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Original poster

Don’t want to give up BF

11 replies

Mumtoone18 · 03/02/2019 20:15

My DS is 11 months old tomorrow and I have been breastfeeding him since birth. He will not take a bottle, no matter what it is with anything in it other than juice or water. I feed him before his morning and afternoon nap, then before bed time and then I get the joys of having a baby who still wakes for a quick feed between 2/3 times every single night.

Past few days my Areola has become really sore.. sorry for the TMI. LO has 6 teeth and the top ones have really been scraping against me whilst feeding. I have felt slightly uncomfy feeding lately but that’s down to him clamping down at night when he is half asleep and using me as a dummy (which he has also now decided he won’t take) I now have open cuts just under my nipple which look infected. There is no way I can feed him whatsoever off that boob.

Problem is it’s the only boob he has ever fed off due to the other one having a very slow flow and literally just dripping out milk plus the nipple directions are quite different and he just doesn’t get on with it.

I am at my wits end. The pain is unbearable even without attempting to feed him on it, it’s throbbing constantly feels absolutely boiling and is now aching due to being full up with milk! I have somehow managed to distract him by reading to him and singing to get him to take 4oz milk from a bottle just now and he has fallen asleep. MASSIVE progress already but my issue is last night he woke at 3am I refused to feed him boob he continued to scream for an hour and a half without calming down to when I eventually gave in. He doesn’t wake cos he’s hungry he wakes for comfort and I’ve tried other boob, bottle, cuddles, white noise, singing, lava lamp everything you name it I’ve tried.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with a situation like this. Did you just persevere and they eventually gave up? I’m also feeling really crap that if I do pull through and get this to stop then I will have no choice but to give up BF completely otherwise it is going to confuse him. I guess I just thought we would stop when we were both ready.

Sorry for the rant!

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PerfectPeony · 03/02/2019 22:24

Oh poor you! Sounds awful. I don’t have much advice as my baby is younger and only has a few teeth so far but can you get to your local breastfeeding support group?

It would be a shame for you to have to stop BF if you don’t want to, if could be an opportunity to night wean though? Does it hurt to express? If so you could express to keep your supply until it heals up?

Original poster
Mumtoone18 · 03/02/2019 22:52

Thank you! Yes next local bf cafe is Thursday. Absolutely kills to express so been doing it by hand on and off to give myself a bit of relief. Night weaning would be amazing it’s just heartbreaking at the mo watching him scream for it and I really can’t give it to him but he doesn’t understand :(

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PerfectPeony · 03/02/2019 22:57

Oh bless him. It’s really hard when they only want to BF. Is it any better if you get your partner to do the night settling? Have you used any Lansinoh cream? I found that stuff a lifesaver in the early days.

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miaa123 · 03/02/2019 23:00

I really would see a breastfeeding support worker and maybe see if they can check latch etc.. as this can change.... hugs x x

portuguesefordummies · 03/02/2019 23:35

Sorry to hear you're going through that. Can you get to see a doctor tomorrow if you think it might be infected? Thursday sounds a long time to wait if you are in pain.
I don't have direct experience of the pain from teeth, but just wanted to let you know that we night weaned at about the same age - took several weeks but it made a massive difference to our sleep and didn't mean the end of breastfeeding.

Original poster
Mumtoone18 · 04/02/2019 10:04

Thanks all for your kind words. I have made an appointment with the doctor today just incase of infection and then I will pop into the local bed group Thursday just to get some tips on babies who bite! I have been using lansinoh cream and I’ve also been hand expressing and putting some milk on the cuts to help it heal. My partner got up with him last night and again after 2 hours I just gave in and was crying whilst feeding him it was awful.

portuguesefordummies how did you go about night weaning did you just stop offering completely?

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portuguesefordummies · 04/02/2019 12:58

We did it in conjunction with very gradual retreat. So cold turkey on BF at night from the start and no taking out of the cot between 7 & 7! But lots of patting, shushing and lying back down and didn't leave the room while she was crying. Gradually stopped touching her and moved further away from the cot. Took a few weeks and there were lots of tears but she's a great sleeper now.

Original poster
Mumtoone18 · 04/02/2019 18:13

Oh wow that sounds real tough! Well done for persevering!! Might have to give that a go I guess.. hope it gets the same results as you did!

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Creatureofthenight · 04/02/2019 20:53

I’ve not used them myself but have seen plenty of others recommend Multi-Mam compresses.

Claudia1980 · 05/02/2019 05:26

No advice other than go to the bottle

Surfskatefamily · 05/02/2019 07:10

Can you try a nipple shield until your nipple has healed?

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