Breast shield and feeding advice

Our LO is 2 months old, and it’s been a very long feeding journey. Had difficulty latching from day one. One week in with no midwife/hv support I bought a pump as baby was clearly hungry and not getting enough milk.

We had a week of expressed milk topped up with formula (formula went straight through him). Until we ended up exclusively expressed feeding. It took us 7 different bottles to find some he could work with.

At 5 weeks the HV suggested he could have a tongue tie and referred to the infant feeding team and for it to be cut.

The HV also suggested nipple shields, willing to give anything a go to make our journey easier I purchased some and he instantly latched.

Showing a preference for breastfeeding I slowly reduced pumping (oversupply), and have now been exclusively breastfeeding with the shields.

LO tongue tie was cut just over a week ago. Still using the shields as he still can’t latch without them. I do have flat nipples so don’t know if this is also an issue.

Now I’m concerned he’s not getting enough milk? My oversupply has definitely dropped. He usually seems quite content but he refuses to sleep in the late evening. (Got him down at 00:30).

When he finally goes to sleep he will either wake every 3 hours or he will have a solid chunk of 5-6 hours before waking.

During the day he will nap for 1-2 hours after his wake window and wake up hungry for his feed.

I know your meant to look out for early hunger signs but I feel like he doesn’t get chance to have them. He wakes up crying hungry. Should I be waking him up sooner to feed? But if he has a shorter nap he’s overtired and grumpy.

Not sure if this post even makes sense or what I’m asking for but just struggling with making sure LO is ok. I would rather not use the shields as it makes a mess (he pulls them off mid feed) but not sure how to improve his latch. He doesn’t lean his head back properly or open his mouth super wide.

I don’t really want to go back to pumping and bottle feeding, controversial but I found this so much harder than breastfeeding.

I know I could give up and formula feed but I really don’t want to. Especially after seeing how he reacted to it initially.

He’s always been small for his age, he was born 10 days early, weighed 6lbs and lost 1lb in that first week. Back to birth weight by end of week 2, and slowly putting on weight. Now just over 9lb at 2 months. He’s getting weighted again on Monday to check he’s gaining weight.

in our community

Baby clothes

Just out of curiosity, why do parents love zipper onesies?

Don’t get me wrong, I tried zipper ones it’s easy to zip in and out when putting it on the first time and taking it out, but I find it difficult when changing diapers especially when baby is asleep.

I prefer those kimono style buttons where it’s easy to button or too down button with crotch snaps.

Is everyone thinking the same or different? Lol

AITA

In the uk there is an outbreak of meningitis, in a specific area mainly. My BD has family from that area and decided to go and meet up with them, I said if he does then he cannot have contact with the kids for 7-10 days after incase he picks anything up. Am I being over dramatic? I reallyyy don’t want my young kids getting anything serious

This might rattle some people

Ok, this might get a bit long, and a bit bumpy, so get comfy and buckle up.

So about a week or 2 ago, there was a post on here regarding sleepovers. Not letting their child go to them as you can't trust who'll be at the house etc.

Now, given recent incidents in nurseries and schools, plus my own experience back in the 90s, I am more concerned about sending my child to nursery and later school than I am to a friend's house for a sleep over.

The other day a man was jailed for abusing children at the nursery he worked at. A woman has been arrested for sleeping with an underage boy and then getting pregnant by a different underage boy while on bail for the first offence.

Young girls and boys get sexually harassed and bullied when at school, not all of them. But more than you think. And not just by other kids, but by adults who we as parents are trusting to look after our kids.

A sleepover, is a more controlled environment, with only a handful of people coming into contact with your child. A school, a club etc there can be 100s of people coming into contact with your child.

I was targeted at 7 years old by the owner of a prominent private school. Thankfully, I wasn't SA'd. In year 5 of primary school, I started to develop early, I was harassed by the boys and teachers made remarks about how my uniform didn't fit right, always "adjusting it" around my chest and legs.

Years 7-9 of secondary school were hell. But it was all under the guise of "we're just messing around". A teacher twanging my exposed bra strap (none uniform day) is not "messing around".

Boys pinning me down trying to rip open my shirt to see my breasts.

I fear for my daughter. I hope she takes after my father's family, flat chested.

We need to educate all our children, what is acceptable behaviour. And to come to us, as their parents should ANYTHING happen.

At this point I’m not enjoying motherhood

My 22 month old is horrendous at the moment🫣 biting, hitting, pushing, pulling and shoving not only adults but children he also wants what other children have and will just snatch it away from them.

We repeat ‘nice hands’ ‘be gentle’ ‘let’s share’ etc

But how do I make him understand what he’s doing isn’t very nice? At the end of the day I feel like I’ve just been saying his name all day and nothing else.

What can I do?

Car seat

No idea which car seat to get next. Please hit me with your recommendations, 1year+ (preferably rear facing or 360). Thank you 🫶🏻

Dummy

My baby has had a dummy since about 2 weeks old (now 5 months) and over the course of the last month we weaned her off it during the day only for naps and night (which was fine) and then 5 days took it completely away during the day.

The first day no dummy was fine, the second bit rougher. But now it feels impossible she just moans and cries all the time it takes ages for her to go down to sleep (she’s always been an amazing sleeper)

I thought it was meant to get better as time went on not worse. I’m at my wits end I dunno what to do.

Currently typing this as she screams uncontrollably in the car and I cry with her cos I can’t do anything.