breastfeeding woes

ruby soho · December 2011

Ugh.

I knew it was going to be challenging, I don't think I realized just how challenging.

Lizzie's latch sucks, even with her frenulum clipped and a shield. My nipples are scabbed and bloody. Today I nursed her for her first feeding and declared the rest of the day a pumping only day to give my nipples a little bit of a break. The milk I am pumping is pink Tongue Tied

My milk hasn't come in yet so I am only pumping about half of what she is eating so we are still supplementing which I feel likeshit about. I pass her off to DH for the formula feeds because I feel like a failure that I have to give it to her. I just want to nurse my little girl

I don't know what the point of this post is, I think just to vent.

Pesky · December 2011

Honey, hang in there. The first three weeks are the worst. Lots of moms here were EP and that is fine. Others, like me, switched to or were FFing only from the get go. As you can see from my pics, they clearly suffered for it. Stick out tongue

micaela421 · December 2011

Just want to give you a hug! Dont be too hard on yourself! Being a new mom is hard and challenging.

MTJunebride · December 2011

I'm sorry! That sounds rough. I hope it gets better quickly. Can you visit an LC or have one come to the house? They can be so helpful and positive at the beginning. It really does get better, but I remember that it hurts a lot at the beginning.

HuskerLissa · December 2011

HUGS!!!!!!!!

d.f · December 2011

BFing is hard. Harder than I ever imagined it would be. The first two months of BFing was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Supplementing with formula does NOT make you a failure. As long as Lizzie is being fed you are a success.

It does get easier, much easier. For Blake and I the corner turned at about 2-2.5 months. I've heard for a lot of people the turning point is 6 weeks. At that point BFing became the easier option.

Sunflower22 · December 2011

it's a cliche, but trust me, it gets easier. V couldn't latch for 3 weeks and once she could, life was great. Make sure to see a LC if you can.

Bran_ham · December 2011

BF'ing is so so hard, I don't think anyone really tells you that. Being able to pump instead of nurse saved me big time with DD. It did get easier around the 6 wk mark. As the pp's said definitely see a LC if you can, they are invaluable.

Mrs.Greeko · December 2011

I bawled every time Lucy had a bottle of formula for like a week. BFing was harder than I ever imagined it would be. I seriously have no idea how the human race has survived for so long... It does get better though if you can hang in there through the first mont.

tra_la_la · December 2011

I swear I wrote this exact same post 2 years ago. I would go see an LC and I would also try to get her back to the breast ASAP. Most of the time they can get you in same day. The pumping this early without much baby stimulation really messed up my supply and caused much worse issues in the long run.

The best thing for me was to walk around topless for a few hours, if not the whole day and I think I went through an entire tube of lanolin in 2 weeks. Also Ameda makes these clear gel nipple things that can go in the fridge: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4239865 I liked those because everything else was taking chunks of skin off with it.You can put them in the fride and they will help soothe.

It gets better, it just takes time.

MCromwell · December 2011

Hugs. Sent you a FB message w/ contact information for my super Mom... she's a LC.

smilelari · December 2011

breastfeeding as a ftm was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my entire life.

it will get better. heck, it can't get worse, can it? have you been keeping in touch with a lactation consultant? maybe they would have some suggestions for helping healing, or maybe even your ob. it's kind of tricky because you want to heal but you also want to encourage your milk to come in and eventually keep up supply, so you want to keep at the nursing and pumping. dab some of the milk on your nipples to help heal. use lanolin. go topless.

smilelari · December 2011

oh and you might try lubing the pump with some olive oil

CaseBride · December 2011

I think you've gotten some great advice from the PP's but I just wanted to offer some hugs and support!

SkiHorse · December 2011

d.f:
BFing is hard. Harder than I ever imagined it would be. The first two months of BFing was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Supplementing with formula does NOT make you a failure. As long as Lizzie is being fed you are a success.

This. Hugs and congrats on your beautiful baby girl!

brandall · December 2011

My nipples were that bloody and scabbed and the traveling nurse that came out (with Kaiser) actually prescribed a triple antibiotic ointment to put on. They were so beat up that there was no way they were going to heal on their own if I continued nursing without intervention. So I used the nipple shield and the ointment. The only part that sucked was you have to wipe the ointment off before they nurse and that was owie too

I eventually had to quit nursing but it was due to other health circumstances. Both of my kids were mostly formula fed and (knock on wood) they are very healthy and really only go to the doctor for well visits

So don't beat yourself up! Hang in there!

bethanyturon · December 2011

So sorry!

