ok sorrys its long

4th july
im trying to relactate after a gap of 4 weeks started today and was suprised after my bath this evening i had a drop fall out of both nipples and i had a drink and the water went straight to my boobs you know that weird feeling you get instead of it going down your throught it feels like whatever you drink ends up going to your breasts? also they feel quite heavy now..was suprised!
dont worry havent been starving baby today what ive been doing is putting him on for 5 mins before feed on both boobs 5 mins after half a bottle and 5 mins at the end then expressing for 10 mins each side 3 times so far today and had quite a few drops out of both boobs at all times thought i had dried up.
whats inspired me to do this?
1 los going to be my last and can never breast feed again
2 your responses to the bf poll esp the bit about the sense of pride you get knowing that your mik made them grow and the bond it gives you
dont get me wrong i know it might not work after such a long break but it seems to be at the mo
any advice on relactating and getting milk flow back up greatfully recieved i will be combine feeding though but even if i managed 3 feeds a day id be chuffed to bits
5th july
cool thanks so much girls last night boobs felt heavy and leaking a few drops this morning nothing but probobly dried up over night so been pumping again still nothing but im not giving up so easy..got raspberry tea left over from pg so have swapped my cupp tea to that going to get fengugreek this afternoon heard about milk thistle too so will ask holland and barret girleys x thanks for the supposrt will keep you updated x
6th july
well im chuffed today as had a dribble of milk out of both breast not just a few pin p***s like the last two days but dribbles ...does a little dance! think its slowley working!
hes not really sucking on boobs like hes why are you doing it theres nothing there so i give him half ounce stick him on boob and hell suck till he gets annoyed so then another ahlf ounce back on boobs etc then ill express for 5-10 mins both sides then when ever i rember and when hes asleep so about ten -12 times a day got 6 week check at docs tuesday and will demand he give me some drugs to help..he should do hes a nice doc x
7th july
yeah! just got about a teaspoon off both boobs i know its nothing really but im chuffed and keons feeding for about a minute off each boob now before getting angery was only a few seconds at a time x he went to my mums and dads with his brother for a few hours just so me and dh could have a sunday pub lunch and i even expressed in the bogs hehehe !

ps if you wonder what relactatings like well its strange you get a mix of colostrum and milk in! my areola (sp) around my nipples have gone dark again too x
ooh bought my supplemental nursing system designed to keep baby on boob which once your milk comes in you withdraw from using x
8th july
small break through keons happy to suck on my boobs for 5 mins at a time so had 20 mins on my boobs this am it was wonderful, even though theres nought in there! he even gave me a smile which made my cracked bleeding nipples worth it (cant wait for them to harden up again) hv was really chuffed for me x
oh i found a nettle and fennel tea which i have sustituted for my normal tea both of which are supposed to help so thanks for that x
just had let down reflux how whens theres not hardly any milk lol..still amazing to feel that familar tingling!
really i thought what you expressed was all you had x thanks for that got docs today so hopefully he will give me something to help tell you what girls side effect of fenugreek is that i have ibs and well put it like this i havent got ibs anymore im pooping normally 4 times a day ! lovely i dont think x
9th july
ta iz x i lost my la

