Breastfeeding help 😫

I was struggling with breastfeeding and the shields made it so much easier and an enjoyable experience for us both. I am now not really using the shields at all x

Speak to your midwife they can refer you to the feeding clinic. They can help as could be something as simple as slight adjustment or a tongue tie or something x

Could be worth double checking if he has a tongue tie

Is he windy? Struggling to poo?

@Sara he is a little windy but definitely doesn’t struggle to poo x

I do not have any advice but just wanted to say I completely sympathise. I am breastfeeding but am having an awful time with her latch. It's been so painful and I have cried so many times! I have such an awful feeling of guilt every time I think about giving up and changing to formula - I can't even explain why because I know that her being fed and us both being happy is most important. I have had support from the feeding clinic and they are great when they are with you but as soon as they leave and I try by myself it all goes hopelessly wrong again and I'm just going in circles of feeling like I can do this to I just can't carry on anymore. I'm expressing and giving it in bottles for now until but I don't think I can cope with pumping so frequently with a 2 year old to look after too.

With my first I had this and really beat myself up about it. This time around I’m more relaxed. I find if he gets upset then he’s too windy or worked up to try. So instead when he gets like that, or when it’s too sore for me or I just have anxiety about feeding him, I give him a bottle of expressed milk and express at the same time for the same length of time and then I have that for next time (or for my partner to give when I sleep). Also relaxes me that I am still keeping up supply and keeps my breasts soft so several times a day he still breastfeeds easily.

12 day old and had the same problem, we had to switch to formula straight away but tried BF on Monday after a few days break trying and he latched immediately! Unfortunately his latch is wrong and now my nips are agony. So stopping BF again until they heal and trying expressing. It's such a stress. So close to giving up and giving formula only, just want him to be fed and happy and he is when he's on formula. It's so hard.

I had problems with my little girl. She got used to the bottle in hospital when I wasn’t able to breastfeed her and then when I put her to my boob she would get really stressed and frustrated. It’s because the bottle is an instant flow where as she has to work to get the milk from my boob. It made her lazy in a way! I’ve been expressing since but I’ll be tailing it off soon as I can’t keep up so she’s now having more formula bottles than breast milk. I am a bit gutted it didn’t work out though.

Our little boy really struggled latching on, due to a tongue tie and my breasts being engorged. Once I started expressing he started to latch on. He does still have his tongue tie which is still causing an issue, but he can latch on much better.