Back to the Breast from pumping or give up

My twins were born at 37 weeks and one day. I breastfed them for the first week after returning home from the hospital. I then became sick and needed help feeding them so I turned to using just the pump and having family help feed them from the bottle. They are 5 weeks old tomorrow now and I am struggling with what I should do. I pump about 2-3oz off each breast so 4-6oz per session about every 3 hours. I do have to mix formula in with breast milk to keep the boys fed as much as they want. This is already expensive so that is one reason I do not want to stop and would like to still increase my supply to feed them both and possibly get them back to my breast so I do not have to pump so much.
There are a few issues I am having with them on the breast. First they will both gladly stay for 60-90 minutes which leaves no time at all for anything else, and also they are still hungry after. Also they do not latch very well so I use a nipple shield which helps, but now I don't know how to get them to latch without it.
I was told that everything would work out if I pump for 6 weeks and then bring them back to the breast but I have no clue how that would work with the issues I am having. For instance as long as I pump the same, my milk will not change, or am I wrong about that? Also if I keep giving them a bottle after 45 minutes at the breast and they still eat 2-1/2 oz are they really getting any better at breast feeding?

I am so sad and frustrated because I want this to work out and I don't want to stop because then I wont be able to get it back. I really want this to work but it is so hard and I feel so alone. I am so sick of the pump, I don't want to bond with this machine!
Also one last thing, besides all the benefits of breast milk, I gained 106 lbs during my pregnancy. I was 125 at the start and finished at 231. It is so scary and hard, I was on bed rest for a long time too so my muscles are so weak. I have a hard time getting up off the floor so I just don't get down there which is hard when I want to use the floor for tummy time or whatever else. I was really hoping I would also get weight loss benefits from breastfeeding but I am not sure I am. I was 190 after 2 weeks. I am 5 weeks out and not sure how much I have lost, I am pretty sure it is not much because I do not fit into any of my maternity pants yet only the stretchy ones from the end. This is another thing that is really making me sad and I am so frustrated. If I give up breastfeeding will I still be able to loose any of this weight?

 

:hug:

I know it feels like forever but you have time on your side. They are only 5 weeks- this is great! There are lots of growth spurts in the first 6 weeks. I would start 1 feed per day from the breast on demand for however long they would go in between feedings. So if they can eat at 10a then again at 12p I'd feed for however long they want at 10. If 20 min later they seem hungry again I'd put them back on. And so on until the 12 p feeding. This is tedious and annoying but will increase your supply. Each day as you can tolerate it, add another session until you are happy with the your nursing relationship.

I didn't use a nipple shield but some of the other ladies probably will be able to help you out there.

You are doing a great job- just take it day by day. :hug:

 

My twins were born at 37 weeks and one day. I breastfed them for the first week after returning home from the hospital. I then became sick and needed help feeding them so I turned to using just the pump and having family help feed them from the bottle. They are 5 weeks old tomorrow now and I am struggling with what I should do. I pump about 2-3oz off each breast so 4-6oz per session about every 3 hours. I do have to mix formula in with breast milk to keep the boys fed as much as they want. This is already expensive so that is one reason I do not want to stop and would like to still increase my supply to feed them both and possibly get them back to my breast so I do not have to pump so much.
There are a few issues I am having with them on the breast. First they will both gladly stay for 60-90 minutes which leaves no time at all for anything else, and also they are still hungry after. Also they do not latch very well so I use a nipple shield which helps, but now I don't know how to get them to latch without it.
I was told that everything would work out if I pump for 6 weeks and then bring them back to the breast but I have no clue how that would work with the issues I am having. For instance as long as I pump the same, my milk will not change, or am I wrong about that? Also if I keep giving them a bottle after 45 minutes at the breast and they still eat 2-1/2 oz are they really getting any better at breast feeding?

I am so sad and frustrated because I want this to work out and I don't want to stop because then I wont be able to get it back. I really want this to work but it is so hard and I feel so alone. I am so sick of the pump, I don't want to bond with this machine!
Also one last thing, besides all the benefits of breast milk, I gained 106 lbs during my pregnancy. I was 125 at the start and finished at 231. It is so scary and hard, I was on bed rest for a long time too so my muscles are so weak. I have a hard time getting up off the floor so I just don't get down there which is hard when I want to use the floor for tummy time or whatever else. I was really hoping I would also get weight loss benefits from breastfeeding but I am not sure I am. I was 190 after 2 weeks. I am 5 weeks out and not sure how much I have lost, I am pretty sure it is not much because I do not fit into any of my maternity pants yet only the stretchy ones from the end. This is another thing that is really making me sad and I am so frustrated. If I give up breastfeeding will I still be able to loose any of this weight?

 

First of all, congrats!!! Second, I would HIGHLY recommend getting a lactation consultant to help you out, given all the pumping/bottle feeding/nipple shield complications. It is well, well worth the money, especially when you factor in money saved on formula. You can try finding one by word of mouth or call your hospital's lactation center for recommendations. Good luck!!

 

Sometimes babies just like to suck. You could try giving them the supplements on a schedule like Michelle mentioned rather than giving them the supplemental bottle at the end of breastfeeding. Breast feed on demand around that.

That's what I did with my tiwns. They got bottles of formula--I never pumped--at set times around the clock and were breastfeed on demand around those feeds. It was a long time ago, but I think at 6 weeks they were getting 5 bottles of fomula a day. I always prepared the amount the package recommended for their age, but never pressured them to finish a bottle. I dropped down to three bottles a day by 4 months and held steady there. When they started solids I gave those with the at the bottle time with the bottle following the solids. I continued to breatfeed them on demand until I went back to work at a year, and then I still fead them at night for an additional 3 months after that.

Remember, it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

 

Where are you located? Id recommend an IBCLC too. I see women like you everyday and there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Have hope!!!
As a PP said, they are ONLY 5 weeks, and you've been pumping to maintain supply so those are 2 positives right there. Keep the desire to breastfeed & add a professional and you'll be a nursing pro in no time.

The pump only removes about 2/3 of the available milk so overtime the amount you get will be less. If you havent already seen it, GOOGLE : Jane Morton Hands on pumping. It shows you how to get more milk out during a pumping session. Make sure you are double pumping every 2-3 hours for at least 10-15 minutes.

Nipple shields can decrease your milk supply and interfere with the amount the babies can get out so the quicker you can get off of it, the better. Do lots of SKIN to SKIN with the babies, laid back breastfeeding and see if babies will self attach. Offer the bare breast after bottlefeeds, instead of a paci etc.

If a baby has a good latch they can nurse efficiently, if they have a poor latch, they don't transfer milk well and will nurse for very long periods of time inefficiently (this is where the IBCLC comes in).

so 1. keep pumping 2. find an IBCLC 3. Get latch corrected/off the nipple shields 4. transition to more nursing/ less pumping

Hang in there mama!