Congratulations on both your baby and your determination!

It might help you not to focus on "exclusively breastfeeding", but instead on "getting as much BM as possible into your bub", which is a slightly less demanding way of saying the same thing


All the expressing and topping up isn't intended as a long term solution. Hopefully once your nipples heal you will find that your bub as she gets older and stronger learns to suck better and hence is able to increase your supply herself - meaning she will eventually gets all she needs at the breast.

All the present rigmarole is to try and ensure that both your supply and your baby's strength are maintained whilst this is happening. There is a vicious cycle, which you and your LC's are trying to avoid, of bad sucking => sore nipples and not enough milk going into baby => lethargic baby who won't suck => low supply and so on.

It seems for a lot of Mums on this board things get much, much better at around 6 weeks - so hang in there!
hugs
Kate