Is it wise to relactate at 2.5 months?

Patats,

People make me so angry sometimes How would they know if your LO is sensitive to somethings. Just bc your a FTM doesn't mean you don't know your baby. I had the same problem when I started telling people that there was something wrong with my baby. Even the dr just said that I am eating something causing the problem. My BIL even said that I must stop crying and moaning (just not that nicely).

Anyway neither me or my husband has any food allergies. Strangely enough my mom had the same issues with my brother, that I had with my LO so it could be that your LO is sensitive to some things.

The dr that finally diagnosed the eczema said we should also be wary of gluten, and won't you believe it the eczema returned after they gave my LB some cereal with gluten in at the daycare, without me knowing or okaying it.

If I have learnt anything in the pass 5 months it is this:
1. You know your child even if your a FTM it's just natural.
2. Doubting youself is normal, but usually unnecessary.
3. Do what you feel is right, there will always be critics.
4. This is a lot harder than anyone told me, but so worth it especially when LO smiles and just shows you how happy he is to see you.

I truly hope you do what you feel is right for you and baby, whatever that might be, No matter what anyone else says or thinks.

Joanne23 - Thank you, I appreciate the support! I don't know whether my lb has a cow's milk allergy but I also suspect that although he might not be completely allergic to it that he is sensitive to it. I have IBS so it is not impossible for him to have a sensitive digestive system. Everyone else I mention it to however seems sceptical which makes me doubt myself.

Thanks for the tip about the tissue salts! It's nice to talk to people who are also going through things like these. Makes you feel less isolated and alone.

Karmie - Thanks for the encouragement, I really do hope the day that it becomes better comes sooner than later

My husband has been put on anti-depressants recently and is feeling better but he is still not sure about the relactating and his family is not that supportive of it either. They only see it as a very last resort. My family is more open to it but also thinks it might not be the best idea as I have gotten used to our current feeding situation.

I on the other hand really do not feel depressed anymore but I do suspect I had PND right after labour. Currently I am only over tired and a bit disheartened that we can't seem to find a solution.

Regarding the relactation, I have read a lot about it and it certainly seems possible but there are no guarantees that it will work and it looks like a lot of work - which I am willing to do of it will help my boy. I would as you said nees the help of an experienced lactation consultant as I wouldn't even know where to begin. Before I even consider it I just need info on wheter it could improve my situation just because I need to convince my husband it is better - if indeed it would be.

Breastfeeding is much harder than people make you believe and after this I will never again think twice if someone told me that they couldn't breastfeed. I know that it is also not necessarily the answer in my case, I am just looking at all my options as I am so uncertain of what to do next and the doctors all have such varied opinions (might I add none that includes breastfeeding again).

Thanks anyway for both replies!

Hi Patats

Sorry to hear about your rough start to parenthood! But congratulations nonetheless, it does get better, I promise!

I felt much the same as you with our first LG, so completely overwhelmed and unprepared, and she had reflux too and was on Nexium as well.

Now looking back, I realise that I had a form of PND after the birth of our first LG. I now regret not taking action and speaking to someone to get it sorted out. Please go and speak to a professional if you think you may be suffering from PND. I did not realise that I may have PND at the time, as I had no thoughts of harming baby, but my goodness was I moody, exhausted, no libido, joyless, isolated etc, etc. I have suffered for months without knowing it and just accepting that this is now the new normal. In fact, it is only after I started becoming myself again, that I realised that I must have suffered from PND and that it was not normal.

As for hubby, it will be good if he can go seek professional help too. Look at it this way, you can care so much better for baby, if you are taken care of yourself too.

As for relactating, I am not sure whether it is possible and what you must do to successfully relactate. If you are seriously considering it, go see an IBLC Lactation Consultant in your area. These ladies are great and will be able to assist. Without the support of our local Breastfeeding Clinic, I would have lost my mind a long time ago already!

As for whether breasmilk will be better, the answer is not that easy. Yes, it is a fact that breastmilk is the best nutrition you can give your baby, however it is not the only factor to consider and it is not always possible to breastfeed. I believe moms should not have to be judged for not breastfeeding, being a mom is a hard job as it is without being judged!

