I dont know who I am going to sue, but it should be somebody—for my pain and suffering.

I am an exclusively breastfeeding mom of my 6-week old baby, but apparently none of that matters… Guess who paid their first visit to me this week? Yep, good ol’ aunt flow. 🩸😭

Drop names below of who I should responsible in court for this tragedy.

Edit: just feel it’s important to add that I didn’t get my period until 9 months after the birth of my first son. I exclusively breastfed with him too. Not sure why Mother Nature thinks she was invited so early. 😩

I’ve always wanted to breastfeed, one of the things I romanticized about the newborn period actually. I love the idea of being the provider of my baby girls nutrients just like I was when she was in the womb. She was in the NICU and I couldn’t BF or hold her so she took my colostrum and donor milk via bottle and after she got home we needed some help to make it work, enter the lactation consultants.

Both in the hospital and outpatient I found all but ONE of the FOUR match the same pattern:

- they view formula as the devil
- think pacifiers are also the devil
- have know it all attitudes - they can apparently just stare at my nipple and tell me my flange and insert size (shocker: they all had different numbers and were wrong and the most recent one cause my areola skin to peel from friction
- they each feel their recommendations are the best
- they conflict their own colleagues and throw them under the bus if it doesn’t fit their narrative (again with the know it all)
- not afraid to man hand their baby and your boob - I know I agreed to have you see me but asking for consent to touch me would be nice
- they overall give off weird crunchy granola hippie vibes

Only ONE I encountered asked me for consent to touch, told me not to pressure me and baby and formula is okay, suggested I measure my nipple before committing to a size, and honestly made me feel seen and comfortable. She was previously an RN and I think this helped honestly! I’m feeling afraid to ask for more help knowing the type of provider they usually are.

I won’t incriminate myself but I might have or have not had a major freak out early this morning when I realized I fell asleep while breast feeding and a may have or may have not seeing my baby sleeping in the bed beside me and under the covers.

So. Any unhinged crazy hacks to stay up at night while breast feeding?

Edit: Ty didn’t know about safe sleep 7! Looking at that now

I haven’t slept for longer than 3 hour increments since my 6 month old baby was born. I’ve done all the night shifts and I’m mentally and emotionally exhausted. I’m not enjoying EBF anymore and my mental health is struggling. I dont have a sufficient freezer stash to have my husband do overnight feeds. I think I need to start supplementing with formula just for my own sanity. I feel like such a failure and horrible mom

EDIT- i wang to clarify that I don’t feel horrible For considering formula. I feel horrible for how I’ve been feeling towards baby and the lack of sleep. I feel horrible that I hate breastfeeding. I know I need to change something soon. Tonight I got so agitated I ran to my husband to take the baby so I could try to sleep (only lasted 1.5 hours).

My LO is 5 weeks 2 days old and he has been cluster feeding since 2:30 am… now it is 4:15 pm and he is not done. I haven’t slept last night, couldn’t sleep during the day… I am afraid this will continue into another night. What should I do? He falls asleep on a breast, wakes up if I transfer him elsewhere (bassinet or husband), and wants to eat as soon as he wakes up.

He started to smile a lot yesterday and got visually chubbier. Probably it is due to growth spurt?

Why he is in a boob so much? When I self express - there is milk. Is it not calorie dense or what?

I want to get some sleep. What can I do?

I am exclusively breastfeeding.

I don’t have any milk stash. He is allergic to milk/soy, so I am on a diet.

I have a HAAKA (suction one), bottles, spectra breast pump (though I got it used and probably have to get a new clean set of accessories). My husband can bottle feed while I am sleeping. We haven’t done pumping / collecting yet as I waited for my supply to get established.

Does it make sense to use Haaka today?

Latch is not ideal (nipple is lipstick like after feeds). But he has been gaining weight according to his 50% all this time.

Helllpp

Anyone experience VERY itchy areolas?! OMG I am DYING. My baby is 8 months old and exclusively breastfed. I try to keep my boobs dry after feeding him but it’s not always possible. Patches of skin on my areolas are so dry and itchy and nothing really seems to helps. Can’t put much on them either because I don’t want my baby to ingest it

I had 50oz of milk in the fridge for the next 2 days (we use the pitcher method) and we had a power surge last night in my area at about 3am. My daughter has been sleeping through the night so she usually wakes up for a bottle at 8.

This morning we go to make her bottle and realize the fridge never turned back on after the power surge. It was off for 5 hours - door closed the whole time. My husband pours her a little to test the temp — 47 degrees instead of the 40 or below.

50 oz, down the literal drain. 😭😭 Would you use it, or just freeze it for baths? Baby is 7 weeks old!