If the latch isn't working - have you tried laying, slightly upright, with LO on your chest, and letting her move and crawl around until she finds the latch herself? From what I understand, a lot of the traditional methods don't work so well because the baby's not in control, and it makes a poor latch.

Dragonflyer · December 2011

Sounds like me with Noah, nothing seemed to work. Finally on my third visit to the LC, she ditched my boppy and gave me a Brest Friend pillow which is completely flat on top and there is no little ditch for them to slide into and I actually used a nursing stool which all contributed to Noah being in a better position. It took a long time of teasing with milk and and a bottle and whatnot but it worked great and he ended up being a champion bf'er for 15 months.

Hang in there. Get some soothies and od on the Lanolin.

goldenjes · December 2011

BF is hard. If it makes you feel better, I had to go see the LC when I was having major problems getting Little G to latch well -- and he wasn't even the first baby I nursed.

I also loved the freezer gels. I remember gritting my teeth while he was nursing, just counting down until I could use one of those.

ColoRxGirl · December 2011

I'm sorry you're struggling. I saw 4 different LCs before I threw in the towel and EP'd. Hang in there - hopefully things will improve in the next couple of weeks.

And don't blame yourself!! BFing is HARD - for moms and babies - at first. You are doing your best to nourish your baby and that is all you can expect of yourself. If you make a decision to EP or FF, your baby will be fine. As my OB told me, "Lots of kids that went to Harvard were formula-fed babies."

jason&robin · December 2011

ELCJet · December 2011

Mine had a horrific latch, too. The LC's concluded that his palate was too concave and that we would always have these issues. So around the 2 week mark I just turned to EPing......and then a week later I tried nursing again and miraculously, it was better! So don't beat yourself up over this -- breastmilk or formula, she is getting the nutrition she needs. And you know what? When you aren't miserable, you're a better Mom. So if you need to throw in the towel (and most people will tell you not to, but after experiencing it, I am not one of them), do not beat youself up over it.

schoolsoutbride · December 2011

Hang in there! It took me two weeks to get O latched well and taking a whole feeding from the breast. It was SO hard on my psyche.

Definitely find a good LC, and those gel soothie things help a ton (I know BRU has them, but I think Target does too). Like this. I second (third?) the topless advice too.

taratru · December 2011

I have no advice, but can speak to the feeling guilty b/c of formula thing... don't. Good Lord in heaven, you're feeding your baby and that's all that truly matters, no matter what ANYONE tells you.

Feeding your baby = good mom. Period.

uteandbuff · December 2011

BFing is definitely hard and takes a lot of work and adjusting at the beginning. I EP with K and now BF and pump with C and I'm still not sure I have the complete hang of it all.
Hang in there and don't feel guilty at all about formula, the only thing that matters is that she is fed. Doesn't matter where/how it is fed to her.

WonderRed · December 2011

taratru:
I have no advice, but can speak to the feeling guilty b/c of formula thing... don't. Good Lord in heaven, you're feeding your baby and that's all that truly matters, no matter what ANYONE tells you.
Feeding your baby = good mom. Period.

150% this. I agree that breast is best but it makes me so mad that moms have so much pressure on them now to BF that they feel guilty for feeding their children. You. are. feeding. your. child. Period. This is not something any woman should feel guilty about.

sixtwelve · December 2011

The first two to three weeks are really hard. I was in lots of pain from BF. I remember being in the shower and the water hitting me felt like daggers. I was bleeding and scabbed like you. It really does get better. I think BF my first son was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

LostinLove · December 2011

I probably wrote almost exactly what you wrote. At around 5 weeks, it just got easier. I was so glad that I hung in there. My DD was SOOO healthy!

Hugs and good luck!

erin48 · December 2011

I obviously have no advice since I am new right there with you, but just wanted to commiserate and say how sore and chapped I am too....and I am only pumping. I will have to totally switch gears again when the girls are bigger.

ckolak · December 2011

Hang in there. It *does* get better. My nips were a bloody mess for the first 2 weeks with DD (and still get that way whenever she cuts a new tooth, I have my suspicions about her frenulum). Hugs!

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