Don't know where to go from here..

[DancingtheTittyTango]

Bit of background...DD is 27 weeks on Tuesday and we have had a pretty rocky start to breastfeeding.

For first 6 weeks she was EBF with occasional bottle of breast milk, usually given by DH at around 4am in the morning after me spending all night long sitting up feeding and trying to settle her.

Apart from the first few days her feeding has always been problematic. She was tongue and lip tied (lasered at 9 weeks), constantly falling off the boob, can't feed lying down as she falls off and gets frustrated, feeding for hours on end at night and getting hysterical when feeding and flapping he arms around/screaming on the boob. In terms of me I've been horrendously sore and spent many a night sobbing with toe curling nipple pain which is still ongoing. I had resorted to nipple shields on one side but DD has no point blank refused to feed using them and screams her head off.

Eventually I cracked and introduced a bottle of formula at night firstly so I could get a break and sleep ad secondly to give my throbbing nipples a rest. This has meant that over time her nights have gone from feeding constantly until 4am (as she can't feed lying down I was awake all this time), to feeding at 11 (bottle) 1, 3 and 5, then he dropped the 1, 3 to go from 11-5 and now she has basically started sleeping through with the odd 3am wake up call.

But at the same time her frustration at the breast is growing daily. In the evenings she would normally get restless at around 11pm until I have her a bottle and gradually it's got earlier and earlier until tonight where basically she screams when I'm trying to feed her after her bath at 8 until I give in and give her a bottle at 9. I know at this point she is very over tired and needs to sleep but it appears my supply has plummeted in the evenings due to her sleeping longer.

I just don't know what to do. She's a very unsettled baby, doesn't like being put down, screams in car and won't go in pushchair and she often cries during feeds until it peaks in the evening and she has a bottle.

Her weight gain has always been really good. 21.5oz in 13 days but last weight gain she only gained 10oz in 2 weeks. She is slowly climbing the centiles.

Also she is a very hungry baby, she feeds all day from me and then has 9oz in a bottle at bedtime.

Ideally I would like to sort a routine out where she wasn't getting so upset at night, which I'm thinking means I need to up my supply at night but how?? If I pump I don't get much and never have and she won't feed without fighting me.

She's currently seeing a cranial osteopath (4th session today) but its not making much difference.

Have I ruined our bf relationship?? I'm still so sore when feeding its all getting a bit much! I also have two other children aged 5 an under so I'm feeling pretty exhausted!

[DancingtheTittyTango]

Sorry for the essay!!

[DancingtheTittyTango]

Bugger! She's 17 weeks NOT 27

[DancingtheTittyTango]

Anyone?

[Forgettable]

I was going to say cranial osteopathy could help, have you had her checked for a TT and have you spoken to a lactation consultant and had a full feed observed.

As you have already done the first two how about ringing say LLL?

[Booboostoo]

I would also suggest a lactation consultant who can help with the latch. Have you tried the exaggerated latch? There are videos on line showing how to do it, it's quite simple once you've seen how.

I'd also get a sling and carry her around if she doesn't like being put down/the buggy. Some babies just need more contact than others, DD was like that, constantly attached to me and constantly feeding.

[stargirl1701]

Could it be silent reflux? CMPI? Tongue tie re-attached?

[Superworm]

I would get her checked again for TT. The slipping off makes me think it may have reattached. This happened to DS and I had to hold him on the boob to feed.

[NickyEds]

My DS has been mix fed since he was tiny after problems bf and tt. We built the bf up and reduced f over time until he was having 1 bottle over a day. Then he had a massive growth spurt at around 14 weeks and got incredibly fussy on the breast- he would cry for his bottle. I think some babies who have had a bottle do become accustomed to the faster and "easier" flow. I found a similar thing to you- DS would start crying earlier for a formula top up and take more off the bottle.
If you want to increase your supply I think that the only ways are to leave your baby at the breast and gradually decrease f and/or pump. I've started to express in the evening (I only get 2/3oz) and I'm going to start using that to top him up. I'm also feeding him at the very first hunger cues as he won't latch if he's starving. I think it really depends on how much you want bf to replace the formula night bottle. I personally am ok with DS having formula but if you're not I think mammoth feeding sessions/pumping may be the way to go.
Also 8-9pm sounds quite late- maybe try bath and feed at say 7 before she's very very hungry so she might take to the breast a bit easier.