Thanks all for the msgs of support. I will try to speak to someone about it. I don't really click with my HV and she's retiring in a few weeks time anyway so is a bit offish. One of the local comm MWs was very nice when she came to discharge me - I think she sorta sussed it so gave me a bit of a pep talk so perhaps I might be speak to her again.
Worked out today that switching DS from ready made to powdered formula a week ago was prob what caused the wind/ constipation/ colic which he seems to be getting. Going back out to the shops tomorrow to get more of the ready-made stuff. Also, on the suggestion of someone at BF Cafe, I cracked open the Infacol. He spent the whole day today parping but at least he winds easier and goes down like he did when my mum was helping.
I cannot believe it's only been 3 weeks and 3 days since DS was born. It feels like so much longer!
Newbeginning1 I gave in and resorted to FF on Day 4 coz I was losing my sanity and I think we were both at the end of our tether by then. I have now grown accustomed to the 4-5 hour breaks and being able to eat, sleep and pee in peace. I have to say that I still have problems with BFing which are prob taking me longer to resolve but that means that I have not given up on it totally which is surely a good thing. Lucky for me though, DS is perfectly happy chugging down breast milk and formula as I understand some LOs reject either. It had not even crossed my mind that he might not like formula. Roundabout way of saying that if the BF problem is causing so much stress, your milk supply will struggle too or at least that is what I found.
londonl LOL at the loss of critical judgement... we could hardly blame you! It's so difficult coz with the downtime (when he is latched on) I find myself obessing over little problems (or made up ones) and worrying about it that I don't give some solutions enough time to take effect. It's only been 24 days and I have already been through almost every emotion with my BF!!
sock Hope the weighing went ok. DS lost more than the "normal" 10% at around 6 days old (MW was not happy having to weigh him as she said it was very discouraging to mothers) but by Day 13, he was putting on around several hundred g a day and was 70g shy of his birth weight. I was mix feeding so felt a bit of a fraud but reading some of a horror stories of nursing strikes, I guess you do what you need to to feed your child.
MMB Where did you hire the Symphony from? Did you hire it direct from Medela? Their website don't seem to hire out the flash Pump in Style which was also recommended to me.
I wish there was somewhere that will loan you a selection of breast pumps to try out. I have no issues parting with whatever money it costs to buy one but the rental market (for obvious reasons) does mainly the bigger hospital grade machines but I'd like to give some of the off-the-shelf ones a go to see which I like. It's not like you can take such things back to the shop.
Anymore input from anyone re this is recommended. I am such a wimp I am really looking for one with a gentle setting so that I can build up tolerance of the machine. Focusing on trying to come to terms with expressing as formula-induced pain on bubs is making me upset too.