Hi, I’m wondering if anyone can share a similar story / provide some advice.
My first born was born 7 weeks ago and up until last week was exclusively breastfed. I have struggled with massive oversupply, constant engorgement daily, red warm breasts, huge embarrassing let downs, thrush, mastitis, vasospasm very sore nipples with cuts on which have bled at times. I’m under a feeding consultant and we’ve been practicing deep latching and using no pumps just hands and warm / cold but it’s continuing. My nipples have started to change direction too.
The GP has referred me to the breast clinic which has petrified me that this is something more sinister. Has anyone else experienced this and can say that actually all of this is breastfeeding?
Because of this I started to combi feed and my son had blood in his poo following the formula . A cow’s milk allergy had been questioned weeks ago (he’s had watery, explosive poo all of his life and my husband has a severe allergy which he has an epi pen for) so we’ve now been prescribed formula.
I’m at my wits end and thinking I want to go fully on to the bottle, particularly as we’re trying to settle his discomfort, but just by introducing 1 bottle a day I have worse engorgement than before, despite following the feeding consultant’s guidance. I just want to quit cold turkey / pump slightly now because I have engorgement daily anyway. The combi feeding seems to be making more milk and for my mental health I can’t keep panicking about every new symptom I’m getting with my breasts.
Desperate first time mum - please help!