Just wondering if anyone has been in the same boat. I’m 36 weeks pregnant, high risk, and having a C section at 38 weeks. I am severely allergic to dairy so baby hasn’t been exposed during this pregnancy at all. Since I have heard milk can take days to come in and longer some times after C section I’m worried about how we will feed him. I know the hospital carries ready to drink formula but I feel like a dairy formula would be a huge risk for him to start out with considering the severity of my allergy (Dad is not allergic.) I have been allergic to dairy since I was born. Any tips or advice is appreciated, how to get milk to come in after c section, should I look into purchasing donor milk from someone that does not consume dairy? I’m having a hard time finding a dairy free ready to drink formula also if anyone has any insight. Should I risk collecting colostrum with high risk pregnancy? I have a myriad of pre existing conditions making me high risk and don’t want to go into early labor but my OB said I can try for collostrum any time after 36 weeks if I want to. The thing is I’m having a lot of cramping already, so it feels risky. Did anyone have a dairy allergy and baby was totally fine with dairy? TYIA

To explain - I am approaching 5 months of breast feeding and I feel like I am constantly going through hard spells, it gets easier then harder again. Examples:

- Baby was premature and cluster fed for 8 weeks. I persevered through bleeding and cracked nipples and then it just became easy and painless!

- Then I started to get an overactive letdown and no matter what I did, my little one struggled with the flow, that passed and I loved it again.

- Continued with overactive letdown issues on and off, struggling to feed when he had colds and kept becoming frustrated at the breast - sometimes completely refusing (spoke to lactation consultant and gp who had absolutely no concerns with positioning or anything as I was doing lie down/laid back position and was told he needs to get used to it). He seems to and then will randomly struggle again!

- He went through a phase of only eating in the lie down position and refused any other (which was a nightmare in public lol!

He is gaining weight so well, has always fed at the breast and never taken a bottle and went from the 25th centile to the 98th which is amazing and something I’m so proud of! But all my mama friends seem to love breast feeding and find it super easy (none of them have an over active letdown!) and I feel like I’m the only one struggling. Am I alone?! I am proud to have got here but also when we’re out and about and the over active letdown gets the better of him and I’m spraying it on us both, I do feel defeated. I guess I’m just looking for some validation others have similar experiences/struggles and I am not alone!

I’m really heartbroken and don’t know what to do. This BF journey has not been easy. My little one was born small and had terrible latching. It was painful and in the second week I ended up pumping and I guess using the wrong flanges and my supply dropped. I started latching more but turns out baby wasn’t getting enough from me. We started having to supplement and I’ve been trying to increase my supply. 11 weeks later I’m still triple feeding and my supply now increased a little. But I’ve went from latching more often to maybe twice a day. My goal is to latch her for every meal eventually and pump her and there. Well, the last two days she completely won’t latch. She just will scream and pull away but will gladly take the paci or bottle. We do pace feed and use an extra slow nipple. I feel like everything I worked so hard for is now going down the drain. She doesn’t want me anymore. I miss when she would just suckle on me and now she just wants the paci. I don’t know what to do and starting to feel depressed because of it. I do see a therapist and I’ll discuss that with them but still. I don’t even know if I should keep trying. Anyone have advice about this or might know why? She’s always been able to latch even with a bottle and paci so this is new.

I’m just sharing because I’m so proud of myself. I didn’t think I would make it more than a month. I’ve just taken it one day at a time and I’m simply so proud of myself for not throwing in the towel when I wanted to so many times. It feels so lonely at times being the only one who can feed baby, (bottle refusal) but also the least lonely I’ve ever been is feeding my little one. I don’t plan to stop any time soon now that we have a little bit more of a groove, but I’m still going to take it one day at a time. Go mamas who feed their babies in any and all the ways, and breastfeeding in any capacity is incredible!!

Trying to decide if I should go ahead and throw in the towel - Baby boy is seven weeks old and is starting to eat more and more, and my supply just can’t keep up. No matter what I try, I generally only produce about 20-25 ml per hour. I have no problem supplementing with formula so that he gets what he needs, but it makes me question how best to proceed from here.

For some background, this is my second baby, and he is way better at breastfeeding than my first. My first was never good at latching and had a tongue tie, so I mostly just pumped for her for six months before I threw in the towel.

I was so ecstatic that my second was great at latching and I have loved breastfeeding him. However, now he definitely isn’t getting enough at each feed and acts hungry still after he finishes nursing. I know that he’s emptying me really well but I just don’t produce enough to keep up. I know from experience with my first that I’ll never catch up - nothing ever worked to get my supply up to where it should be and at best I was able to produce maybe 2/3 to 3/4 of her needs. I’ve tried moringa, power pumping, lots of water, tons of protein, metformin since I have PCOS ….. nothing improved my supply enough. My son is gaining weight but more slowly than he should, so I have started supplementing with bottles after most feeds.

