Help needed please....

[vict17]

Hi, advice and encouragement needed please My ds is coming up for 5 weeks now. I'm still having trouble b/f. One nipple is very sore and cracked whilst the other one is fine. After a lot of soul searching and heartache I've decided to give up and switch to bottles. I've seen a b/f counsellor, tried kamillosan and lansinoh (great in shower btw), tried different positions, left nipple to open air and rubbed in own milk - none of whoch have healed the crack so it is always painful, even when not b/f. My questions are the following: am I being thick or is it possible to b/f from one breast and use a bottle as a replacement for the other, if I exclusively bottle feed how do I get the milk to go away, how painful is it and how do I go about it. And lastly which formula/teats/bottles should I use. I'm seeing the hv on Wednesday and will ask her all this but would like to go armed with info TIA

Thanks for your kind wishes ppp and Tiktok. So far pain isn't too bad - last b/f was yesterday lunchtime. I'm taking lots of painkillers though Ds seems to have taken well to the bottle. He fed btw 16.15-16.35, 19.15-19.45, 1.05-1.30, 3.55-4.10 and 6.55-7.20 this morning. The 1st feed was about 2 fl oz and the 1.05 too but the others were 4 fl oz and this morning he finished the 4 fl oz bottle and had about 2 fl oz from a new bottle. Is this too much? He's feeding around the same times he would have had the breast and is happily sleeping now. He hasn't sicked up any. I'm using SMA Gold and just wanted to check i'm not overfeeding....

Sorry meant fairyprincess not ppp!

Hello vict17,
Hope it's going well.
Keep a check on engorgement even if you have to express just a little. My first dd stopped bf suddenly. I had to feed her whilst she was asleep just to relieve engorgement as I couldn't express much. I'm not sure about formula feeding amounts so can't help here - sorry.
Best wishes to you and little one

Hi vict -- No advice on formula, I'm afraid, since I don't have any experience of it.

Here's a link to a thread I started last week in which lots of people gave me good advice on preventing mastitis -- might be useful if you start feeling lumpy or sore.

Hope it goes well.

Hi vict -- No advice on formula, I'm afraid, since I don't have any experience of it.

Here's a link to a thread I started last week in which lots of people gave me good advice on preventing mastitis -- might be useful if you start feeling lumpy or sore.

Hope it goes well.

Just to update - everything going well with the feeding. ds still very hungry! He's now 9lb 3oz which was all breast apart from one days bottle! he's 5 weeks today. when I go out if I have lid on teat of bottle how long does it stay sterilised for? does anyone use cool boxes to keep milk in? tia

oh and no sign of engorgement or mastitis thankfully.

I used to sterilise the teats and seal them. Avent have a kit which is a cap and screw in bottom. These stayed sterile for 24 hours, not sure if same applies to ones on left a bottle but probably. Then I'd just have a sealed bottle of milk for use as and when.