Breastfeeding hell , can I turn a corner?

[dontfollowmeimlosttoo]

Hi everyone !

Really struggling at the moment...

Baby boy is 7 weeks old, exclusive breasted ( not sure how we are getting by but we are )

Tough from the start - undiagnosed tongue tie until 4 weeks... the usual shallow latches, him with milk blisters on lips, slipping off latch, cracked nipples etc !

Anyway 3 weeks post tongue tie and it's still awful. Every feed is painful even when I latch him on deep he pulls himself down or off so he is just suckling nipple!

His weight is fab was 8 pound 2 now 13 pound up two centiles . However I believe it's at the expense of being at the breast very frequently due to inefficient nipple feeding plus I have lots of milk which flowsfast so I think he just gets it somehow

To top it off silentreflux has been mentioned as hiccups after every feed squirming on breast and expressed milk when we tried that via bottle , frothing after feeds and trying to swallow milk that's coming up poorbaby.. just started ranitidine ..

Question is I don't know how much longer we can go on likethis I literally have no sleep all night as feeds take up to an hour keep un latching re latching only having a little bit then coming back an hour later .. I am getting 1-2 hours sleep if that.

The problem is he isn't the best with bottle either and tends to fling hands everywhere and only take in a couple
Of ounces if that.

I don't know what to do I go to breast support drop ins via nhs have paid private lactation consultants etc and everyone says the latch is fine and he is feeding beautiful and gaining weight - however this really isn't the whole picture. I am so stressed how baby can only stay on latch 1 minute or so and then crying frustrating trying to get back on and when he is on it's like he has teeth !

Has anyone been in this situation did u manage to get through ? Really considering formula as he just doesn't seem to be happy at the breast at all but because he is such a grazer I would be worried at overfeeding him formula as he usually is feeding every 1-2 hours.

Any advice would be much appreciated thank you

When I was having feeding difficulties someone on here recommended the La Leche League free helpline to talk things through. The leader I spoke with was wonderful, calm, reassuring and helpful. So perhaps give them a ring for some advice and maybe find out if you have a group near you.

Good luck and whatever decision you make will be the right one for you and your baby

These issues all sound so familiar as silent reflux issues to me. Coming on and off the breast/bottle. Taking ages to feed. Hiccups etc...

For DS once he was treated for silent reflux (infant Gaviscon and omeprazole) it was all so much easier.

You're being an absolute trooper here. Breast feed, don't breast feed, do whatever you need to get through with your sanity in tact. But if I were you I'd investigate the silent reflux possibility first. Sending solidarity.