Breastfeeding after 4 months of bottle? (Cross-nusing)?
(First: Please DO NOT lecture if you are not okay with cross nursing.) My 3 and a half month old nephew is having a lot of problems with formula. He just throws up most of what he eats and is getting really skinny. He has lost way too much weight. They have tried EVERYTHING. Now he is on soy formula. My sister in law wants me to try nursing him and see if breast milk would do any better. Since she is ready to go back to work she said it would be good if I could just nurse him along with my 4 month old durring the day. I am supposed to try tomorrow. Any advice for getting him to latch on? Is it really even possible? I just want to give him the best. I have an over supply so I don’t mind at all, I’m just not sure if he’ll take it. (although I could just pump and bottle feed him, it would be much easier if he would latch on,) Thanks!
I don’t see how this is any different than someone being a surrogate, I think it’s wonderful that you’re offering to help your nephew in offering what is best for him right now.
He may or may not latch on. He doesn’t have the same emotional or physical bond with you that he has with those who normally feed him. You may want to mention to your sister in law and brother that if you do this the baby may develop a very close bond with you and become emotionally dependent on you for feeding if you nurse him regularly.
There are some videos that you can watch on getting baby to latch, but if you’re already BFing your own baby, then I’m sure you understand how the process works. It may take him a while to adjust to your style, but at his age he’ll probably latch pretty immediately. Either way, I applaud you for your strength and generosity to get him nourished the way he should be right now.
Has you nephew been tested for anything? Allergies?If he’s losing weight instead of gaining I’d say get that baby on something with some proper nutrients right away even if that means bottle feeding him bm until you can get him to latch on. Is there a reason that your SIL didn’t nurse him and went straight to formula?
GL to you both, I really hope it works out!
Interview with Mark, “A Convicted Felon”