7 weeks in and not sure I can carry on - help!

[PhoebeLaura]

Sorry if long....
I've been breastfeeding for 7.5 weeks with problems from the start and looking for some help/advice/success stories as I'm on the verge of throwing in the towel.
DS wouldn't latch on at birth and I had to express and feed from a syringe for a couple of days then when he did latch on he wouldn't open his mouth wide enough and my nipples became cracked and bleeding. I persisted with trying to get a correct latch and by the third week things had started to improve.
Then I started getting shooting pains which were diagnosed as mastitis by the GP and I was prescribed antibiotics. After no improvement and lots of research I figured out it was more likely thrush and after 3 more trips to the GP, calls to breastfeeding helplines and a trip to a drop in feeding clinic I finally was prescribed the correct dose of tablets, drops for DS and cream (a saga I won't go into here but was incredibly frustrating thanks to a useless GP).
I'm now 4 days into the course of treatment and although the shooting stabbing pains are improving (the thrush?) the pain when feeding is still incredible and I still think that DS is just not opening his mouth wide enough. My nipples are compressed and have a white line on them after I feed which I know is due to incorrect latch or position but the 2 HVs at the drop in clinic thought the latch/position was fine. I've read everything I can online and as far as I can see I'm doing everything right.
Should I just accept that DS and I aren't much good at this breastfeeding lark? I don't think I can go on like this any more as I'm crying every day and it's spoiling the enjoyment of my happy wonderful DS.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I can't remember how long it was before it stopped hurting, but it was certainly longer than any of the NCT or Laleche 'it won't hurt if you're doing it right' advice suggested...

How about expressing more? Give yourself a bit of a break on some feeds, till you feel better able to cope? And see if you can find a trained breastfeeding advisor in your area - they may have more ideas than your HVs.

Good luck - it does get better

It sounds like you need some really good professional advice, and I hope someone can show you where to find it.

But I just wanted to say well done, 7 and a half weeks is a very long time to have breastfeeding problems and you've done incredibly well to persevere until now.

PhoebeLaura, hang on in there! your 7.5 weeks seems inspirational to me, my dd is 2.5 weeks and we have been going through much of the same.
You will get lots of support from here, but keep going to the drop in sessions.
dd and i resorted to avent nipple shields and things have been much better since. they are a bit controversial but they are working for us. as they are bigger than the nipple they also seem to encourage her to open her mouth wider. we are taking each day and night as it comes.
well done for posting - i found it really hard but mumsnetters are such a nice lot and so supportive.
keep posting to let us know how you are getting on

[hugs]

here is my thread

Poor you! You're doing brilliantly for persisting through all this pain.

I know you say you've read everything online but have you seen www.drjacknewman.com - the videos are great

And you do know you can take paracetamol and ibuprofen (at the same time, if need be) don't you?

Hang in there. I found BFing harder than giving birth, and those first few months (IMHO) are really hard work - but if you stick with it, it gets easier, and even (shock) becomes pleasurable. Added to which, it is so damn convenient, good for baby's health (and your own, apparently!) and will give you lots of opps for long, milky cuddles with your LO.

That said, it is really hard at first - exhausting enough on its own, but when you throw in thrush, sore nips, etc. it takes a huge amount of determination to carry on.

I know where you are coming from, I had thrush & mastitis first time round, and a few bouts of mastitis second time round - but I kept on at it, and by about 10-12wks, it all got loads easier. WIth DS1 I was going abroad at 14wks, and determined not to have to take a load of bottles and formula with me. If you can set yourself something similar to aim for - a trip where you BFing would make things easier, or a treat for yourself when you get to 12wks (or thereabouts) it might help. Also, make sure you are easy on yourself - lots of nice food, early nights, and let the house go to rack & ruin.

Good luck - even if you do throw in the towel now, you've done really well to go so far - but it might be that you are through the worst of it now. BTW, www.kellymom.com is a great online resource.

For thrust, make sure you change your breastpads frequently, wash nipples daily, don't go overboard on soap though. Your GP should prescribe you with cream, and your LO with mouthdrops (you have to treat both mother & baby, even if baby is showing no symptoms).

Good luck.

