day 5 - dont think i can carry on, please advise

[mosschops30]

thats it really, im losing the will to live. im sore, one nipple is bleeding despite ds not been on the breast since sunday afternoon. he's had a mixture of formula and expressed breast milk, ive been expressing 3 hrly, although this morning there seems to be very little there (only 2mls compared to about 50mls usually).

Im crying over everything, my scar hurts, i hate my mother and id just like one thing to be right.

I know i'll be made to feel like the devil for stopping but i just cant see how its gonna get better

mosschops, how are you doing?

MOsschops I hope that if you decide to FF you do it knowing you did your best and don't look back.

BUt I don't think it's uncommon to go through the pain barrier and cry for a few days when you bf.

mosschops, I am agreeing with tiktok, hand express and give that pump a rest. They are very shall we say "vigorous" even if you are using a hand pump. You just need to express a bit to keep your milk going, so not heaps and heaps. You can do a mix of FF and EBM like you are doing and get your nipples better. I had a cracked, oozy nipple and I got a anti bacterial cream for it, but don't remember the name, can you ask your MW? Look on youtube for BF latching on videos, they are really good.
One last thing, can your husband hand express for you? Try it in the bath. Nipple shields too. I would honestly say just give it one more day of trying out all the advice and then see where you are. No one will vilify you if you choose to stop. You deserve a medal and a lot of support, its not easy and you are doing brilliantly.

MsDoctor that's true, too. I was holding DS away just a bit without realizing it because it hurt and when he was snuggled in closer, it wasn't pulling so much on me and made it more comfortable and stopped making it worse.

Just a HUUUGE hug.

You are trying your best. You will NOT be the devil in any shape or form if you give some formula. You need to remain sane/happy to look after yout baby.

Good luck

Hi everyone, so sorry mosschops realised that in my agitated and sleep deprived state I sort of hijacked your thred - I meant to say I was feeling the same and you are not alone! Hope you're okay this morning. I managed another feed on the right side after feeding only on left side (and hand expressing a bit on right side for supply) all night - every two hours!

tiktok another midwife came today and said I had a really good position ?! I think perhaps I did one feed badly positioned and it destroyed the nipple (she hasn't fed much on that side since she was born so it isn't as tough as left nipple)

Sending my husband to get some breast shields as midwife said they were fine to use. Might try and use them every other feed or something. Might also try silverettes - just order online right? Again mosschops sorry to hijack!

This could have been me on day 5 - I'd let DD chomp on me for the first 24 hours without paying much attention to her latch and my nipples were bleeding and extremely painful for several days afterwards, even when I had sorted the latch out.

I got through it with paracetamol and telling myself that nipples do heal quickly. Although DD did have pink milk for a short while, the nipples have healed and although I did end up with thrush (now treated) we're still bfing 5 weeks later.

PS: I had an emcs too - it seems like a lot to handle with the wound and all (mine was and still is a bit ropey) but it did get better.