Think I've ruined BF now :(

For the past week Tasmin hardly ever :boob:. I offer it to her and she'll turn her face away or will take a few sucks then come off and look at me to say there is nothing there. My breasts are not as full as they used to be.

She occassionally has the odd bottle of formula when i've needed to have a break due to bleeding nipples.

I had to give her a bottle this evening as even when I tried to express nothing was coming out :tear:. She took 5oz down in seconds.

She prefers water at meal times and will happily take water between meal times.

Would you say that it is over now?

I would take formula and solids away and get baby back to breast. Plenty skinto skin contact, bf when she wants, take lots of baths together, cosleep etc. Resist urge giving her formula..
TBH I think she is not ready for solids yet.

Not Forgetting that she is not 6 months and its not recommended to stare weanig onto solids before 6 months- and I strongly believe in this and stronlgy advise never start before 6th month...
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html
Its sounds to me like nursing strike. She can't weigh what's better for her - solids/ formula, what just pops in her mouth or breastmilk, on what she needs to work to get it- suck and wait. It happens mostly around time when solids are introduced or something new is happening in baby;s life: like starts crawling, sitting up etc.
There is only one solution and its stop any other food, as I've said formula and stop any solids and keep bf.
On nursing strike:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html#linksstrike
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html
your nipples don't need a "brake", they need good latch and good positioning and some ointment/ milk rubbed onto them at the end of feeding to speed up healing.
Latching:
http://www.4woman.gov/breastfeeding/index.cfm?page=latchon


And I've done all of it with Maya 2 times, forst time she wouldn't nurse for 2 weeks just after we've started solids and second for a 3 days after she started to crawl. So I know this is possible and its working. All you need is your boobs and love and patience and you can have baby breastfeeding. Maya will be 2 in DEc and is bf still strong.

What she said!

My Hv told me to wean her at 4 months due to poor weight gain and when I first said about the bleeding nipples she said top up with formula. So thats what we did.

I've already cut back on how much solids she is taking so that she would want more milk but she just turns her face away.
We've been having baths together the first couple of times she was happy to have a feed but now would rather splash about instead.

She has started to sit up on her own so maybe its due to this. During the week its not too bad as its usually as its just us but at the weekends when DH and DD1 is here its more noticeable.

She feeds fine n the mornings as she's gone all night with out a feed and is hungry and thirsty.

I'm going to try the nursing strike and see how she gets on. As she's been on solids or a while is this not going to cause her any problems??

nope she will be fine! Offer breast and she will be fine. Baths are more for skin to skin contact. This is a technique called rebirthing:
You make bath for yourself and baby, dim lights and just enjoy warmth and closenes. Put her against your chest and try to calm her down, pour water over your bodies, etc. Nice and easy. she will take breast after a while.
It might take few tries but will work!

Rebirthing


Another technique used to get babies to accept the breast is known as rebirthing. Rebirthing can be very helpful for preemies (or any baby who spends time in the NICU), even if nursing is going fine. Mom gets into the bathtub, full of warm (not hot) water with baby. Place baby on mom's tummy, in the water. Stroke baby, talk to baby. This may take time, but baby may begin to work his way up to the breast, search it out, and begin to suckle. It's important to have a support person with mom when doing this, for the safety of the baby

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html
It works with older kids also!

salocius wrote:My Hv told me to wean her at 4 months due to poor weight gain and when I first said about the bleeding nipples she said top up with formula. So thats what we did.

Your HV wants shooting for giving you such crap advice Especially as it is contravention of the current NICE guidelines.

I'm sorry she has undermined you. Putting baby on solids will not help weight gain as breastmilk is far more calorific and digestible than any veg puree.

But it is not too late, you have had some good advice here, especially the kellymom links, you can go back to breast, just give your wee one a chance. If you are getting sore nipples I urge you to see a bf counsellor to get your latch looked at. In the meantime you can put some lansinoh on to help with the healing, it is completely safe so you will not need to wipe it off before you feed baby.

The trouble with bottles is that it is easier to get milk from a bottle than from the breast, hence why she is guzzling the bottles down.

The main thing is please do NOT beat yourself up about this. You were let down by a so-called health professional who you trusted to give you good advice and she let you down.

If you try all this and you still end up switching to formula you have done a wonderful job breastfeeding for 5 months. But if you want to continue bfing, keep trying, keep offering the breast to your dd and think positive.

I remember you posting on here when you were given this advice from your HV, as you were concerned with the weight gain and bleeding nips etc.

In my opinion, babies main source of nutrition in the 1st 12 months should come from breastmilk, with the introduction of solid food to complement this and introduce them to new flavours and textures.

How is your little ones weight gain now she is on solids?

At the age of 5 months (bearing in mind the recommended age for introducing solids for both bottle and breastfed babies is 6 months), it would do no harm to follow the advice given and cut down on the other sources of food to get breastfeeding re-established.

Her weight gain has slowed down again.

I have cut back down her solids to 2 small amounts one in the morning and one at tea time so DH or DD1 can feed her. All the rest has been :boob: much to her annoyance I think.

I think the bleeding nipples are from where my breasts have been really itchy i've scratched them raw. I think it my be thrush as I get a burning sensation too so going to start the course of medication now.

:aww: I can sympathise with the thrush hunny, take plenty of prebiotics too (yoghurt or drinks!)

Just do what you can hunny - its sounds like you are making good progress - you know we are here if you need us :boob:

If you think you have thrush, get yourself to the GP quick, both you and baby will need to be treated as it'll pass between you.

Poor you, you seem to be having a rough time of it!