Has anyone exclusively expressed?

[SASASI]

Really struggling to breastfeed. He had really bad tongue tie which was snipped (twice) at 10days. From birth I expressed & he got it in a cup then a bottle. I have tried it breastfeed since & he best latches with a nipple shield but it's stressful. He us very agitated, screaming etc every time I try to get him to latch & it's breaking my heart. He falls asleep after a minute or two & that's a constant pattern. He ended up badly jaundiced last week due to lack of fluids.

Breastfeeding just isn't working out, im constantly worrying that a) he's not getting enough so b) I end up expressing so I don't get blocked ducts & so there will be milk ready for him in the way he will take it

I have had help with breastfeeding & they can get him latched on & it seems ok but when it's just me it seems impossible - my boobs are huge & I can't even see what he is doing! When he screams the house down its just so upsetting. Doesn't help there's a constant influx of visitors which is stressing me out too.

So I'm considering purchasing a double breast pump & exclusively expressing as long as I can - whilst breastfeeding would be ideal I'm but going to make my son ill over it or stress myself out any further, I feel like I am not enjoying these previous days as I'm constantly worried about his next feed.
Has anyone done this successfully? Any hints or tips??

I battled through for 3.5 weeks with DC1 and it really is the 'worst of both worlds' as someone said. Nail on the head!

I switched to formula and actually started enjoying feeding my baby.

It's def got better this wk, albeit with nipple shields but because he's put on 2oz this wk instead of the preferred 3oz HV wants me to top him up with expressed twice a day. Has really knocked my confidence, felt we had both turned a corner this wk, albeit a small one. She's coming back next wk & if his centile chart isn't going upwards then it's a formula too up. If that's the case it will piss me right off after all this teeth gritting determination & working through his screaming temper tantrums!!

There is a breast feeding support group which I'll go to when I can drive again (c-section) - although how we will ever be up, dressed & out for 10am I don't know Haha!!

Glad feeding's going better. I really admire your determination! It sounds like you're doing a great job and things are going in the right direction.

If you're at all able to get anyone to come out to you (La Leche League, NCT, local peer supporters) or if there is good bf support at your hospital then take advantage of it, just in case they might provide better help than your HV… I wish I had done this - not all HV and MWs specialise in providing bf support and my HV really didn't "get" why I was expressing for more than a day or so rather than just switching to formula. When I saw her a few months later at the clinic she was taken aback to find that I was still pumping!