Re Post: Feel like giving up (Venting) please don't bash.
I am EBFing and my LO is 3 months old. He is 13 pounds 3.5 ounces. I know that he is not getting enough food and eats all the time all day long, sometimes every hour or two hours. He doesn't just eat though he latches on and eats a little and then pulls off and does the samething for about an hour or he latches on and then pulls off and doesn't want to eat anymore for another hour and I know that he didn't get enough and I know that i'm not producing enough. He lost 3 ounces in the past week. I was told that it wasn't much and not to worry about it but I have just had such a hard time and I feel like giving up. Plus, I am depressed all of the time about everything and I have no time to do anything because i'm constantly feeding my LO. I can't play with my 4 year old or do anything around the house. I'm just so frustrated and I just feel like I need some support right now because I don't get any from my husband or family about BFding, I guess that's another reason why I feel like quitting because they all just keep telling me, if it's that hard then stop BFDing and give him formula. I just don;t know what to do. I can no longer afford to take the Fenugreek or anything else that is suppose to help with milk production. IDK what to do, I guess i'm just venting.
Quoting dragonfly030702:
I am EBFing and my LO is 3 months old. He is 13 pounds 3.5 ounces. I know that he is not getting enough food and eats all the time all day long, sometimes every hour or two hours. He doesn't just eat though he latches on and eats a little and then pulls off and does the samething for about an hour or he latches on and then pulls off and doesn't want to eat anymore for another hour and I know that he didn't get enough and I know that i'm not producing enough. Is he having at least 6-8 wet diapers a day? If so he is getting plenty. He lost 3 ounces in the past week. I was told that it wasn't much and not to worry about it but I have just had such a hard time and I feel like giving up. Plus, I am depressed all of the time about everything and I have no time to do anything because i'm constantly feeding my LO. Maybe a growth spurt is going on. I can't play with my 4 year old or do anything around the house.Try a baby sling I hear a lot of ladies up hear swear by them. I'm just so frustrated and I just feel like I need some support right now because I don't get any from my husband or family about BFding, I guess that's another reason why I feel like quitting because they all just keep telling me, if it's that hard then stop BFDing and give him formula. That should NOT be a reason to quit bcause of disapproval from family that should make you want to do it more for your baby. I just don;t know what to do. I can no longer afford to take the Fenugreek or anything else that is suppose to help with milk production. How did you know you had./have a low milk supply just because a baby nurses all the time dosent mean you are low it could also be for comfort kwim? IDK what to do, I guess i'm just venting.
Im pretty sure some of the pros will help you out Mama *hugs*
((((huggs)))) you're doing great, I'm hoping I can give you some advice.
Try a baby sling, you can even learn how to make a ring sling if you're tight on cash, google make your own sling. Mine was a lifesaver when i had those days where baby wanted to be attached.
Even just eating some oatmeal can help with production sometimes.
Just a thought and don't hate me for asking this, if you can't afford to buy fenugreek or anything else to help with production, imagine the cost of formula? I used 1 can of formula a mth with my LO, only because I was planning to go back to work and wasn't planning to pump and that 1 can would cost me roughly $25(canadian) a mth, I probably would've needed 4-5 cans to last a full mth (maybe more or less, I really don't know anymore since it's been so long since i've had a FF child) if I wasn't BF. That would've been $100-$125 a mth. Compared to the $25 I spent on fenugreek a mth.
Quoting dragonfly030702:
I am EBFing and my LO is 3 months old. He is 13 pounds 3.5 ounces. Good weight I know that he is not getting enough food and eats all the time all day long, sometimes every hour or two hours. Eating every two hours is pretty normal. You may be misreading his signals. He doesn't just eat though he latches on and eats a little and then pulls off and does the samething for about an hour or he latches on and then pulls off and doesn't want to eat anymore for another hour Sounds like he's not really hungry. Kate does that when she's whiney and rooting and I think she's hungry, but she's not - usually she acts like that, I take her off and it turns out she was tired/ teething/ bored. and I know that he didn't get enough and I know that i'm not producing enough. He lost 3 ounces in the past week. How do you know that? 3 ounces is such a small amount, a wet diaper, full belly, or the scale can make that difference. I was told that it wasn't much and not to worry about it but I have just had such a hard time and I feel like giving up. Plus, I am depressed all of the time about everything and I have no time to do anything because i'm constantly feeding my LO. I can't play with my 4 year old or do anything around the house. I'm just so frustrated and I just feel like I need some support right now because I don't get any from my husband or family about BFding, I guess that's another reason why I feel like quitting because they all just keep telling me, if it's that hard then stop BFDing and give him formula.That shouldn't matter - this is YOUR child, your choice, it is the BEST thing you can do for your baby. There are a million benefits, it's natural and what was intended. I just don;t know what to do. I can no longer afford to take the Fenugreek or anything else that is suppose to help with milk production. IDK what to do, I guess i'm just venting.
I don't know why you don't think he's getting enough. His weight is very good. Ignore your family. Start making a schedule - feed him every 2 hours...no exceptions, if he acts hungry before then, do something else, see if he's tired, wet, bored, etc. Breastfed babies look for the boob for comfort, often wanting to be on the boob most of the day! Stick with it and you'll get through this and will look back and you'll be glad you stuck it out.
I've breastfed 2 kids, you go through difficult spurts but overall it's a wonderful thing.
Good luck!
to increase my milk i ate oatmeal for breakfast and I made sure to drink lots of water 64 oz a day or more. my milk supply has increased alot I use only pump once at night now I have to pump atleast 3 times a day. And I pump when my breast are full but daughter is not hungry so to prevent my ducts from clogging I make sure to pump. im hoping the oatmeal works as well for you as it did for me.
