DD is 4.5 weeks now and we’ve been through the mill a bit - long labour, forceps delivery, wouldn’t latch at first so had to express, milk not in til day 5, lost nearly 10% then became jaundiced and ended up on formula top ups after a readmission. Lots of nipple pain, got all sore and bloody, diagnosed with posterior tongue tie which was divided at 2 weeks and again slightly further 3 days ago.
So we are now about 80% formula, 20% EBM and still trying to breastfeed at least 8 times a day but it is almost always sore and given half a chance she will chomp right on the end of my nipple. When I do get her latched in the best way she can manage we have a few mins of pretty comfortable feeding before it becomes really sore again. And then she’s soon crying, head bobbing, rooting and sucking anything she can get her chops on so is clearly hungry.
I’ve had loads of support from the NHS, tons of people have seen her but often advice has differed so I’m not sure who to believe. I’ve been told it will get better after 2 weeks, then 3 weeks, then 4....and it’s still just really hard. Expressing is exhausting and I don’t get much (maybe 30ml a time). I’m so upset as I always intended to exclusively breastfeed and here I am almost exclusively formula feeding. I am clinging on in the hope we might be able to claw our way back and reduce the formula, but unless we can get a better latch so I’m not in so much pain and she’s feeding effectively I can’t see a way forward. Has anyone been here and made it? Will things improve as she gets bigger? Or have the bottles ruined her latch permanently?