I would really appreciate some peoples thoughts/experience with breastfeeding difficulties. My DS1 is 10 days old. Over the last 10 days bf has been mostly difficult, with a few good feeds. My plan has been to exclusively breastfeed. After he lost the initial weight, he gained so I started to feel positive.
On Sunday we ended up in A&E with him, he was dehydrated and had lost all of the weight gained plus some. The doctor said I should supplement with formula. DS1 now completely refuses the breast and since Sunday he has only taken formula. I've tried and tried to get him relaxed, to get him to latch but he just won't. I have mastitis in my left breast and my right breast seems to have become quite empty after a few days of him not feeding well/me struggling to get much out with a pump (I've just hired a hospital grade pump, I've managed to express only 1 1/2 ounces from both breasts in 24 hours). I'm seeing a lactation consultant, I'm trying to do everything that I possibly can, but I feel like he may not ever go to the breast, I feel like for him it's stressful because my let down is slow and my positioning was quite bad the first few days as I did not have anyone in the hospital show me how to feed, I just tried to learn from YouTube videos. I know fed is best, but I really had my heart set on bf and each time I give him the formula bottle I can't help but feel sad and like bf just won't be able to work for us. I've gotten very upset feeling like I just can't do it, I know it's important to relax but with the changes in hormones etc and the new routines I feel hugely overwhelmed. Anyone had similar difficulties and ending up being able to return to bf?