I feel like I'm failing at breast feeding

This happened to me with my first son.  I had to supplement from the get-go and I never produced enough.  Don't stress over it.  The breast milk you are giving is great!  Even if he gets both, he is getting liquid gold from you.

Drink a lot of fluid!  Consult again with a lactation consultant.  He may need to latch better.  He also gets the formula quicker from the bottle.  This can be a hinderance and the consultant may have a solution to help.

Good luck, and remember, even if you don't bf long, any he gets is great!

Laurie

I used the lactation consultant several times...and it does help...use the resource. Babies eat often, sometimes every 2 hours for a half hour. It is normal. Drink tons of water. I agree that supplementing hinders supply. What really stimulates supply is actually breast feeding...pumping doesn't stimulate the same as bf. Try to enjoy the time you bf....get comfy and just use that time to memorize everything about your babe....before you know it he will be 18 and it will be hard to remember his face and tiny fingers and toes.

I also agree with Laurie. Do the best you can...give an honest to goodness effort....every drop is liquid gold. But, at the same time some women just have supply issues and there is no sense beating yourself up over it if it is going to make you crazy. Good luck! Shari

 Every 2 hours for half an hour I can do easily, but yesterday, tying not to give him a bottle with some expressed milk + formula after nursing, he nursed for 2 HOURS straight---sometimes stopping for maybe 5 minutes here and there...and was still hungry at the end.

He is nursing longer though, and I'm trying to reduce what goes in the bottle at the end. Last night our feedings were about 45 minutes, followed by 1.5 ozs, and then I pumped. I only got about another .5 ounce each time, but I'm trying to make sure my breasts are totally drained after each nursing session since that supposedly will encourage production.

One thing for sure he is not nursing for 2 hours he is actually pacifying (using you as his paci)  What you need to do is unravel him and try to keep up to nurse. It is really hard with a newborn but you wake him up often.  Try 20 minutes to 30 minutes on each breast and then if he is hungry again try again an hour later and do the same until you have him nursing often enough to get what he needs.

It is not an easy task but very rewarding a few months down the line.  :-)

I'm sorry.  I know that feeling.  I felt that way with my son.  I gave up after about 3 weeks.   My advice to you is to not give up! :)  I wish I wouldn't have.   I just let the stress and worry that he wasn't getting enough to eat over take me.  Give it some time and talk to your laxtation nurse.   I think it gets easier the longer you do it.  It's the first couple of weeks that are the roughest.
:)

 I think that is what was really getting to me the most yesterday, the combination of hormones, stress, lack of sleep, all of that. Plus, with him ursing for 2 hours straight and then wanting more 10 minutes later, I started to just feel like Rapunzel, trapped in a tower (partly because our bedroom is upstairs, which sets it apart from the rest of the house and also because my MIL is here helping (don't get me wrong, it's awesome), so I don't feel like I can comfortably sit around my living room topless for 2 hours).
I've never been much of a homebody and I've always been a very busy and active person, so this near total confinement to home is making me a little extra crazy. I haven't even walked outside since Wednesday, and that was just to take him to the lab! Rationally, I know that part will get better, and I'll be able to go places again, but emotionally  right now it just feels like an unreachable goal. 

Take a very deep breath! this is one of the hardest things you will ever do and I am sure I will be crying myself in about 5 weeks and I have done it before! But every baby is different along with every mom!

if you can stop with the formula I would definitely do that I know it seems like he won't get enough but really he will and you will make more once he is not taking a bottle, for alot of babies it is easier to get the milk from the bottle so therefore they will hold out for that and not give the breast 100% I had this problem with my first daughter and it took a week or so of no bottle and it got way better, the bottle made her a lazy nurser until  she didn't that bottle anymore!

I agree with Cira that having a drink by you and sip while you are nursing is great AND to find a place where you are super comfy and make it your "nursing spot" settle in and try not to worry about anything else!

oh you can always try a pacifier if he still seems hungry it may not be hunger but more he needs too soothe himself with sucking!

Best of luck and don't forget deep breaths this is hard and takes time!!

HUGS

Beth

Ps will you remind me of all I said when I post crying???

 It would be easier to have something to drink while he nurses if I could get him to nurse in any position other than laying down! He's very particular about the position!

I am working on gradually phasing out the bottle feeding, and I seem to be starting to to make a little more milk today.