Looking for some advice, support or even just a show of solidarity.
7 weeks postpartum and still struggling to get breastfeeding established. Anyone able to offer any kind words?
Summary: baby latched very badly right at the start, caused some damage to nipples (which healed in a day or two) but had never truly latched properly. Was advised to try shields by HV so started using Medela ones which allowed me to exclusively BF on demand but come week 2 weigh in baby had lost weight. A few days later baby had lost even more, cue a triple feeding plan being put in place. I've been triple feeding since and managing to express between 800-950 MLS over a 24hr period. Baby never seems satisfied after most breastfeeds so usually has a top up via bottle of around 60ml (then I express). Baby has surpassed birth weight again and is thriving.
Assessed as having mild tongue tie but probably not enough to cause issues with draining the breast but still a possibility. I'm unsure about making him go through a procedure if there's no guarantee it will work?
Recently was advised to pull back on the top up bottles and expressing and just feed (with shields) on demand but baby is regularly restless and breasts feeling engorged and sore so back to pumping. If I just stop expressing after doing it 8 times a day for weeks and he isn't feeding efficiently then won't this affect my supply?
I try to latch without shields but cannot do it, he just bobs about and gets angry and I become flustered. Where do we go from here?.aibu to think I just can't do it? I feel like I'm letting him down.
For clarity, all top ups are expressed breast milk. I don't want this to be a debate about bf/formula either, I don't think that would help me right now.