At which point do you give up or stick with breastfeeding

[srhs]

Lots of !
I don't have the time to read all the responses, so I apologize if I repeat or step on any toes.

With both DC, I went through very similar feelings and experiences!!!

With DC1, it finally turned around at 3mo, when I realized I had raging thrush that I'd developed from his lousy latch/tongue tie issues that we'd clipped at 5 weeks. Yes, 3 mo of trying everything, being stressed over every single feeding, etc. To that point, I was BFing every other feeding because that was all the pain I could stand and then FFing every other and pumping here and there too.

With DC2, he was losing weight and (in hindsight) had reflux. It was just a mess. (And the BBBers here were AWESOME.) Now, he's 9mo and the little booger will not take a bottle. Our BFing relationship soared in the 2nd mo, I'd guess.

With both, I just told myself over and over I had to take it one feeding at a time. Most feedings, I did want to try BF and working on the issues. But, others, I wanted to give the LO formula and take a BREAK. I know the purists are always worried about supply, and I respect that. But, I also think there is a time to give yourself a break and realize doing so is not going to sabotage the whole thing.

I also took fenugreek throughout those times just to help with supply for if/when things turned around. And I pumped when I could.

GL!

ETA: oops : I just realized this is a few weeks old and bumped for an update. My bad.

[PGTB]

I did end up sticking with the breastfeeding after all the troubles and challenges! However, I cannot say that we are exclusively BF at this point as I still sometimes need to supplement with formula, just that most of the baby's nutrition now is coming from BM with some days when he only eats BM. We had overall latch improvement and some successful nursing sessions, but I have to say that I am mostly pumping and serving BM from the bottle and probably this would stay since I have to go to work in a week. Unfortunately, I would be one of these moms doing the double labor and pumping around the clock, but having to go to work I don't really see a way out of it.

Currently I am pumping around 7 times a day and this includes pumping right after BF session to squeeze the rest that DS left after his feeding. It's still pretty painful, but I am dealing with it, I guess I am just getting used to being in pain, hoping that after some magic week 8 or so it would all of a sudden completely go away. I produce about 3-4 oz of milk at each pumping session which are spaced 2-3 hours away. The thing I hate about it is being tied to the pump nad not having freedom to do anything that takes a bit longer time than 3 hours, the restrictive nature of BF is really killing me! But you have to do what you have to and I will try to keep up as long as I can possibly bear it. I hope after DS is 6 month and starts eating solids it would become less restrictive and I would be able to just nurse a couple of times a day or pump a lot less.

Currently, I am working hard trying to store some milk for my return to work, but DS keeps eating all of it nad nothing gets left at the end of the day. I even still keep my middle of the night pumping session even if DS doesn't wake up to eat to hope to store this extra milk, but still somehow need to serve this to him during the day

[elektra]

Wow, it sounds like you are working hard mama!

[PGTB]

First, thank you all for your support! It's really helpful to know that I am not the only one having it hard with BF and that those who stick to it and take it one step at a time and try hard do get rewarded. Things are getting better, and I see hope for us, but it's still difficult, but I am more optimistic now.

I am also not freaking out anymore about feeding formula once in a while as before. As long as most of my son's nutrition is from BM I am very happy and think I am doing as good of a job as I can.

I wonder sometimes if we have some sort of thrush... DS has no symptoms and at his latest ped's visit the doctor said he doesn't have it.. But my nipples and area around are always pink and I do have stinging sensation. I need to talk to my OBGYN or figure this out for good, this may be a huge relief if I know where the pain is coming from, but overall, the pain is more manageable now.

[sunnyside]

Good for you for working so hard at it. Very impressive and I can see how it is challenging. I obviously don't know much about it as I don't have my baby yet but I can hear everyone saying it can be very challenging. Thanks for updating with your experience and I hope that you do have an 8 week miracle where it gets easier and stops hurting etc.

You're an amazing mom for working so hard for your LO.

[BabyBearsMom]

I totally understand that 3 week feeling. My baby is 2 months old, and that first month is a doozy. All I can tell you is that every day for the first 6 weeks, I hated every second of breast feeding. I would literally start tearing up as soon as she started making that hungry face. But then, at 6 weeks, it was like we went over this wall and now breast feeding is wonderful. I just went back to work and being able to breast feed her in the morning and the evening is a wonderful bonding time for us and I am so grateful to have it. That being said, you need to do what is best for you and your emotional well being. I just tried to take it one day at a time. Every morning I would say to myself "Can I breast feed today?" and I just stopped thinking about tomorrow.

[srhs]

I wonder sometimes if we have some sort of thrush... DS has no symptoms and at his latest ped's visit the doctor said he doesn't have it.. But my nipples and area around are always pink and I do have stinging sensation. I need to talk to my OBGYN or figure this out for good, this may be a huge relief if I know where the pain is coming from, but overall, the pain is more manageable now.

This was me, as I said above!!! I know it may be different for you, but seriously, things turned around after I got the Diflucan. I had to beg my nurse-midwife, pediatrician, and finally general dr to listen to me before I got the script. I am NOT trying to say I know you have thrush...I don't know...but I will type out what helped me and maybe it will apply, maybe not...

• Read and print Newman's info.
• Print this or similar article and highlight "The baby may also be without visible symptoms."
• I did all the sterilization things: bras in hot water with vinegar, anything with spitup hot water and vinegar, as much air time as possible, etc.
• APNO+...Dr Jack Newman's All Purpose Nipple Ointment is AWESOME. It is a prescription cream that contains antibacterial, antiviral, etc. In his book, he says that once you correct the problem (poor latch, tongue tie, etc), there is often already an infection in mama from the damage! And you have to treat that to heal it! I strongly recommend getting his book (my library had it) to take with you to the dr! IME, they respect info in a printed book far more than your handouts from the Internet. The "+" is a version with ibruprofen for pain relief. I can email you a copy of the Rx from him if you'd like to take with you to your dr. It does have to be compounded, and it can be expensive.
• Gentian Violet--We did it. I was very zealous about feeling like I did everything. If you want to try it, I have a few tips.
• Supplements--I took all the ones to help control yeast--garlic, cranberry, probiotics, etc.
• Nipple Shells--These keep any and all fabrics off of your nipples so they can heal. Your hospital LC should be able to tell you where to find them quickest in your area.
• Diflucan--In my case, the topical options just didn't do it. It was systemic by the point I figured it out. (Unfortunately, no LC or dr was any help with my pain until then.) I ended up with a 6-week course to kick it. If you find a dr you can convince (and keep trying IF you think that is really what it is..go to urgent care places on the weekend, make appts with each of the drs at your OB's office, keep asking) to consider it, prepare for a possible insurance issue. Typically, Diflucan is only a 1-day course for vaginal yeast infestion, and you'll start with a 10-day course for nipple thrush. If they try to give you just one day's worth, kindly ask them to look up oral and nipple candida's course.

GL![/LIST]