Breastfeeding sucks :(

How old is your baby? I’m 6m and bf is burning me out too

@Justine Kozluk dude only 10 weeks. It’s just been a slog. I’ve had mastitis too like holy shit. 6months though good for you hey!

Awww I feel you. That is a rough journey! Good on you for sticking it out this far it is so challenging and no one understands how hard you are working at it unless they’ve been in the same boat. I had Reynauds and terrible nipple pain. Boy was huge and I have an average milk flow so he cluster fed like a maniac for 3 months straight. Thank god I didn’t have DMER, that must be so awful for you 😖 The last thing you need! Have you tried lanolin or silverettes for your nipples? Silverettes are good for cracks. I’d be wary of advice to only do one position (football)…. If you feel comfortable trying something else like side lying feeding etc then give it a go! I can’t speak for the DMer but so far as everything else goes, if you feel like you can fight through the pain and gruelling efforts then it does get easier and pay off ❤️

Also for Reynauds it’s important to keep your nipples toasty and warm. I avoided any chill relief options. I kept nipples covered in my maternity bra when not in use (clean bra every day to avoid nipple thrush) I had these gel pads I could microwave for 20 seconds and put in my bra and they were nice for the Reynauds

I have DMER and it is so incredibly challenging 😥 feel free to message me

Wow, getting to 10 weeks with so much going on, that is good work. I can comment on most of it but my daughter has a high palate (and a late diagnosed tongue tie) and I have short nipples. We were also told football to start with, but then we were told the best position was the koala hold (have them upright and you lay back in a chair or sofa) but to be honest we normally go with a normal cross your body hold and use nipple shields. So, do what works for you and is sustainable, particularly for when you’re out and about. I now also express a couple of times daily, and she mainly has bottles when we are out and don’t have the comforts of home like the feeding pillow etc.

@Genevieve that’s very true! They say ohhhh it just gets better. But sometimes it just gets worse with a new thing that’s happening. I’ve tried a few other positions, one where he’s like lying on my side which is easier and much less awkward. Lanolin is ok it just stains my clothes, so now I’m onto the medicated stuff to help heal cause I just wanted to be healed asap. And babe has gone to the osteopath too to help. And yes I’m using a heating pad and it’s veryyyy comforting!. Cluster feeding is rough, and for 3 months I can’t even imagine. Good on yah for sticking with him! How old is he now?

@Hailey it’s bruuuuutal hey

@Mish yup we do bottles when we go out too cause I just can’t BF in public at all. Sad cause I always dreamed of being able to anywhere we go. We tried koala! Kinda funny though cause he can’t hold himself up yet? So maybe again once he’s bigger. Definitely easier on mom’s back though eh? How old your is baby? Has it gotten any easier for you??

@Genevieve literally no one I know who has breastfed has had even one of these issues so I have no one to talk to it’s just so shitty. They can’t relate whatsoever cause their experiences were so easy breezy. Like fuuuuuuuck me blue

@Stacie she’s 19 weeks, it did get a lot better I was probably breastfeeding all the time we were at home and about 40% when we were out, and with the nipple shields I’ve been comfortable and she’s been able to latch. And then at 14 weeks she went on nursing strike and would only nurse in the middle of the night, everything else had to be bottles. With help and support from a lovely BF specialist, we took a break from BF so it didn’t become a really negative experience and then slowly brought it back in for her evening feed, then her morning feed. I think the nipple shields will stay until we stop BF tbh, and expressing often has been hard, but it’s getting better again.

@Stacie you are doing so amazing, the effort you are putting in is clearly 1000% and at great personal sacrifice so I take my hat off to you! I had no one to talk to either when I had BF issues, all my friends found it easy - they had tonnes of milk, minimum pain, babies who fed for 10 mins every 3 hours and slept like a log in their cot for long stretches 🙄 I worked SO HARD and they didn’t understand at all My boy is almost 2 years old now! I exclusively breast breastfed him and it was a personal choice not to use bottles. No one understands the cluster feeding we went though, they all say yeah my baby did that… I’m like no you really don’t understand lol I’m actually 34 weeks pregnant and feeding through pregnancy with the intention to give tandem feeding a go. I do not love breastfeeding but I’m so set on it because I believe it is scientifically best for my boy emotionally and physically to go as long as we can