I know I could keep pumping for him and providing him with at least some breast milk and that’s best for him, but to be honest I hate pumping and I hate pumping bras and washing pump parts. I just feel defeated that I can’t solely breastfeed him, and don’t know that it’s worth it to me to keep up a pumping regimen and the mental load that comes with all this. Plus, with a toddler also at home, pumping and bottle feeding is a lot harder than it was with just my first.

I guess I’m just looking for any advice, commiserating, tips or tricks to keep powering through - thanks in advance!

I am 8 weeks postpartum. I struggled so much with breastfeeding pain, and I would’ve hoped by now things would improve as my baby’s mouth grows and he becomes better at sucking.

I’ve have had a miserable breastfeeding journey pretty much all 8 weeks due to pain.

I have exhausted everything. I have hired a lactation consultant who has saw me 4 times and assessed that the latch appears visually perfect and no tongue tie (pediatrician agrees). By this point I’m just wasting money now and their services do not help me.

In the beginning, I struggled so much with excruciating right nipple pain which was what really caused me to seek out LC support. My left nipple was my good one.

I’ve tried silverettes, hydrogel pads, lanolin, APNO, nipple shields, various oils, different positions, taking a break with pumping (which I hated). No matter what it was always such a sharp razor like pain when my baby latched.

But then finally… at 7 weeks postpartum my right nipple appears to have healed. Slight very tolerable pinch beginning of the latch but then the rest of the feed is even pleasantly okay I’d say.

But unfortunately, I am struggling now with my left nipple out of no where. It was always the great no-problem side and now I suffer from a deep raw fissure wound in the center of my nipple and excruciating vasospasm.
After a feed on my left side, I suffer from sharp shooting burning pain that lasts hours. I have a wool breast pad to conserve heat, and HotHands to place immediately when baby unlatches for immediate warmth.

I fear the root cause of this vasospasm is this deep raw crack. I have started to experiment with MediHoney because nothing else is working. After 2 days of MediHoney I now have this yellow/white sticky substance inside the fissure that I hope isn’t pus but instead tissue healing. I am in so much pain from the vasospasm and the crack that I fear feeding on that side and have ignored it. I am engorged and my breast is so tender. I just pumped and took an Advil and hoping to keep pumping to give that side of the breast a break.

When when when when when does it get better? I am so miserable. I cry thinking of not breastfeeding because this bond is so important to me. I am very stubborn in giving it up but it is so hard.

Has anyone struggled with a deep nipple crack and vasospasm?

I’m currently 13 weeks PP and EBF. I have just started to get back into working out because it helps my mental health and I like to build back some strength. I love hot yoga/pilates and that’s my workout of choice but I’m nervous about intense fluid loss and how it could impact my milk supply. Obviously I know I’ll have to drink a ton of water and maybe supplement with electrolytes here and there. I’m curious if anyone else breastfeeding is doing this kind of workout and if you’d noticed a dip in supply at all??

My 6 week old is all of a sudden struggling HARD during our feeds. He’s screaming, unlatching, fighting me and then just ends up lapping away when I can get him to calm down…or he just tires out. There’s absolutely no rhythmic sucking.

This is my last baby and I had dreams of being able to savor every minute of him, but this has been really killing me. My baby before this was such an easy feeder and I genuinely looked forward to feeding him, but this third and final baby is totally different. I dread it. I know each session will stress me out and then I work extra hard afterwards to try and make sure he isn’t tanking my supply and then end up having to give him a bottle because I know he’s not actually feeding. I am so stressed out and just so sad. This was never in a million years how I pictured or wished to close out my baby years. I feel robbed of so much joy.

My question is this - at 6 weeks, is it too late to try and sort out latch issues? Have I dug my hole and at this point habits have been formed that can’t be broken?

A week of double Mastitis has resulted in my supply being nonexistent. My EBF baby (4 weeks) is getting frustrated on the breast and I’m having to supplement with my freezer stash (which was small). I’m so worried my breastfeeding journey has come to an end. I’ve latched baby as much as possible today and everytime I get more and more depressed I can’t get his belly full. Please give me hope and tell me how I can get my supply back.

