Falling asleep on the boob

Hey all! Little girl is 7 weeks and we’ve had a rough start with breast feeding. At first her latch was awful so I started a pumping schedule to help build up my supply which was very low following a c section birth. Now she refuses the boob completely and screams, or will fall asleep after latching for less than a minute. Her latch is lots better now she’s a bit bigger, is my girl just lazy? Have we spoiled her with bottles? Do you think my letdown is too slow and frustrating for her? Does she genuinely just hate the booby? I’d love to breast feed exclusively as it’s so convenient and there are no pump parts to clean! I’ve tried expressing before latching her, offering boob before she’s hungry or when she first shows hunger cues etc, now I’m praying to the milky boob gods that we can pull through this and finally ditch the pump! Any advice from seasoned pro breast feeders out there? 🙏

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Have you been pace bottle feeding? I think sometimes the bottle is just easier, so they prefer it. I would try pace bottle feeding to make her work for the milk the same way she would at the boob. Also, I’d see a lactation consultant, they may have other tips and tricks to get you back on track. Pumping is soooo draining, I’m doing a combo right now, and also hoping to get back to exclusively (or mostly) nursing. Good luck!

Aww I went through something very similar with my first! She was born on the early side of normal (37 weeks which some docs consider full term and others don't) and she had issues latching as well. I exclusively pumped for the first month or so, then did both pumping and breastfeeding, then was able to EBF! So it is definitely possible :) Tips for slow letdown: when she's on one side, use a haakaa or manual pump on the other! It'll increase the flow on the opposite side as well. You can also offer her whatever milk you get from the other side in a bottle afterward if she didn't get enough from breastfeeding. As for falling asleep on boob, that's totally normal and happens to so many babies!! My lactation team advised to run the side of my finger from behind her ear and down her jaw on repeat, which encourages a sucking motion. Worked like a charm, and she'd keep eating in her sleep :) Definitely don't lose hope ❤️ I know how exhausting it is to exclusively pump. You're doing amazing!!

Try offering cold milk with the slowest flow bottle nipple so she seeks more comfort at the breast. You can also hand express a bit before bringing her to the breast and do some hand expression while she’s latched whenever she starts to become fussy

You could try a nipple shield to make the breast seem more like a bottle? It’s what I did to get my girl to breast feed after a couple of weeks with bottle only after my c section recovery. This along with PACE bottle feeding and the slowest flowing bottle top you can find might help her transition

When my daughter was born she was 4lbs 3oz her size meant that latching at first was a bit on and off. We were told to grasp the boob with thumb on top and fingers under neither flatten it like a hamburger then get her to latch. The other advice was skin to skin and putting a drop of milk on her upper lip. Xx

Have you tried nipple shields it might help? What teat have you been using on the bottles?

Try pumping for a couple of minutes before she comes to the breast so you have a letdown and the milk is coming easily. And try giving her an ounce with the bottle before the breast so she isn’t overly hungry and angry with the breast. As you are transitioning- think of the breast as dessert so she is calm

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