in Breastfeeding/Nursing & pumping Mamas

Is breastfeeding still possible?

I’m having such a hard time breastfeeding and just in tears every day. I had damage to my nipples from the first two days feeding after birth, a c section, and messed up by not breastfeeding for the a few days when my supply came in. I didn’t know how much that would affect this journey. Now my baby is mainly formula fed and I’m trying so hard to increase my supply by pumping. Whenever I put him on the breast even with shields he starts crying sometimes hysterically. I feel so depressed about it and don’t know how to make it work. I’ve been trying to get him to breastfeed for two weeks and pumping loads every day and my supply hasn’t increased and baby doesn’t want to feed from me. I’m so sad. Is there any hope or should I just give up and do formula full time? I’ve never felt like more of a failure.

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There is absolutely still hope! I went through something very similar. My best advice is start by creating a more positive association with the breast. Try to make it a comforting place and worry less about feeding. When baby has already been fed try just holding them without your bra on and have your breast near his mouth or face. Keep it very low pressure and just let baby kinda play with the breast at first. Don’t attempt to latch unless baby is interested and stop if he gets frustrated. Do this routinely and I guarantee he’ll begin to latch. Once he’s doing that it’s only a matter of slowly replacing bottles with nursing sessions as he becomes better at it. Medela has some good info about this; google “Medela back to breast”. You’re doing a great job and if BF is important to you then stick with it! You got this!

My friend stopped breastfeeding 8 months ago and still gets milk leaks! Definitely possible. When I pumped in the beginning it actually worsened my supply, until my supply regulated around 4 months pp. How many months pp are you? I'd advise to drink soooo much water and try hand expressing in the shower rather than continuously pumping (still pump ofc but don't make your nipples fall off haha!) continue to try to have your LO latch on! In my experience, pumping didn't increase my supply until after 4/5 months xx Good luck 😘

I was in exact same position as you, I honestly could have wrote this post. To begin I had no interest in it so only half heartedly pumped once or twice a day and tried breast feeding once a day and it wasn't really working for the first few weeks and so she was maknly formula fed. I started putting baby to boob for 10mins for every feed. Her latch was terrible to begin and took a lot of patience and I would give her formula after to top up. At 9weeks I decided it wasn't working and wanted to just breast feed and so I slowly increased the 10mins on boob and let her feed for as long as she wanted. My supply wasn't great so feeds took ages but now at 15weeks I am EBF with pumping once in the evening and my supply has increased massively.