Breastfeeding Frustrations...

i'd eliminate the pacifier completely, and nurse him to sleep for naps and bedtime and during the night (are you nursing him several times a night? cosleeping? that can help a lot, and especially after you go back to work, to make up for not nursing as much during the day). you could also try nursing him lying down, and in a quiet room. a session with a craniosacral therapist or cranial osteopath could help, since he may be uncomfortable in certain positions due to restrictions in his craniosacral system or muscles. also it might help to keep offering the same breast for a few feedings, especially if he's having greenish poop at all. and he may be just fine, just a superefficient nurser who didn't gain weight for 3 weeks due to illness. i really would cut out the pacifier though. it's wonderful that you can come home and nurse him during your workday.

Maybe you should talk to your pediatrician about it? If he's not gaining weight they might be able to give you some suggestions. Have you tried looking at a picture of him when you're pumping? That has worked for me, also sometimes having him next to me helps with the let down while I'm pumping. I don't have a lot of experience with breastfeeding myself (we're only 9 weeks in ourselves), however, you are doing a great job by keeping on trying! It can be really frustrating to breastfeed. And don't be discouraged if in the end you do need to supplement with formula. This happened to my friend and I know it made her feel really guilty, but the important thing is that your baby is happy and healthy!

That sounds very frustrating. Since he has started to gain weight again I would keep going with it, especially since he is recovering from a cold. Breast is best! :)

You could try different positions, I saw one mama suggested the football hold; side-lying was very successful for me. I also had to do a weird position that I don't think there's a name for in order to nurse my son when he was quite young; I had a really fast let down that would practically blow him across the room so I had to lay almost flat on my back propped up with a pillow or two (usually on an angle on the sofa) and have him lay on top of me. Although my hubby commented on how strange it looked, it worked pretty well which was all that mattered! He could handle the flow better since it wasn't shooting down his throat full force.

I would just try to nurse him as often as possible. If he's only eating for three minutes or so try to feed him every half hour. I know this will end up being more difficult once you go back to work but I think if you can make it home for even a session or two it'd be worth it. His care taker can always offer a breast milk bottle for him. He may end up taking to the bottle better too, who knows.

Good Luck, and don't give up! We didn't really get everything down pat until my son was over 4 months old. It was very frustrating but it is well worth all of the effort!

Keep at it! The LLL can really help, or even your OB/Midwife. They are here to help and listen and really want youto suceed. Maybe try a different position that you havent before. It may be awkward at first, but keep trying.
Also, if you are not letting down with a breast pump, you may not be using it correctly. or the size of the shield may be to big/small. Try to have a Lacation Specialist show you how to properly use it. Good luck!

I could never nurse my little boy in the cradle pose- he preferred football. I must admit I preferred it too a bit. I just never felt comfortable in cradle and he had a tendency to slip down and chew in anything other than football.

Good luck!

Could it be acid reflux or something? My niece wouldn't nurse unless she was sleeping.... Good luck!

Is he crying when he pops off? Does it seem like he's gasping? If so, it could be that he does not like a fast let-down. I went through this recently with my son-- I thought he wanted more, faster, but that was just making him more frustrated. When I control my flow so that it's more steady, he stays latched much longer.

Also, try taking breaks for more burps. If he's frantic when he's burping, wait till he's calm again before you put him back at the breast. I use a pacifier while I burp sometimes if he still wants to suck. I've had 5 kids and have never had problems with nipple confusion :)

Keep up the good work! There are always nursing hurdles-- every child is different!

Can you supplement with formula so you are sure that he is getting enough milk and gaining weight?

The bad cold is probably what caused your troubles. A baby can't nurse if he/she has a stuffy nose. I bet things will get easier now that he feels better. Good luck :-)