3 weeks postpartum
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That all being said, I put so much pressure on myself to breastfeed and got so stressed about it, instead of enjoying the first few weeks with my baby which I now slightly regret. Even though, I was able to breastfeed my baby which I found bonding, my milk supply was never enough, so I ended up combi feeding and then it just dried out at 4 months pp.. what I'm trying to say first few months are so hard, breastfeeding is HARD and we put so much pressure on ourselves (society puts pressure on us too). Fed baby is best, formula or breastfeeding - at the end it doesn't matter. You are doing great and your body is not failing you. Let's not forget, your body was able to grow a beautiful baby.
I am sorry lovely that you have been through this! I had a very similar experience! My lo is now 4months and is thriving on formula, I know it’s not what we want and trust me I have felt a lot of guilt! But a fed baby is a happy baby! Your body has not failed you! You have grown a beautiful baby who is happy and healthy. As their mother you are feeding them and the fact that you are stressed and care shows how amazing you are! Have you called any breastfeeding experts? In our red books there are some good contacts if you would like help. But maybe try and pump when you can whenever he feeds so that your body will be in sink with him xx
I'm really sorry that you're having a tough time. As a fellow csec mum I experienced this too, my milk came in day 4/5 and we had continuous struggle with latch. Make sure you tell your midwife and if possible check out treasure chest in York for support. I ended up doing to the breastfeeding clinic at the hospital and had to use shields to continue my BF journey. I put immense pressure on myself and if anything made it worse. I did use formula that first week and it didn't affect my supply but it did help my mental health. Please be kind to yourself 🩷, you're going through massive hormonal changes along with a huge addition in your life. P.s. a good cry every now and again also helped me 😂
I was also csec and did similar to Ali- put baby on breast first then topped up with formula then back on breast afterwards so it would stimulate my boobs and then just kept lowering the amount of formula. Pumping was too stressful so I didn’t want to try that approach
Hey, I'm sorry you're going through this..I was in a very similar situation- I had an emergency C-section and really struggled with my milk supply. I had no milk for the first week and the baby was not latching. I kept pumping as much as possible, which increased my milk supply. My baby had a tongue tie so was struggling to latch (maybe it's worth getting midwives to check). I would also recommend nipple shields. For us it made it easier for my baby to latch on and later on we were able to transition from nipple shields to nipple. Treasure chest are great as well and they can help with latching. My HV helped me too and you can get an appointment with breastfeeding clinic in York hospital.