Feel very low

[Stefka]

I had the breast feeding counsellor out yesterday and a breast feeding support worker out today. Both thought my latch was fine. I managed to get through the night but while the support worker was here a bit of my nipple came right off. Feeds are just too painful. I am going to try and express today and cup feed him or feed him from a spoon.

I feel totally wretched - I so badly want to breast feed but things just seem to get worse and worse. I spent most of the time that the support worker was here in tears. I don't know how much longer I can go on

[Stefka]

I think she runs a breast feeding clinic though. I dunno - I have had three people look at me feed already. I can't get these cracks to heal - they are massive. I have tried creams and the silverettes. The left side is worse than the right - perhaps my latch is better on the right but they look the same. I feel like I am hitting my head against a brick wall.

[mummyeme]

Stefka,
To begin with bf was agony for me and as dd was in special care the nurses there really helped, but even so I couldn't manage. But when I got home I just expressed with an avent breast pump and it worked wonders, dd was happy and it is painful to begin with but that quickly fades. I expressed for a while and topped up with formula (aptimil) when I needed a break. Then one day I just tried bf with dd and it worked, no pain whatsoever. This worked for me hope I've helpedx

[mummyeme]

As well, I used a cream as I was quite badly cracked and I really think just expressing really helped. For me it was so much agony to bf that I think when I did, I just couldn't relax and it becomes a never ending cycle. Expressing got me healed and much more relaxed and comfortable with the whole thing.

[beanbearer]

Hope you're coping OK with everything. My nipples point out sideways and BF didn't stop hurting till I started holding DD with her body well away from my tummy, with her trunk at roughly 90 degrees to the way my nipples point, which I think is what the NCT person would have meant by "it should go in a straight line into his mouth". She was still able to poke her chin into the breast and tip her head back but it was just a different position to all the diagrams (which must be based on people with forward-pointing nipples, I guess). Should say, once we'd been doing it a while it got loads less difficult and I could feed her on the go - literally - even stirring supper with my foot up on a chair and her resting across my knee.

[beanbearer]

Oh yes - and you'll know you've cracked it when your nipples start emerging after a feed in a normal rounded shape, not all wedge-like. That and the fact your toes aren't curled up with pain any more. Very best of luck with it.

[jenniferlopez]

Hi, just want to say that i admire your perseverance. My bb came 7wks early and was in hospital for about 6wks. During that time i wasn't there for every feed and from the stress of what was going on, expressing b/milk was hard but the nurses at gt ormand assured me while he was being bottled, he will and can be breastfeed full time at a later stage. At the start they suggested to brest for 15mins then rest with a bottle as he was too weak to feed from breast completely. When he was 3mnths and out of hospital I gradually increased this bf time and he is now completely on b/milk. 12mnths on now i'm trying to get him onto the bottle as i'm going back to work and will be hard for me to bf through the night. The bf nurse said to me, to increase milk for bf'ing you just need to express or have your bb latch on often but the lenght of time is not an issue. This will keep your breasts stimulated but be careful not to engorge them. (although the longer bb is on the better the milk is)This helped me lots as i was constantly worried that i would dry out.I hope this helped.

[Stefka]

I am getting there - they are looking less wedge shaped now. Some feeds are good and some are not - not sure why this is. My nipples point out to the sides so I guess that is why I need to bring him round a bit.