Well it's official I am s**t at BF and/or have dud breasts

[HelloBear]

Rant alert!
BF my second dc, I ebf my DD and it was agony for weeks and weeks and i had repeated mastitis. But I persevered and bf her for a year.

DS is 4 days old and despite everyone reassuring me that it will be easier this time i am once again in agony and already bleeding from one side. Grrrrrrrrrrr!

I know it's the latch blah blah blah. Seriously how do I manage to get it so wrong?

Sob, sob, sob...

[HelloBear]

Ok saw Mw today, she watched a whole feed and said my latch is really good. I am being super viligant - in dining chair, taking off if slips etc, etc, etc

But just my last feed took him off and flap of skin just hanging their and blood. Grrrrrr!

Mw had a good look at tounge when I mentioned what te hv had said, she thought she could see a slight one but she said it was not enough for a referral to the hospital. I personally disagree with her and thankfully it has been done. Interestingly when she had gone we looked at my DD and she has the same in her mouth.

So inclined to agree with iggy until it's sorted it will continue as it did with my DD, I.e. 2/3 months of agony and verging PND as a result.

The Mw helpfully said that all she thinks it is that my nipples have to toughen up and I am overly worrying because of what happened with DD. she is lovely and means well, but I have flaps of skin hanging off FFS!!!! Yes I am worried about history repeating because a) I really want to continue to bf and b) I became INSANE the 1st time.
maw I'm in E Anglia.

[fapl]

What a cow the MW is Totally unqualified to give out breastfeeding advice, no wonder breastfeeding rates are so low in this country!

I too was told my son's latch was good when he had a tongue tie and I was in agony.

I am lucky enough that I live in south London and was very quickly referred to the tongue tie clinic at Kings, but if there is nothing local like that near you I would travel and pay to go private to get it snipped ASAP. The sooner the better, because your baby will learn their own way of getting milk which they will have to unlearn.

[Iggly]

I was told the same by unqualified staff - MWs, BF counsellors and a paediatrician. That it was minor.

Try this website

Please don't let them fob you off. I was in undiagnosed PND hell and it is awful for you and those around you :(

[Halfling]

Go to kellymom.com, very useful for breast feeding mums. I sucked at bf massively in the beginning and then went on to do it for 2 years.

[HelloBear]

Symptoms of mastitis started, I've a temp already and shakes.

I give up, Aprimal here we come.

Please tell me 1 week is good going????

[crikeybadger]

HelloBear

If you have mastitis you really need to keep the milk flowing so the key things are freqent feeding , massage, warmth and rest.

I know things have been tough so far, but if you just suddenley switch to formula, you may leave yourself open to an abcess which would be awful.

Can you get to the GPs and get some antibiotics?

In your earlier post- did you mean that you have been referred for the tt snip or not?

[Iggly]

Keep feeding or expressing with the mastitis. You'll need to introduce formula gradually anyway.

I'm so sorry it's turned out this way - it's crap but in a few months you'll know you've done the right thing.

[5madthings]

where in east anglia? anywhere near norwich? only there us a fab bfeeding counsellor who works for the bfeeding network. she runs a clinic in norwich and she would know how to help, where ti get tongue tie snipped etc.

she is called jan eadie/edie? (sp) she is lovely.

and no a week isnt crap and ffs what a pile of shit about your nipples needing to toughen up! the latch obviously isnt right/there us tongue tie etc.

btw yoi may have bfed before but your baby hasnt and they are all different.

maybe do a shout out for tiktok but you need help in rl.

[Curtsey]

Is a posterior tongue tie. PTT is a sneaky fucker and every health professional going (besides a trained LC and sometimes even then) will tell you it's 'not serious enough' to warrant a snip. A paedeatrician told me that 'tongue tie never affects feeding'.

So sorry that you're left like this and in such pain. No-one should have to suffer this. My DD had PTT but since her latch looked beautiful and she was a keen feeder it was brushed off.

It does affect feeding and it does fucking matter!

[JuliaScurr]

no practical help, but

it will be fine
eventually

[mawbroon]

Agree with Curtsey. Ties that are described as "mild" or "slight" are usually posterior ties which have been identified by someone who doesn't have full understanding of posterior ties.

[HelloBear]

Thanks ladies, sorry for no resonce been pretty much laid up!

My wonderful DH saw what was happening, called surgery and got an appointment within the hour. Saw great sympathetic GP who prescribed me antibiotics, some cream and listened as I blubbed at her. I said I wanted to give up, she said she did not want to talk about it now as iwas ill, tiered, upset etc and it was not the right time to make any long term decisions. She said get through the next 24 hours.

So back home to express and to bed and DS had 1 bottle. But managed to feed all through the night :) still bleeding and painful but at least after 24 hours of antibiotics the mastitis is starting to feel a bit better.

So going to try to carry on.

My advice to anyone is as soon as you start suspecting infection go to DR ASAP! Seriously within one hour I felt like I had full on flu and was a tad very hysterical (a symptom).

I asked the GP about tt she said they would on cut it if having a serious effect on feeding, I.e. Baby losing weight (which he's not thankfully). Which makes me a tad so constant pain, mastitis and the risk of PND is not 'serious'.

So buck up Hellobear and stop being a wimp

5mad I know of jan and going to her clinic next thurs :)

[HelloBear]

Oh also apparently my Mw was not happy with hv referring me to tt clinic, as I'm not signed of by her yet, stepping on professional toes. I told the hv I did not give a toss as long as I was referred.

Grrrrrrr!!!!

[BertieBotts]

I was told to get antibiotics ASAP if you even suspect mastitis too!

Also act as though you are ill, even if you feel fine, so NO MOVING from bed or the sofa, you'll have to have baby, food, etc brought to you!

[5madthings]

oh great hellobear she is great! are you going to the clinic at pottergate?

btw we have a fb group for norwuch/nirfol mnetters if you want to join then pm me. we meet up with and without small people and lots if us will be happy to cuddle a little one so you can have a cup of tea/coffee in peace! :)

[crikeybadger]

You poor thing Hellobear, hope you are getting lots of rest and nurturing.

Really hope you can get the tt snipped as mastitis and really traumatised nipples simply cannot be ignored.

[unexpectediteminbaggingarea]

just want to sympathise hellobear. I breastfed DS up to the point that DD was born, and was totally convinced I would find it a breeze 2nd time. Can you guess what's coming next? Yep, sore, bleeding nipples, mastitis 4 (yes, 4) times, tears, misery etc etc. I remember talking to someone while feeding dd at about 10 days old and seeing my friend's face turn to horror, and looking down to see my beautiful tiny dd had just flobbed out a blood clot the size of a 5p piece onto my boob.

It did get better though, without intervention (other than booze and chocolate) and she was bf for 2 years in the end. No tongue tie diagnosed in either of them, but the first 6 weeks of feeding with DS and first couple with DD were awful. Just awful. You have my sympathies, good luck.