14 weeks breastfeeding and I'm on my knees :(

[DancingtheTittyTango]

I'm on my knees tonight :( 14 weeks old and feeding is more excruciating than ever :((

She was tongue and lip tied so had both lasered in Huddersfield which helped briefly, I then had antibiotics and she developed thrush, pain for me then went up a notch and has been awful since. Treated thrush with creams, tablets, probiotics, diet changes etc. Currently on second lot of Fluconazole including a 150mg loading dose. No difference pain still horrendous!

She's always had a crap latch and a bad tendency to thrash around on the boob during a feed. This used to be just at night but its getting worse and is now in the day too. Today it's been every single feed! She straightens her legs, kicks, goes red in the face, cries, bites down, pulls off etc etc. By the end of it I'm my nips are in agony.

I don't even know anymore if its the thrush or jut a shit latch that causing me problems and what's all the thrashing about??? Usually she falls asleep and it calms down, then when she's sleepy she will dummy me going off and on every 10 minutes or so while she sleeps.

She has been having a bedtime bottle with Daddy for a while now but the thrashing started before bottles were introduced and I don't think
I could stop now as that one feed is the only rest my poor sore boobs get.

I'm feeling really down about it now and feel like we will never get past the pain. The thought of moving to formula breaks my heart and I'm desperate to keep feeding but I don't know how much longer I can go on in agony. I'm so snappy with my other two children when she's feeding because I can't think straight.

Also not to drip feed I've been to BF cafe every week, they say her latch is good, tongue tie hasn't reattached.

[GetKnitted]

Just wanted to say that you've done an amazing job so far, you have persevered through so much and your daughter has already had the start that no one else could have given her. Wishing you both the best x

[ExBrightonBell]

Just wanted to add my sympathies, it sounds like you've had a horrendous time of it.

Does your GP/HV have any ideas about the thrashing and upset on feeding? Could you get a lactation consultant involved to see if they have any suggestions? Is your DD getting treated for the thrush as well as you?

You are probably doing this already, but a useful bit of advice that I was given was to unlatch them the second the latch became painful and then re-latch. Even if this was very frequent. Also, are you feeding her somewhere dark and quiet? (apologies if these are things you are already doing).

[mindalina]

do you have a fast let down? i was told i did and this accounted for the pulling back and clamping down. it can help to do that 'laid back breastfeeding' position as the milk flow has gravity against it a bit. mine had a latch that everyone said looked fine but still hurt. changing position every feed helped, at least the pain wasn't concentrated on one part of the nipple... i was always reading about how six weeks, twelve weeks were magical tipping points when bf suddenly got smooth but for us it was more like 16-20. but since then it has been plain sailing!