9th july
ta iz x i lost my la leche contact numbers and the local webstite was down yesterday when i looked! (you saved me a trip to clinic to ask for it) anyway might not need it cos dadada ! looks like my milks coming in not lots but a definate dribble now and think torrow ill have to put pads on!
have found a trick that you might want to share if you come across other relactaters (makes me sound like an alien life form!) put keon on boob and when he starts to moan cos there s not a lot in there i squeeze some formula from the bottle down onto my boob and it dribbles into his mouth so he will stay on longer after about 20 mins ill take him off cos hes really not getting much and then give him his bottle messy but worth it getting my supplementer any day now so cant wait for that then he will get his formula feed off my boobs hopw weirds that hopefully i wont need it for too long having let down reflux all the time now still not getting much by expressing infact nothing in the bottle at all but i get more hand expressing so thats what im doing...can i have a round of appaluse please!
yippie for me x
ooh and we now have green really runny poos (on formula they are yellower and a bit harder)
july 10th
got my suplimeter this am just going to try it now...wish me luck with any luck keon will be booby feediing off me completely even if it is just formula for now..its the stimulation thats needed at the mo!
well im back took an hour and a half! (then i realised i had slow flow tubing on and not the middle size one..sorry but you would think 1,2,3 where the flow rates nope they are the order codes! was being bloke like and not reading the instructions properly) he took 3 and half ounces normally does 4 so im guessing the 1/2 onunce is off me? was it messy yes was it fiddley yes was it frustrating cos keon kept coming off my boobs yes yes it worth it? hell yes!
i know it will get better from here on in ive done the hardest bit now just get him used to the sumplimenter first..baby steps..set a small goal and your more likely to achive it then head for the next step..getting my milk up. then off the suplimenter x
july 11th
better day today keons had 3 full feeds off my boobs via suplimenter and only taking 3 ozs at the most i know hes full as hes refusing to have anymore, and hes sucking very happily now ive got the right flow tube on..so have dropped an ounce each feed so im assuming its my milk still not wearing pads or leaking really but expressed and got a teaspoon off for the first time ever! fingers crossed the extra stimulation will kick in the hormones so will be having 4-5 feeds via system and the 5am from bottle (i cant express the milk for him yet and its a lot of messing around to sort out the supplimenter at 5am) but at least hes happy feeding from boobs and 95% off bottles..yippie only one bottle to steralise!
july 12th
feeling like jacking it all in, nothings increasing at all was hoping milk would come in properly but nope ..think i need medication will go to docs z
x
july 13th
need one breast pad on one boob now (stuff one in the otherside cos i felt lopsided) still not leaking much only when i squeeze boobs keons dropped from 20-23 oz a day fromula to p 17-19 lord i hope its my milk..seems full and content no extra crying or anything..keep getting lots of let down relex and boobs are heavy x hope to wake up with a wet bed soon and i dont mean cos ive peed it!
its blinking hard work sorting out the supplimenter wapping boobs out sticking it to me feeding keon trying to get the tube in his mouth correctly then expressing (well i say expressing just pumping my nipples really cos nothings coming out) still like you say my body thinks its feeding a newborn whcih feed more regulally than a 7 weeker..downside newborns dont have quite such a hard clamp on and pull of its like sticking one of those crocodile

no i mangaed to restart bf partially after a 4 week break but if your already bf it will be easier to restart it than to start from dried up boobies like mine where.. ill just go off and copy and paste my blog x

take fennugreek tablets and youc can get meds from the doctors xx

Feed lo as much as possible, but also if they arent hungry you can try expressing. I always express at about 9.30pm and fully empty both breasts - i find this really helps to keep my milk supply right up. Good luck. x

rest lots and eat well. I think milk thistle and fenugreek are supposed to boost your supply - have you got a holland and barratt near you?

Thank you I am determined to do it, I hate giving formula and I love it when she is on my breast it's so comforting. Thank you for the advice

Lots of skin to skin contact is really good for establishing  your supply. Would you be able to spend a day in bed with lo and just feed on demand and have lots of skin to skin? That would do wonders. Otherwise just let lo suckle as often as poss, even if it's after a ff and it's just a confort suck, it'll still increase your supply. Good Luck

No, I don't think you have left it too late at all.  I think the best way to re-establish exclusive breastfeeding is to try and increase your supply as much as you can by letting baby suckle at the breast whenever they want it.  Good luck.

Hi

I began exclusively BF my 6 wk old dd for 3 weeks and then introduced FF as I was struggling and it was really stressing me out. I have been BF her every morning and maybe twice during the day and sometimes expressing after she has had formula. I know feel I want to go back to exclusively BF and wondered if I have left it too late. How can I increase my milk supply if this is possible? Can I get it back? I really hope it is because I feel so bad that I am not exclusively BF anyway.

Thanks in advance for any advice

Lynsey