Struggling with latching on and boulders for boobs!

[Superduper1982]

Hi everyone,
I'm beyond exhausted and don't know what to do. In hospital my LO latched on fine and fed brilliantly. Since coming home he's started to shallow latch and it a very hit and miss when he will actually latch on properly.
I've had someone from home start round who gave me advice and showed me easier methods, which worked for a while but now my breast are engorged with milk coming through the latch has gone again. It doesn't help that my right breast is rock hard and won't let down. I've tried to feed him from it and express but am getting less than 1oz when the left breast is producing over 3oz.
I've been expressing and topping him up with formula to try to give my nipples a break but really would love to be able to feed him - feel like a total failure that 5 days in I can't do it 😭

Hi NICU nurse here. You need to express,warm compress and massage to help reduce the engorgement. Is it that you're too full for the baby to latch? Is your milk just coming in if you're just home from hospital? They really need to ensure they get the whole areolea in their mouth,which is tricky with an engorged breast and full nipples. Try hand expressing in a hot bath or shower and like I say wake flannels and frequent expressing,make sure you are not massaging hard,small kneading light movements. Hope that helps a bit,good luck.

And try lansinoh for your nipples. Don't top him up too much with formula if you intend to breast feed as it will reduce your supply. Express a little then get him to latch.

Thank you. I've been massaging and using a hot flannel but it doesn't seem to be easing. Will try in the shower again.
I think my nipples might be too big for him, he's tiny only 6lb 6oz and my nipples are huge! When he goes to latch on his mouth covers everything but then as he latches he closes down smaller and so my nipples ends up looking like a lipstick when it comes out.
I've used the lansioh cream- total God send at the moment!

How are things going now OP?

Hi, we have moved to expressing and bottle feeding - it helped to ease the boulders and baby is much happier. He is a really good baby but noticed he was becoming stressed (as was i) with the constant latching on then coming off and he wasn't settling to sleep or taking a long feed once he had finally latched. I spoke to the midwife and as hes now put on his birth weight and more she said it's obviously what works for us so to continue. Thank you for all your advice and support, and for checking in to see how we are xx

I did the same as you are now. Expressing and bottle feeding and topping up with formula. Worked very well for first few weeks. Then more went to formula as supply reduced. Glad to hear LO is doing well.