Can I start breastfeeding again?

[Danny23]

My baby boy was born 5 weeks ago, he was really poorly and I wasn't able to breastfeed but I have been expressing since he was born. I tried to get him to latch on when we got home from the hospital but stopped trying when he was just over 3weeks old as it was too upsetting because he got so upset! Now he is a bit bigger and stronger I was thinking of trying to breastfeed again, is it possible even tho he is 5 weeks old and has never really latched on to me?
Thanks

Definitely!! My friend expressed for 9 weeks and kept trying. One day, her daughter just latched on and started feeding - carried on until 6/7 months very successfully.

Just try it every feed and see what happens but keep expressing too.

Good luck.

Do you know why he didn't latch? The most obvious thing to check is tongue tie

I found nipple shields helpful for getting a latch, especially on my more inverted side.

Have you been to any breastfeeding drop-ins? There should be some near you, run by the NHS and/or voluntary groups like La Leche League. Google it or ask your health visitor.

At a drop-in they will be able to give you lots of help with baby's latch, comfortable positions, and addressing any issues. And consider the possibility of tongue tie if the latch is still an issue even after getting help.

I had a lactation consultant (in the US) that specialised in getting older babies to start bf again - she was big on the crawl, where Yu do a lot of skin to skin and let them find their way to the boob - I'd ask if you can find someone similar here through LLL - if you can switch any age of baby into a bottle, the reverse ought to be possible?

Into? ha!