Oh, you poor thing, how horrible. How brave you are to do this for your baby. And 100% right, I think - speaking as one who has endless allergies and a pretty serious chronic illness, which I think is due to early exposure to cowmilk.
Have you had someone more expert than the average HV check your latch? Lots of them don't know much about it. La Leche has some proper people. There are counsellors too - the one I knew about was Chloe Fisher in Oxford at the JR. She's been consulted by the WHO and everyone, and her office would know who is any use locally to you.

Phoebe, has anyone checked your baby for tongue tie as this can make it physically difficult for him to latch well? Judging by the posts I have seen on this board it is often not picked up by HVs.

If it is diagnosed, then you need to consider whether you would like to get a referral to have it snipped, and if so where to go for this.

at your GP, I do not know why so many of them don't seem to believe in thrush. I am glad that you are getting some relief however. Dr Jack Newman's site also includes some homeopathic and herbal treatments for thrush which you could consider.

And as others have said, you have done so well to get this far.

Keep posting

Phoebe - sorry things are bad for you, you've been incredibly brave to get this far. As lizzytee says it is worth getting your baby checked for tongue tie (symptoms include not just what the tongue looks like but also not staying on the nipple for long, dribbling when feeding and not getting/keeping a wide latch). It's more common than you think and it's not always the really obvious cases that cause the problems. It took me 14 weeks to get it diagnosed and dealt with in my ds - and I too was in pain. Things are starting to get better now. Definitely try and see a breastfeeding advisor/counsellor - as well as NCT/LLL you could check with your hospital to see if they have one. My HVs (and MWs and GP!) were all useless. Even if it's not tongue tie, I'm sure they may be able to help you out. Good luck!

Thanks so much for all the wonderful support. I've just had a nap with my DS and feeling a bit better.
I've put a call into my local NCT breastfeeding counsellor and waiting for a call back so thanks to all who suggested that.
Notreally, I've been expressing a bit and some nights giving that as I'm finding the night feeds particularly difficult (probably just tiredness). Maybe I'll do that more until things get better. Do you think doing that will have a detrimental effect on my supply?
Lizzytee, no-one has checked for tongue-tie, perhaps I should ask my HV or GP to take a look? Agree about GP - I've been shocked at the lack of interest or understanding about my problems. At one point she said "well perhaps it's just your hormones. Not everyone suits breastfeeding you know" Thankfully I'm stubborn as a mule so didn't let her put me off!
Off to feed now. I'll try the paracetamol... might enable me to get through the worst of it.

oh pookamoo just read your thread, so for you. Hope things are getting better.

Things ARE getting better Phoebe.
Using the nipple shields was the right thing for us, and you will find the right thing for you too.
Now we're on to the sleepless nights!

I went through exactly the same. Mums who had it easy say that if it is sore, then baby is not latching on correctly. Rubbish! I have very thin sensitive skin and both my boobs were at the worst about 7 weeks in, bleeding so badly I had to resort to formla for 24 hours. In addition to the advice given above, I would be wary of expressing too much as expressing is actually very hard on your nipples even though it may not seem it. Definitely suggest a formula feed, probably last thing at night 10/11 o'clock then just express a bit gently by hand. Try to avoid too many formula feeds in a row as my baby had withdrawal systems after her 24 hours as formula fills them up and they get used to that sensation and going back on breastmilk makes them feel empty. We had horrendous crying for a day until got over this!
Use nipple shields if they help. At 7 weeks, baby is not going to forget how to latch on.
Good luck, persevere and yes, you will toughen up and yes, feeding can become very pleasurable. I fed for more than a year and found it harder to give up then the babies.

Pookamoo - I tried nipple shields a few times and we just can't get on with them, He pulls his head back and yanks them off and also he still seems to be hungry after an hour of feeding. I tried both the avent and the medela ones. Really glad it's working for you though.
Decena - I've given formula three times when seriously desperate. I really worry about giving it though as I keep thinking my milk will dry up if i don't keep expressing or BFing. I hadn't thought about the expressing being hard on the nipples - it feels less painful but I guess it's all added friction.
I've made an appt with a BF counsellor for wednesday so fingers crossed it will help.

Phoebe

Do ask the breastfeeding counsellor re tongue tie - she should be able to diagnose it (unfortunately often better than a GP and sometimes a MW) and either write you a referral or explain to you how to get one.

Let us know how you get on.