I don't know what to do

[JayleighAnn]

And I feel awful, it's like my milk doesn't satisfy him.

For the past 2 nights Halen has fed constant from 6pm to 12am.

He'll finish a feed, I wind him and he settles down, 5mins later he's sucking his hands, screaming and screaming and just wont settle unless he's back on my boob.

He screams so much he often can't settle himself down to feed and just screams more with my nipple just sat in his mouth and he wont suck it.

My nipples are killing me, their sore, bruised as he keeps slipping off half way through a feed, sucking my aerola and giving me love bites all around my nipples. Their cracking and the skin is peeling off them and I don't know what to do

The midwife told me my latch was fine when I seen her on Sunday and as far as I know I'm not doing anything different. A midwife is coming round today to do his heel prick test so I'll ask her about it.

But I really don't know what to do. He screamed for 20mins last night and I could feel myself getting angry with him, which I felt awful about it as he's not crying to annoy me, but thats how it feels.

I don't want to give up BF but I really have no idea what to do

 

[Mervs Mum]

Sweetheart everything you are describing is totally, totally normal - almost text book for the stage you are at. The hand sucking and everything. Your milk is fine. It's just that he has to send the signals to your body to produce more. His tummy is soooo tiny that he has to feed little and often. What he's doing is right for his age. Your nipples might just need a little time to toughen up. It's great that your latch is good so just put some BM on them and let them air dry after feeding and then I'd recommend Lanisoh nipple cream too. I promise you it's going to get better very soon but the only way is to carry on doing what you are doing.

You're doing soooo well!! You can see why so many women give up at this stage cant you. Yes, it's painful and yes when you see your baby crying and appearing to not be satisfied it's doubley hard but it will get better, and it will be quicker than you think.
Get hubby to take him and give you an hours rest - take a bath and get him to go out for a walk with him. He'll be fine I promise you. Then when you have had a break you can start again, sending those signals to your body to produce more milk.

Dont doubt yourself - your body didnt let him down for the 9 months it fed and nurtured him so it wont now.

Hang in there honey - I'm so proud of you already. x

 

[Mervs Mum]

Look how tiny his tummy is.

https://www.llli.org/images/InfantStomach.jpg

Little and often might seem frustrating at the moment but it's EXACTLY how nature intended at this early stage

 

[Serene123]

Big hugs hun!

MM pretty much summed it all up in one. Stay strong, it'll get better, promise!!

 

[JayleighAnn]

It's just so hard and last night I really wished I had formula to give him, which makes me feel bad today for thinking it.

Thanks for the support

 

[sparkswillfly]

Thats why I stopped after 2 months. I wish I didnt. Keep going you can do it. xx

 

[marley2580]

Nobody warns you just how hard it is to BF, you'll hear this a lot but I promise that it does get better.

 

[Dragonfly]

I remember it at the start, William was always feeding and my nipples where so sore! i was in tears feeding him at times. All the mdwifes said it was my fault as i wasnt doing it right if it hurt. But it wasnt my fault your nipples will hurt as they havnt been through that before. But 4 moths on its ok, apart from the first tooth my nipple felt today. Its not sore any more, it can ignore him feeding now. It dsnt always hurt. I remember feeding William about 25 times a day! apparently thats normal.

 

[Mervs Mum]

It's just so hard and last night I really wished I had formula to give him, which makes me feel bad today for thinking it.

Thanks for the support

And you know when I was at your stage I DID reach for the formula. It gave me short term relief but then I had a different set of issues to deal with. We got to day 10 and were slipping towards more and more formula as everytime I gave i my body thought it was producing enough and so the cycle continued until we just stopped topping up - cold turkey - and got back exclusive again.

There's no shame thinking about formula - many of us think of it and even have to resort to it but it doesnt say anything about you other than you are totally normal x

 

[mrsholmes]

I was at that stage on sunday and monday, but its better already, ive got the lansinoh cream and used that and breast milk and my nipples improved over night. I nearly give up....but lucky I had no formula!

 

[hypnorm]

all normal, Robyn for the fist 3 days was feeding loads and from about day 3 she would only sleep if attached to me in bed! she was just constantly sucking and feeding, it will setttle down if you can get through the first two weeks then you will have cracked it.
its not easy.

 

[hypnorm]

did write a reply but lost it all some how.
You are doing really well and the first coupe of weeks are the hardest you are half way there.!

 

[JayleighAnn]

Midwife just came round and I had to feed him whilst she was here and she agreed my latch is fine, just to watch him when he slips off and starts sucking my areola instead of my nipple and giving me a love bite, she said it could be cause my boobs are really big and I just need to use my nursing pillow more often and it should be ok.

She agreed its all normal and fine that my nipples are so sore and cracked and that it will get better, just gotta wait x

 

[Mervs Mum]

It's early days and you are both learning.

 

[Samantha675]

You guys are just starting out, and it is sooo rough to begin with. I bet just about every single of us more experience BFing mama's thought about giving formula and giving up in those first few weeks, I know I sure did. But I just kept going, and it got easier and easier. Breastmilk is great for the cracks and the soreness. Just express a bit after nursing, let it dry, then use a cream and it will really improve. You are doing such a great job hun.

 

[Shifter]

We were exactly like that at 5/6 days hun. On the advice of a MW we DID resort to formula, just one bottle in the evening. She thought that as I was fighting an infection and was utterly exhausted that it was likely I wasn't producing enough at that time of day. But you know what? I think she was wrong. We stopped giving formula before it ever got to more than one bottle every few days and it was the best decision ever.

It's those first two weeks that are tough, once you get through that it gets easier every day.

 

[Logiebear]

Giving formula isn't that bad a thing either. You have to do what you think is right hun. Stick with the breast feeding and never give up on a bad day hun. I have to give formula as an evening bottle as my little one and I are just not compatible with exclusive bfing. It is hard every time I give her a bottle but that's just what I have to do xxx

 

[JayleighAnn]

Well after posting this, today hasn't been that bad, he's been feeding every 2-3hours, but not crying for more once he's finished.

He's also not fed for 5 or 6 hours straight all evening as he had, he's been asleep since half 8, not sure if this is cause he had a bath (he loved it!!) and he's all settled. He is also in his moses basket which he has refused to sleep in up until now

 

[Dragonfly]

just to add get that linsinoh stuff, I got it off doc as its quite dear. Used it only the once as the pain went away but it was a relief when I needed it.

 

[lulu0504]

Aww, stick at it hun it really does get easier!
One thing to remember is to drink plenty of water (around a pint every time you feed him) and to eat well so that your milk will come in well and be of a decent quality. I hade huge problems when i used to BF Bella so can relate to everything you say.

Not sure whereabouts in Leics you are but there are La Leche groups all over which were really good for advice and support. (I used birstall)

LLL Birstall: - 07787 130801
- 07809 242041
LLL Leicester: - 0116 241 8941
- 0116 212 7166
- 0116 288 0041

There is also a place called 'Café Mama' which is a breastfeeding café set up by La Leche which help mums struggling with BFing. Both worth a visit, i found them really helpful!
'Café Mama'