Feeling Very Stressed!!

[SH27]

Hello,

I have a 2 and half week old son who was born weighing 9lbs 15oz. He is a hungry baby and I started off breastfeeding, but my milk didn't come in quickly enough, so resorted to bottles, but carried on trying to breastfeed.

I am still trying to carry on with the breastfeeding but, he is practically sucking my nipples off and it is very painful. Also, he sucks for about 10-15 minutes and then gives up and won't go back on. Therefore, we have to resort to bottle top ups. He seems pretty content with this, but I mentioned it on here a week or so ago and had some pretty strong reactions to bottle and breastfeeding. Am I upsetting my baby by doing this?

I would like to continue trying to breastfeed, but find it really hard going and the bottles seems to help.

Any reassuring words will go down very well.

Many thanks.

SH27

SH27, my DS was 9lbs 8oz and for the first few days/weeks, I had to breastfeed him constantly - I just couldn't fill him.

I found it SO painful but all because my position wasn't right and he wasn't latching on properly - my right boob ended up with loads of backed up milk and I was in a right state. So he'd been feeding for ages but hadn't actually been getting much milk.

My hospital had a breast-feeding clinic and thank goodness I went; they sorterd me out and were absolutely brilliant. It sounds to me like you might need some similar help/advice - I'd really recommend going to yours, if you've got one. Your docs/health visitor should be able to point you in the right direction if you don't know where it is.

If, once you've both got the hang of the breast-feeding properly, you want to keep mix feeding him (i.e. breast and bottle), that's entirely up to you.

Some people feel quite strongly against this but I think - do what works for you and your baby.

SH27 - the reason that many people feel strongly about formula top-ups in the early days is because they can often interfere with your milk supply. This can mean that people have to stop breastfeeding earlier than they wanted to. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand thing - the more the baby feeds, the more milk you make (boobs are clever that way ).

It is normal for your baby to feed lots, but if it is painful for you, this needs to be sorted out. Would agree that if you want to continue with breastfeeding you need to find some good face-to-face support, maybe a breastfeeding group where they will check your latch. When you say your baby gives up, does he fall off contented or is he still crying?

I posted on your last thread. The advice their was accurate although you may not have liked it. Tiktok is around and she really does know what she is talking about.

The bottom line is if you want to breastfeed then you have to stop the bottles. If you want to bottlefeed then carry on with the bottles.

It's so true. The early days are often difficult as you and the baby establish the supply and demand system, but you've got to through it to get breastfeeding going well. It can be hard and painful and confusing and is almost always worrying - it's a rare mother who doesn't worry about whether her baby is getting the right amount of milk etc. From my own experience I recommend it, I so loved it once it had all settled down. Try and think of it like 'a couple of hard weeks (maybe less) then months of troublefree food (and the best there is) for my baby - plus few bottles to sort out and loads more freedom about where you go and what you need to cart around with you'.
All the best with it.

Thank you so much for all your advice and help. You are right and I am going to keep at it. After the weekend I am going to look into a breastfeeding support group to help me.

Many thanks again.