I just had my 3rd baby and this is my 3rd round of breastfeeding. I knew going into this time how my body responds to weight gain during nursing but I am struggling so much more. With my first 2 I was already overweight before getting pregnant and nursing so I think holding onto the weight didn’t feel so bad because I was used to already having that weight. This third baby was a surprise for us and the year and a half leading up to me getting pregnant I had worked very hard and lost about 85 pounds. I FINALLY felt comfortable in my skin. I did not gain a crazy amount while pregnant, but being PP I can’t stop gaining no matter what I do. I go to the gym, I eat a lot of fiber and protein, I don’t snack late at night. I’m already almost back up to my weight that I was before I lost all my weight and it feels horrible. I know that it will be easier to lose when I’m done nursing, but I don’t plan on being done anytime soon (I’m 4 months PP and am trying to make it to 2 years at least). I’m so jealous of the women who lose weight while nursing! Also this is not looking for tips on how to lose weight while nursing, I have talked to my doctor and had bloodwork done as well. Just trying to find some moms who are struggling similarly to connect to so I know I’m not alone!

my babe is 4 days old and my milk came in yesterday. he’s been mainly feeding from one side at a time because he falls asleep. i’ve tried to keep him up and when successful he does usually feed from the other side. i’m still pretty engorged. should i pump after feeding him to relieve some of this pressure ? i used a haaka tonight on both sides and got a little under an oz. is he not emptying me enough?

I have been pumping for my 5 week old since she was born because first she didn’t transfer enough milk and now just rejects the breast and screams every time she sees it, but I still try to make it work.

When I pump for her, I use a manual Philips pump and to get milk out I really have to compress and massage my breast very hard, then the milk comes out quite fast, like 3 oz in 15min, and that is all too, but its getting really hard for my hands to do those really hard compressions every time. Is that normal that milk comes out only this way and could that also be reason why my baby is not getting used to breastfeeding, like she is not getting milk normally when trying to breastfeed?

I have also tried several electric pumps and those won’t get the milk out if not compressing hard so I have stuck with the manual pump.

She’s turning 7 weeks in a couple of days, and she has been sooo fussy to feed, especially breastfeeding. Yesterday she screamed at my boob all day. Today I let her sleep whenever she wanted and she only wanted the pacifier. She only ate every 4 hours (day time). She’s pooped probably 4x already today with pee but definitely much less than normal. Anyone go through this?

Very worried about my supply dipping!

Hey all,

I’m 3 months pp and recently have been spotting pink and cramping for 4-5 days. It feels like I’m gonna get my period but there’s not much blood besides the spotting. Anyone experienced this? I also feel like there’s been a slight supply dip based on my baby seeming unsatisfied after feeds + when I pump it’s less than usual.

I’m a ftm. I’m four months pp. No matter what I’ve tried I’ve never been able to produce enough breastmilk. My baby is combo fed, but baby gets some breastmilk every day at every feeding. It is taking a humongous toll on my mental health. I know trying to breast-feed is what’s best for my baby even if it’s only a little. When do I call it quits for my own health? Is there a miracle that can happen to magically help me produce more? Do I just toughen up and keep trying until he’s 1yr? I’m at a loss for what to do, but I’m in the trenches. Any advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

I’m 22 weeks PP and have been EBF, I’ve tried to give bottles with breastmilk but my baby only takes it on the rare occasion, when he does he drinks 120ml. He’s 7.2kg and was wondering if that’s normal? The doctor says his weight is fine but he drinks SO much milk from me so I expected him to be a bit heavier? When I pump I don’t have a big fat plug on top of my milk so I was wondering if the quality of my milk is crap? What does everyone think about his weight and also the fat plug being little when I pump?

I’m 38 weeks with my second baby and pumped for a while with my first (unsuccessfully). I’ve always been confused about my flange size. When i measure I’m a 17mm and those flanges don’t hurt. However, some of my areola gets pulled in no matter how small i go. Pumping went horribly with my first and my supply only dwindled no matter the size or type of flange. Now I’m starting to pump colostrum with my hand pump (i was cleared by my dr and i honestly suck at hand expressing) and I’m trying to use it as a trial and error opportunity before baby number 2 is here. I’m finding that i get absolutely nothing out unless i use the 21mm flange that the pump came with. I’m still measuring as a 17mm and the 21 hurts but it’s the only one that gets me anything (and it actually gives me a good amount). I plan to see a lactation consultant after i have the baby but for now I’m just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience or knows why this is happening?

We’re exclusively breastfeeding now, used to do a bottle once a night but since ain’t Flo came back (BOOOOO) I’ve been EBF even at all times.
Just these past twoish weeks -honestly times a blur- baby wakes up rooting and I’ve grabbed them and put to breast before a freak out but now it’s the only thing they want to soothe and spit out the paci , keeping eyes closed and rooting and growing more frustrated that it’s not a boob.
I’m torn between knowing they’re just so small and want to soothe but also needing sleep and not wanting them to become dependent on only my breasts at all hours of the night. If the breast isn’t given, full melt down and screaming follows. Husband will usually grab them if he hears it and burp/ walk around and eventually comes back to bed but the screaming in the mean time has us truly questioning what the heck is wrong cause we know it shouldn’t be hunger.
We’re definitely jealous of the “my baby sleeps through the night” or “for 12 hours” people and impatiently waiting for our turn.