My DS is two weeks old. After a rubbish BF experience with my oldest ending in bleeding and cracked nipples despite no one being able to identify latch issues I am really trying to make it work this time.
My nipples started off looking like they were going the same way, and obviously this time around there was even less support face to face support. But with a lot of perserverence and lanisoh my nipples are hanging on in there and doing a bit better. I think latch is usually pretty good now although sometimes takes a few attempts. My husband is also giving DS a bottle of expressed milk twice a day sometimes topped up with formula just to give my nipples some breathing space. He doesn't feed well at all off my left boob so I am pumping that side to keep up supply, so might as well put that milk to use! I am keen for him to take a bottle so we will continue with this.
I am afraid this is going to be long, but my main questions are:
- I was fully prepared to cluster feed and I knew there would be days where I got very little sleep. What is confusing me is when he cluster feeds he never really seems hungry, he just sort of latches on and off, occasionally taking a few gulps but never really filling up. Because he isn't really hungry I'm really struggling to get him to latch properly at these times and he has a habit of shaking his head around with my nipple in his mouth. None of this is helping my nipples recover from their rocky start. Is this normal, or am I going wrong somewhere? How do I limit damage from constant latching on and off, and having to break off dodgy latches? Is this really helping to increase supply as he isn't eating huge amounts?
- I have just started swaddling him to sleep in the day, and am considering it at night to as he really struggles to sleep for more than ten minutes and wakes up flailing his arms. Swaddling so far has made a huge difference. Should I unswaddle him to feed? I read they use their arms to feed, but honestly his do nothing but get in the way! And if he feeds to sleep then I don't really want to wake him up putting him in the swaddle.
- At the moment my husband is giving him a bottle around 10pm, so I am getting a few hours sleep 9.30 - midnight as he normally sleeps longer on the bottle. I know really you should feed during that time from a supply point of view, but I feel like those couple of hours sleep are keeping me sane. Am I completely messing up my supply by doing this? He still feeds plenty before and after and we are doing the bottles at a regular time (usually expressed at 2pm, then expressed topped up with formula if necessary at 10pm). He's back to work in a week so I'll have to either breast feed him at 2pm, or give him the expressed myself.
- At the moment he usually feeds a few times a day off the left boob, but I don't offer it every time because the nipple got a lot more damaged and it's still recovering. I pump from that side the rest of the time. When I do offer him that side he is very fussy and latches on and off and normally after 10 minutes I have to offer my right side. Not sure if he is draining left side due to poor supply or he just gets fed up with it. Any tips on getting him feeding better that side? As I will probably have to drop the 2pm bottle when my husband returns to work, it would be really helpful to have him feeding more happily off that side to give my right a break.
Sorry for the length, just feeling really overwhelmed and with the lack of breastfeeding cafés/groups really need some support.