I'm having a nightmare with my 3 week old. I didn't get to hold her for 24 hours after she was born as she was in neonatal due to a few complications during birth. She was a day old before we attempted breast feeding and she was struggling to latch on and I wasn't producing much milk. After 48 hours of her barely having eaten anything, we decided to give her some formula just to get some food in her. We came home after 4 days and have persevered with bf but it's still not coming easily.
Initially baby was falling asleep after a couple of minutes so I was having to express and was not getting a full feed so topping up with formula. I only started to produce proper milk around 2 weeks and still was not getting very much. Now the fact that she's had a bottle so soon has made the issues with latching on properly worse although she does get milk because I can hear her swallowing but it's sooo painful. I've tried to get it sorted a couple of times and have abstained from expressing or formula but it's not really worked as she's a really hungry baby and just cried for more all the time. However in the last few days, my milk supply seems to have finally come through (which has had the unfortunate effect of leaving all my bras, nightclothes and bedding smelling of sour milk as the breast pads I have are not very effective). I've only fed her on the breast for the last 24 hours and she's actually had a full feed and slept afterwards for a few hours each time. Now I've got different problems. My mum did warn me that initially breastfeeding would feel like razor blades on your nipples but that it would pass, but it's only getting worse and now they're bleeding and I've had to give her some formula this evening just to give them a break!
With all the problems, she was a bit slow putting on weight at first but now because we've been topping up with formula, she is getting on fine and is really filling out, but in an ideal world I'd rather not have to spend the money on formula and would rather she got the natural goodness of breast milk. She is sick less with breast milk (even when it's expressed and out of the bottle so it's definitely the milk and not just the method of feeding) and on a selfish note it will help me lose some of the baby weight.
Because I've been quite sore down below waiting for stitches, bruising etc to heal up, I've not been out of the house much but I'm hoping to go to my local bf clinic this week to get some advice on how to get her to latch on properly as I think that is a big part of the problem. It's not until Friday though and I'd really like some advice in the meantime.