Breastfeeding struggles

I feel the same completely. I had my girl on the 18th, I was in hospital overnight and the midwives hand expressed for me as I was exhausted and just couldn't do it and they fed my baby 2 syringes, after that I attempted breast feeding with no idea what I was doing. Yesterday someone from the Bambi's charity came to my house, the lady was so lovely she showed me how to position pillows to help, she showed me how to get her to latch on and she had the biggest feed I've ever seen her have while this woman was there and I was filled with confidence. As soon as I tried on my own after, it's back to being difficult I can't get the position the same, I'm uncomfortable, my boobs are sore and she will only feed from the right. I completely understand the stress you're feeling. I'm going to keep trying til tomorrow and then I think I'm going to also start pumping and bottle feeds. A fed baby is a happy baby, and whatever is comfortable for you is the right decision. ❤️ Hope you're feeling better

I wish I had advice, I'm going through basically the same. My little one was delivered 6 weeks early and was tube and then bottle fed for her many weeks in hospital so it was an uphill battle to teach her to latch and it was agonising when she did manage. While she was in the NICU I expressed for her feeds and since we got home together I've continued that with that. Have you tried different positions for feeding? The only thing that works for us (and only sometimes at that) is feeding while laying down on my side. If your goal was to feed baby breastmilk I think it's still an achievement to express and bottle feed, it's certainly double the effort.

@Sophie it’s so hard but fed baby is best and I wouldn’t have had the capacity to be a good and present Mum if I’d forced myself to keep going. Sending you hugs it’s such a shitty thing to struggle with, when it feels like it should be natural!

@Trisha it’s so hard, sending you love! NICU must have been so hard 😢 I have tried allllll the positions. The LC I saw said he has a lot of jaw tension from our difficult labour and that’s likely why the latch just isn’t working. Pumping is definitely a lot of work but I want to keep up my supply in the hopes that we will crack the nursing one day 🥲❤️

Maybe have little one assessed for a tongue tie? X

@Jessica we’ve seen a lactation consultant and she said he has a lot of tension but doesn’t think it’s a tie. She said it was hard to tell though because of the tension 🫠 x

@Miriam oh I don’t even know what that means! Although the health visitor did say something like that to us and suggested seeing an osteopath? My little girl had a tongue tie and nursing her was agony for me, I had deep cuts and bled almost every feed 😢 she had her tie snipped 5 days ago and it already feels sooo much better.

@Jessica me neither 😂 yeah we actually went to see an osteopath yesterday, I’m not sure if it actually works but willing to try anything. I’ll maybe see if I can get him checked for a tie again, so happy for you that it’s improved!! 🤞🏻

Have you tried nipple shields so you can feed directly but it's more similar to a bottle latch for baby and your nipples can heal a bit? Might be worth a shot

@Fiona I have, it’s still agony even with shields and causes bleeding etc. I do attempt to nurse him maybe once a day using shields just to keep up the practise but its still extremely painful 🥲 x

Hi I am feeling you pain we have some good feeds and some which really aren't my right boob is agony so we are currently express i have loads of milk i feel like a cow lol I have breastfeeding nursery tomorrow to try help me with my latch on i had a cry yesterday due to feel so low about how sore it is and not been able to work but I have decide if it doesn't work I will just express as kong as he is still getting milk x

Have you tried nipple shields? I've found that they've helped with the pain along with nipple cream and those silver shields for recovery. I had to stop breastfeeding for a couple days early on as they got so cracked and sore so the nipple shields have stopped them from getting as bad. I'm hoping it gets better as he gets bigger and can latch better

@Natasha sorry you’re in the same boat, it’s horrible! What is breastfeeding nursery?? X

@Hester I have, sadly they don’t do much for the pain for me ☹️ the silver shields are a godsend! I am going to keep trying every now and then though and I’m also hoping him getting a bit bigger will help things x

@Miriam so it's bump buddies but they have a peer support so the women is coming out tomorrow to help me I am in Scotland I don't know if you have that too. Yea I am just use left to let right heal a bit and express as well and my partner can give him bottel x

I’m in the same boat, I was always very much in the whole ‘if in can breastfeed I will, if not it’s fine’ but as soon as she came that went out of the window and I only wanted to BF. I’ve let it get me down that she isn’t seeming to be feeding very well and she was constantly just hungry, my boobs weee just so sore because she wasn’t taking enough. Plus she was up every 40 mins and wanting feeding so I wasn’t able to rest especially after the birth we had. I decided to start pumping literally today and I have a total different baby. She’s so relaxed, seeming a lot happier. I’m going to still keep trying to give her the boob before the bottle just to try but for me, she’s still getting the milk just not in the way I hoped. Don’t beat yourself up, you’re doing absolutely amazing!❤️

@Natasha I’m in Scotland too I’ll maybe give that a go. Thank you and I hope it gets better for you soon 🥰🤞🏻 x

@Miriam drop me a wee message and I will sent you stuff i have been given I am in aryshire xx

@Chantelle I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling too, it’s so hard dealing with the pain and wanting to push through but it’s not worth losing our sanity over 🥲 my boy is also much more settled now he’s on expressed bottles and actually sleeps for 2-3 hours which is amazing, I still get so depressed when he roots around though 😭 you’re doing amazing too and pumping is hard work so good on us for trying I say 🥰 x