Oh, I remember those days! I had a very difficult time at first. It took my son so long to finish eating that by the time he finished it was almost time to feed him again! I felt the same way - I couldn't stand not being able to do anything. And I think it's normal to obsess over how much they're eating. My son was always in the less than 10 percentile for weight but was still very healthy. We would always worry he wasn't getting enough, worried I wasn't making enough, but he was fine. One thing that helped me some was learning that just because my breasts didn't FEEL full didn't mean that they were empty. We also called our Dr. anytime we had concerns and weighed the baby anytime we had a chance. Anyway, you are important and if you're not happy, it's hard for you to be your best for your family. I believe the breast is best, but formula doesn't mean failure! I think everything sounds fine with your LO; just try to hang in there and relax, and don't be hard on yourself.
Don't give up, momma! 3 months is a pretty typical age for a growth spurt, and if you are looking for a little extra time between feedings try playing/distracting him for up to 10 minutes past his usual feeding time, extending it to 2 hours and 10 minutes. And gradually going from there. But know that frequent nursing is totally normal for an infant that young. Here's a good link to some info on kellymom.com. It does get easier, you've made it this far you can keep it up, you've got all of us rooting for you! Have you tried explaining to your family that it's important to you to keep nursing and that you need their support now more than ever?
When my youngest was little, he was very very fussy and needed to nurse or be held practically 24/7 for the first year almost, so I know how you feel about not being able to get anything done or give older kids the attention they deserve. Try finding a special game (like I Spy) or some fun puzzles or books that you can do with the older one while the baby is nursing.
Really, though, it sounds like this is important to you. Keep it up, you'll be glad you did.
What she said! I just want to add and reinterate what she said. Don't give up momma! He is a good weight and you have done that. YOU have fed him for this long. Breastfed babies are going to have different growing curbs than FF babies! If your ped said his weight was okay then be thankful that he/she did. Some make you feel like crap and even threaten to report you to children services if you don't feed them formula just because they aren't gaining what the doctor thinks they should. You are doing fine. I have three children. When my oldest turned 2, I had my second baby. I nursed her for 2 years. I got pregnant the month after I stopped nursing her with my third child so she was not even 3 when I had my third. I am still nursing him at 15 months. It is very hard to begin with. Children are very good at understanding that mommie needs to feed the baby. I agree with PP about the games to play. Your child is old enough though to maybe help out with the baby....go get diapers, wipes, etc. I'm sure your 4 year old will be fine.
Quoting bltcahill:
Don't give up, momma! 3 months is a pretty typical age for a growth spurt, and if you are looking for a little extra time between feedings try playing/distracting him for up to 10 minutes past his usual feeding time, extending it to 2 hours and 10 minutes. And gradually going from there. But know that frequent nursing is totally normal for an infant that young. Here's a good link to some info on kellymom.com. It does get easier, you've made it this far you can keep it up, you've got all of us rooting for you! Have you tried explaining to your family that it's important to you to keep nursing and that you need their support now more than ever?
When my youngest was little, he was very very fussy and needed to nurse or be held practically 24/7 for the first year almost, so I know how you feel about not being able to get anything done or give older kids the attention they deserve. Try finding a special game (like I Spy) or some fun puzzles or books that you can do with the older one while the baby is nursing.
Really, though, it sounds like this is important to you. Keep it up, you'll be glad you did.
I'm going to start here...please read the sticky on "before you write "don't bash."
Quoting dragonfly030702:
I am EBFing and my LO is 3 months old. He is 13 pounds 3.5 ounces.
Which on its own means nothing...where'd he START? To me that sounds like a ginormous three month old.
I know that he is not getting enough food and eats all the time all day long, sometimes every hour or two hours.
He;'s supposed to do that.
He doesn't just eat though he latches on and eats a little and then pulls off and does the samething for about an hour or he latches on and then pulls off and doesn't want to eat anymore for another hour
He's supposed to do that too. All normal thus far.
and I know that he didn't get enough and I know that i'm not producing enough. He lost 3 ounces in the past week.
Weighed on the scame scale? If not, the weights don't count. What's his dipe coungt? FAR more important than weight. This is the ONLY part of your post that truly has me concerned...the rest is life with a baby.
I was told that it wasn't much and not to worry about it but I have just had such a hard time and I feel like giving up. Plus, I am depressed all of the time about everything and I have no time to do anything because i'm constantly feeding my LO. I can't play with my 4 year old or do anything around the house.
THat would happen REGARDLESS. That's life with a newborn. Having more than one child is not for the faint-hearted (and explains why I have only one). Housework and time with the older kids goes out the window. (Which is why we have sibling rivalry.)
I'm just so frustrated and I just feel like I need some support right now because I don't get any from my husband or family about BFding, I guess that's another reason why I feel like quitting because they all just keep telling me, if it's that hard then stop BFDing and give him formula. I just don;t know what to do. I can no longer afford to take the Fenugreek or anything else that is suppose to help with milk production. IDK what to do, I guess i'm just venting.
Sounds like...because aside from the weight loss everything sounds perfect. I need more info on that.
He was weighed on the same scale and it was about a week later. He went to the doc. and weighed in at 13p 6ounces and the next week he was 13 p and 3.5 ounces. He was born at 7p 11ounces and left the hospital at 7p 7ounces. sd for his dipe I don't know. He is doing much better today though, it seems like it so far anyways.
what Dad should know about supporting a breastfeeding wife...
- dragonfly030702
on Nov. 26, 2009 at 9:29 PM