Breast feeding didn’t work out with my first and I fear it’s heading in the same direction with my newborn as it is playing out in the exact same way. For the first couple of days baby was so so sleepy I’ve only really gotten a couple of sucks out of her each time, she was impossible to wake up even after stripping down, tickling feet, lots of skin to skin.
As advised by midwife we topped up with formula using a cup or teaspoon to ensure she is getting what she needs. Thankfully this formula just got us through not needing to be readmitted to hospital due to weight loss like with our first. However she had since woken up more but now she just screams at the breast, she was very occasionally latching previously, but just not sucking, however in the last day, I can barely get her to latch let alone suck, she just gets so distressed so hasn’t been taking anything from me meaning every feed has been formula to ensure she receives something. I’ve tried lots of skin to skin, different positions and giving her some formula first to calm her initially, and offering throughout the day feeding queues or not but she just either won’t latch at all, latches and pulls off and cries after a couple of sucks, or cries and pushes away from me but nothing seems to work. The last couple of feeds we have switched to bottle as the midwife said so much was spilling from teaspoon/cup we couldn’t know how much she is getting. (Since been told cup is better to avoid nipple confusion - every midwife we speak to gives contradicting advice, it’s so confusing).
I’ve got a manual hand pump I’ve started using last night to try and keep supply up. I’ve also got a wearable electric pump but didn’t get anything out at all with that. This is exactly what happened with my first, I was trying to triple feed, baby was not making any breastfeeding improvements, I was an exhausted emotional wreck who felt like a complete failure and I made to decision to exclusively ff. This time I was so determined it would be different and to make it work but I just can’t believe this is happening again. I’m being referred to the infant feeding team but I had their support first time round and it didn’t make a difference. I just feel hopeless, Its getting worse and baby wont latch or feed at all now, despite trying every feed. Just looking to see if anyone has been in a similar situation and has successfully made breastfeeding work?
Contemplating today whether to go ahead and work with the infant feeding team again or just try to accept we will be ff again and save myself from what may end up being a pointless and emotional struggle.