Hope with nipple confusion??

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I am really struggling to establish breastfeeding with my week old DD, and I'm looking for stories of hope to keep me going! She had a significant tongue tie at birth which has now been divided, before the tie was cut we couldn't get latched at all so she has been fed exclusively expressed breast milk from a bottle. Now she is physically able to latch she is getting very frustrated at the breast when she isn't instantly satisfied.

Is there light at the end of this tunnel? I have incredibly sore cracked nipples from trying to get a latch with the tongue tie and I'm exhausted from expressing every two-three hours to keep up my supply but I really want to get going with breastfeeding depsite the rough start we have had.

Yes, it can definitely work! My DD was tube fed for weeks but we managed to switch to exclusive breastfeeding. Are you still offering her bottle tops ups?

We built it up very slowly, but there was a big difference when I decided not to express for a day and she found it much easier to get milk.

I think the medela calma is supposed to help

We are still on bottle top ups, mainly because I'm so sore and I can only take so much at the breast when she is struggling that we are both getting really stressed.

Have you talked to a breastfeeding counsellor? I'm sure they'd have better advice than me, but personally I would try a day without expressing or bottles. Just lie in bed with her, lansinoh and painkillers.

You can do it! I'm 4 weeks in and although didn't need to bottle feed, we also struggled with a tongue tie and the latch. Time flies and you will get there if you stick with it. Reach out for support. I attended 2 breastfeeding clinics at our hospital and had a peer support worker come help me at the house. I also asked for help at every midwife and HV visit.

I can see where you are coming from. Now we have established BF I want to express so I can get DP to help with one night feed and finding the time is proving difficult. Most people give up BF in the first couple weeks so if you can keep going for a few more you should get past the initial hurdle.

You've already done so well! Keep going it will all get much better and be so worth it. Have you got lansinoh?

Have you tried nipple shields?

We find in my line of work that babies who have predominantly fed via bottle adapt to being at the breast much easier if there is a nipple shield in place as they are used to having something firm and plastic in their mouth as opposed to a nipple. It's also easier for them for feed when shields are in place too which again is what they prefer about bottles over breasts. Plus they will give your poor nipples some respite.

Shields don't work for everyone but it might be worth a try?

Tried nipple shields, I don't know if it's my positioning but she's just feeding from my nipple with them which is just making the soreness so much worse. I've got lanisol which helps a bit with expressing. I'll have a look in to breastfeeding clinics, it just feels so hopeless at the moment. She is screaming every time I put her to the breast now. I had to do what was best to get us this far but now I feel like I have done the wrong thing by giving her the bottle and we are not going to get back to it.

Have you googled paced bottle feeding? It means that she won't get such instant gratification from the bottle and may get her used to a slower flow. There is info on the Kelly mom website.