Breastfeeding help - block feeding and expressing

[Whatapavlova]

This is a bit long but hoping someone can help as I'm feeling abit overwhelmed with trying to do the right thing at the moment! I've been seeing a really helpful breastfeeding counsellor weekly but she wasn't there today and I've lost all confidence.

DS is 5 weeks and exclusively breastfed. I've had quite a lot of pain in the past 2 weeks (previously pain free) and am being treated for thrush. Over the last week, on the advice of breastfeeding counsellor, I've been block feeding to help with forceful let down. I express for comfort but have found it difficult to manage and been getting full, lumpy and sore.

We've just given the expressed milk in a bottle to replace a feed on the side that's always been a bit harder to latch baby because it's currently really sore. I'm not sure whether if I'm skipping a feed on that side I should express a whole feed, or still just for comfort?

I've also been reading up on block feeding and it seems it's not really recommended, and if so not for longer than a week, so not sure whether to go back to offering both sides? And then how to avoid the sore side!

Any advice very welcome!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Oh dear. I haven't got any advice unfortunately. How are you getting on now? Have you thought about phoning one of the Bfing Helplines?

[Whatapavlova]

I have, I never seem to get through to anyone. I've found a local support group on this morning though so I'm going to pop along there and see how it goes!