Hi, I've been reading lots of threads here which I've found so helpful...
Briefly,(ok not very brief) DS1 6 weeks old today. Struggled to get BF established in hospital, he had low blood sugar and the first post natal midwife I saw said 'you won't get anything out of those' and rammed a bottl of formula down him first of all (didn't even offer me the chance to feed him that way :( )... So iffy bfeeding support for three nights we were in hospital and it was nearly all formula then. Transferred to birth centre for one night when was assured that despite huge boobs and tiny flat nipples he would feed, sent home more confident and then almost immediately came down with mastitis... (abx prescribed) Anyhow, persisted from then on. By day 5 he'd had syringe, cup, teat and boob...
Week 3: very cracked & bloody on left hand side, went to breastfeeding clinic who advised to express only on that side to give chance for cracks to heal. could express c50ml on that side
About week 4 I realised the pain I was getting between feeds and the hugely cracked nipples that wouldn't heal looked like thrush, rang birth centre, went to breastfeeding clinic and mw led breastfeeding support group but upshot is my gp surgery doesn't recognise deep breast thrush as existing, (yes, i took the bfeeding network leaflet along) so won't prescribe. Don't go there... Whether it is or it isn't I don't care but basically am dealing with pain gradually. One thing I've done this week to help the nipples rest is express overnight and give him that feed in advance (morning expressing was midnight feed, midnight express the 3am feed, 3am express the 7am feed...)
Daytime I'm latching on both sides now (cracks have healed quite a bit) and shown my latch to anyone who will look (at least weekly) who say its fine...
Anyway, had been getting c140ml a go expressing (medela swing) - generally less on left side (where I'd had a week off feeding directly weeks 3-4) but past couple of nights I'm getting perhaps 20ml on left side... (always do left first and last to stimulate my lesser side) Meanwhile my right hand side has dripped 50ml in that time... But then when I express from right hand side perhaps only 20ml or so... So even catching drips I'm getting perhaps only 100ml, of which only half is expressed.
Questions: despite massaging, putting baby there first all the time, left hand side supply seems very low and diminishing by expressing (and he gets bored on that side more quickly, so I think it's emptying quicker for him too). What else can I do to stimulate supplyor should it right itself?
Will I get back my ability to express 'a feed' (100ml +) or is it likely to stay low now?
Will the fountain that is my right side calm down? This isnew but awkward!
Because the pain in my breasts between feeds, and agony showering, (query thrush) I'm taking every day b/feed as it comes... But he's putting on weight and the actual feed doesn't hurt,it's just the rest of the time...