Latching problems - feel like quitting

[DecaffTastesWeird]

I am mixed feeding my 6 week old and have done since she was admitted to NICU at 4 days old and they had to feed her formula through a feeding tube. Basically my milk supply never made up the difference despite some big, time consuming and difficult pushes to build it up.

We have never had a good latch. Paediatricians looked at DD's tongue in hospital and said they couldn't really see a tongue tie but that DD's tongue is quite thick at the back which could be causing a problem.

Since hospital I have gone through periods where I only bottle feed DD (mix of pumping and formula). Then DD looks interested in bfing, so I put her on the breast again (topping up with formula). Each time we restart bfing, DD's latch is better and I get really excited thinking we've cracked it. A few days or maybe a week later the latching problems start again. She can't latch on for ages and just slips and slides around on my nipple. Then when we do get a latch she comes off really quickly and is still hungry. This can go on for a long time with me eventually having to get her a bottle or with her dropping off to sleep but waking up again about an hour later for another feed.

Can anyone tell me why this keeps happening? Or have you experienced something similar?

I would love to continue bfing as much as possible but am reaching a point where I don't think I can continue. Feeding her twice (breast then bottle) is time consuming and messy. In the mornings milk seems to fly out of me but she can't latch on to drink it! Driving me crazy.

I had bf problems which were quite different to yours so not direct experience of the same problem. However I would say that whilst it feels like you have been doing this for ages six weeks is the earliest bf settles down even for people where it is going right.

There is no shame in giving up, but I would suggest giving it another couple of weeks and seeing if you can get there. Are there bf clinics in your area (phone your health visitor and ask if you are unsure). These were very helpful. Also websites like kellymom and le lache league have some pages on latching issues. What I found helped was YouTube videos. For me it was one called the flipple if I remember- a way to get a good deep latch which I watched repeatedly.

Also try missing one (just one one day) feed in the early evening one night and get your partner to give formula whilst you sleep. Doing this everyday would affect your supply but in the scheme of things dropping one feed if it gets you some sleep can mean the difference between carrying on BF and not. You will feel so much better able to focus. People will be along with excellent advice in a second. Keep posting here for support. You are doing well. You have already fed longer than most. If you do give up do not beat yourself up about it- in a few months time it will seem less of a big deal.

Thanks cookie. Googling flipple!

Could it be that baby is finding it too much hard work to bf as the milk flows easily from the bottle? Can you get bottle teats that are hard work to mimic the Breast?

Tbh DD makes a meal out of bottle feeding too! The only difference being that she is eventually full after eating from a bottle. It takes a long time though - she never chugs it down and it isn't pretty. Coughing, lots of winding, chewing the end of the bottle or pushing it back out with her tongue before deciding she wants it.

Have you tried using a nipple protector/shield? Our local breast feeding clinic recommended this when DS wouldn't latch on properly and it worked a treat. Managed to wean him off it at about 6 weeks but it was the solution for us.