2 hours, and drain one breast per feeding to ensure your daughter is getting a nice amount of hindmilk (fattier than the foremilk, so should plump her up!!). Don't time her, just let her nurse until she's done. She'll have the "milk coma" look; eyes rolling and mouth hanging open, lol. Also don't worry so much about pumping. NO pump can be as efficient as a baby at getting milk out or stimulating more milk production, plus it's NOT an accurate indicator of how much you can make, ok?
Stop supplementing!! It's killing your milk supply. Any lactation consultant worth her salt will leave formula as an absolute LAST resort. I'd go see one who is board certified to make sure your latch is good and that your daughter doesn't have a suck issue.
How long does it take her to drain a breast? Some babies are fast, power nursers, and others take their time. Feel it out, and go with her style to make sure she's really getting all the milk from you she wants.
You can do this!! :) Any questions you have, feel free to email me, ok?

did you know that weight charts that doctors go by are sent to them by the formula companies? YES the charts are made by formula companies...and of course formula babies are always bigger than breast fed babies.

Not all babies and mothers do well with breastfeeding. If you've tried everything and your baby still is not thriving I would formula feed instead. There is nothing wrong with bottle feeding (despite what the breastfeeding nazi's might tell you) and the main issue is that your daughter begins to gain weight and is healthy. Forget Dr. Jack, he's a quack who's theory's have been linked to many babies diagnosed FTT (Failure To Thrive) Motherly instinct is far more accurate then any book. You've given it your best shot. Just do what is best for your baby in order for her to gain weight and thrive. Good luck!

I can't believe these people who are telling you not to listen to your doctor - "Scrap the doctor" Yeah listen to a bunch of broads who lie around on Yahoo Answers ALL DAY and neglect their own children. They know much more then an educated doctor..uggh!
If breastfeeding isn't working and your child is not doing well with it then bottle feed! It's not a big deal like everyone on here makes it out to be. There are many healthy bottle fed babies. I'd rather bottle feed my baby and have her thrive than insist on breastfeeding and have the baby not thrive and not maintain a healthy weight. Your child's health is paramount here so screw what anybody else thinks and go with your gut instinct and common sense. Do what is best for the baby, in this case your baby would probably do better on formula.