I have breastfed my first LG for 10 months and are still breastfeeding my 5 month old.

My second LG is a dream baby, and breastfeeding is a breeze. However, with my first LG it was a complete love hate relationship with the breast. There were days that I was so grateful for it and other days where we struggled because she refused to drink. Because of the link between cow milk protein and reflux I cut out all dairy from my diet. I also cut out all soy, because if there is a reaction to cow milk protein, then there is a 70% chance that there will be a reaction to soy as well. I ended up living from rice, chicken and veggies. Dairy and soy are in everything! All that said, I am glad that I persevered with breastfeeding and I am grateful that I could have that experience with both my girls.

Please make sure you give the Nexuim in the morning on an empty stomach and that you wait for about 30-40 minutes before feeding. If you dont do this, the Nexuim does not work properly. Our pead did not tell us this, and for weeks the medicine did not work properly until I found this out.

I hope this gives you some information to make a decision.

All the best, and as I said, it does get better!

Hello Patats

I know how you feel I almost had the same experience. I could breastfeed and did so for three long weeks which was hell. I had a baby that was screaming most of the time and wanted to breastfeed the whole day.

I then also switched to formula and instantly my baby was better. However after two weeks of NAN he developed the rash that you explained. Dr diagnosed eczema. We changed everything from washing powder to bath products. Nothing helped. A pharmacist then suggested that I switch my formula to soya based. I can't tell you how much my baby has changed. We did get a prescription for epimax with 2% lenovate (cortisone) and Deselex which helps to clear the eczema.

In my case my breast milk just wasn't nourishing enough for him and we suspect that he might be allergic to cow's milk hence the reaction to NAN.

I hope that whatever you decide to do you will be happy.

I know all about whose overwhelming emotions. (My first baby too) Everyone goes one about how great it is to a baby how fulfilling it is, no-one prepares you for the hard times. I probably too have some depression issues, but it is better now. If you are feeling down try using Natura Tissue Salts No 6, it has been my saving grace.

If you would like to talk about anything you can pm me. (It sounds that we might be in the same boat)

I can't give you any advise about the relactating. I can just say that in my case switching to formula was best for both me and my lb.

Good luck

Hello Mommies

My lb was born end of April and I really struggled to breastfeed due to flat nipples and being so overwhelmed by a screaming baby, sleep deprivation and possibly postnatal depression that went undiagnosed. I tried for the first few days an although he fed I was struggling so much that I was constantly in tears.

To make a long story short I then exclusively pumped for 2 weeks but got mastitis and in a moment of weakness allowed myself to be swayed to move over to formula. My husband was a formula baby and wanting to make me feel better he suggested I stop. We then gave Similac Total Comfort for a few weeks during which he was put on Nexium for silent reflux. He also always had a gassy and crampy stomach but the last 2 weeks it has been worse and he has developed tiny red dots like a skin rash all over his body. He also switched between constipation and diarrhoea and brought up milk after every feed.

We then tested Novalac HA but he hated the taste and refused to drink. Plus it was so oily I couldn't get it out of the bottle (kept clogging). Now we are testing S26 for the past 2 days on a doctor's recommendation but I am constantly and naively thinking maybe my milk would cure the problem.

My issue is that my husband has been totally against relactating since I realised soon after stopping that I made a huge mistake. He feels that just when we have gotten used to a routine I am going to struggle, cry and have to pump at night and maybe develop mastitis again. He is under a lot of pressure at work and has developed depression himself after the baby (we are first time parents) and is therefore scared of the difficulty relactating will bring. I would however really like other people's opinions who are not biased.

1. Will relactating be possible if he only breastfed 4 days?
2. Am I stupid in thinking it is a better route than switching formulas constantly until we find the right one?

I did all the homework on breastfeeding during my pregnancy but no one could have prepared me for the sheer overwhelming amount of stress and emotions. I wish I never stopped but now I can only try and find a solution so that my son can be comfortable.

Sorry for the long post, hope someone has some insight!