Nipples too sore, can't bf, getting depressed

[Nelle]

Gooooo Prama!! You can do it! Good on you sugar sugar!!

I'm so glad to hear that you're sounding much more positive, it seriously is miraculous what a bit of catching up on sleep can do, and time - time is the key with a newborn - I remember when Riv was newborn, I just aimed to survive to 6 weeks - with b/fing, with bonding, with soreness from birth, with everything! Give things time to fall into place, and until then, it can often seem like a game of survival.

Take it easy, do what you need to do to relax when you can, and all the best - really looking forward to continuing to support you and cheer you on as you work hard to make this happen!! (And trust me, it may well be your stories and hindsight that I am needing in a few weeks time when my bub is born!)
All the best!

[~Raven~]

Prama I hope that the nipple shields help for you as much as they did for me! Remember that it is a gradual process. The shields will protect your nipples from the rough little tongue enough for the healing process to begin. It may still hurt a bit from the pressure but it shouldn't hurt as much as on the bare nipple. Over the course of a few days hopefully it will ease up and become more comfortable till you can do without it.

Make sure you squeeze a few drops of milk into the end of the shield efore you put him on so bub can taste the milk straight away.

All the best with it

[razzle]

Hi prama,

I just found this thread and wanted to wish you the best of luck in your breastfeeding journey.

You have been given some wonderful advice so nothing more to add except that I hope it all works out for you and your bub.

You are doing a wonderful job!

[Smoke Jaguar]

good one, Prama
Just remember, you may be in for some challenging times in the days ahead, purely because your supply will be down. What your baby takes from you creates more supply, so if he's been supplemented, that's less that your body thinks it has to make. You CAN ride this out - your body does catch up on this, it just takes a few days, so you may have an upset or fussy child during this time. It's a catch 22, I'm afraid, but it's worth sticking it out.
Have you gone out for walks in the fresh air? It made a hell of a difference for us. Getting out into a different environment, even if you can leave for an hour or two to get a massage - this will help your supply.
If you can read anything by Pinky Mackay, I would recommend it - she's got a great way of helping you lower your stress levels. The more stress you have, the more it affects supply.
You sound like you're in a better headspace already. It really is a case of one day at a time. And you know what? Each day DOES come to an end

[~Belinda~]

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[Smoke Jaguar]

I can't see where it's got out of hand I've only seen support here, just as it ought to be
Hoping today is bearable

[Rouge]

Please no more side comments, if anyone else continues the debate, or even makes reference to the debate they will be banned from this thread. Lets keep the thread on track and give the OP the support she asked for and leave it at that.

[~Belinda~]

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[all girls]

I must have missed it too...... Everybody was being nothing but supportive which is obviously what Prama wanted so what's the problem????

It's ok Jade i know exactly where you were coming from and what you were saying. She wasn't actually debating ff v bf.

[maz]

Prama - im not going to tell you what to do and when to do it hon......Im just going to share my experience with you as I think it may be positive for you.

My little man took to bf straight away, even though he was in special care nursary for the first 5 days of his life. we were sent home and we kept up..then my little man ended up in the Royal Childrens with blood clots and a staf infection. I was miles away from my husband and my other 3 children with him, yet I continued to bf him and even expressed straight after a feed and and hour after a feed to
a) help build my supply as stress was not going to get the better of me
b) have enough EBM so the midwifes could give my little man a feed at gravehour (1-3am) so I could get some sleep.
I know all about cracked and sore nipples. I would often cry whe I was expressing them and the thought of the pain still makes me wince but I am so glad I stuck to my guns and rode out the rough tide. Hon, it feels like forever when we are in pain but honestly...it goes very quickly in the end.

I am still happily BFing my little man, he is the first one of my children to be BF - I formula feed my others as I gave up to soon and really kicked myself when my milk dried up.

Just dont give up hope...not that I am saying FF is bad..god know I think its wonderful and people should do what they are happy doing for the child. But you cant stopp BF for 3 days and expect it to be there when yo need it hon...it will be gone and you might regret doing it.

Think positive and take each day as it comes...dont worry about the big picture to much, it does my head in to much when I do.

Sit back and get a big glass of aktivite....it is the best stuff for building up your supply

i wish yo all the luck in the world no matter with path in the road you choose

[prama]

Hi girls,
All your support means so much to me.

I tried bf-ing twice today with nipple shields but only about 15mins each side. But that's good for me, it's increasing my confidence. I'm going to try to bf every other feed now. I think the main thing for me is confidence after all that has happened. It still hurts and I'm afraid it's going to get bad again. But all I can do is try. I;m also on Motilium, and expressing for 10mins each side in between but not all the time. I'm trying to build up and not push it too much.

It's great hearing all your experiences. I guess by the end of the week I will have a better idea of where we're heading.

I have to run now.. thanks so much.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Fantastic! Yep, just expressing and bf-ing, no matter how much you get, is exactly the way to go. 15 minutes is huge, I know, when it's hurting.
Sound like today was a win The wins take you through any regressions, they did for me. When it starts to get better, you will then have new benchmarks and painfree feeds become so much closer as a reality...until they actually are.
You deserve a happy dance!

[Nelle]

Alriiiiight! One day at a time, you can do this!
Good on you, with the feeding and expressing.

[alioops]

Fantastic Prama!!!! Keep resting as much as possible until ur BFing relationship is established hun, the housework can wait, or your dp can do it

[Rouge]

WOOHOOOO! Go girl!

MummaB was talking about some special tape you can buy to help with cracked nipples, do you think this might work?

[Nelle]

Keep resting as much as possible until ur BFing relationship is established hun, the housework can wait, or your dp can do it

*nelle stores that away to show dh in a few weeks...*

[Mrs Jak]

Hi Prama,

Congratulations on the birth of your bub! Nice to hear things are going a bit better now.

I was in the same situation as yourself and was feeling similar emotions. We ended up FF, but next time I'll give it another shot. If I knew what I know now, I would have tried it again a week or so later after giving up, if it were possible.

All the best!!

[alioops]

*nelle stores that away to show dh in a few weeks...*

ROFLMAO!!!! it is important!!!! just remember to get back into it once the bf is going great guns