When does this get easier again?

atcwag

LO is 6 months this week. I'm getting so frustrated with BFing being easy as pie one week, then hard as all get out the next.
I had an internal blood blister that popped while nursing 2 weeks ago, then last week nursing was ok for the most part. This week, that side is cracked and constantly bleeding. I am tired of DS looking like a vampire everytime he nurses and having black poop.
When does it get to the point where LO can latch themselves 100% of the time and not cause pain? I feel like anytime I allow DS to latch on his own consistently, even if it doesn't hurt, I end up with issues. I am fed up with nipples that ache all the time, lanolin stains and having to grit my teeth for initial latch. I feel like I have a newborn again!

cinderin

Can you pump for a feed or two? Give your nipples a break?

atcwag

Yes. I pump when I'm away from him at work so that does give me a bit of a break, but it just seems like a vicious cycle. As soon as I feel 100% "healed" again and want to give "self-latching" a go again, it seems like the same thing. He's also teething I think, which doesn't help.

Sarelnad

I'm sorry you're going through this. Your experience sounds horrible, and I don't think it's normal. You shouldn't be suffering this far along. I think you need to have an IBCLC look very carefully at your baby's latch. I bet there is something going on with it that is the source of all the discomfort. I can't believe you made it 6 months under these conditions. Congrats on that. Just remember, never quit on a bad day.

atcwag

Sarelnad said:

I'm sorry you're going through this. Your experience sounds horrible, and I don't think it's normal. You shouldn't be suffering this far along. I think you need to have an IBCLC look very carefully at your baby's latch. I bet there is something going on with it that is the source of all the discomfort. I can't believe you made it 6 months under these conditions. Congrats on that. Just remember, never quit on a bad day.

Thank you for the kind words. So basically, at 6 months, they should be able to latch themselves 100% of the time with no issues? I guess that's what I'm wishing for. For instance, if in the middle of the night, we side lie and I doze while LO nurses, I don't want to wake up with sore nipples.
....and this isn't even the 1/2 of it. I'm just way too stubborn and committed to LO's well being to quit, plus Neocate is WAYYYYY to expensive. I'd have to take out a 2nd mortgage just to feed LO. We overcame initial latch issues "just in time" for LO to be hospitalized @ 9 weeks on IV nutrition, so I EPd for 6 weeks to keep my supply up and had about 1500 oz in the freezer when we came home, only to be told it was completely unusable by DS bc I had to go on a precautionary dairy/soy free diet. Yeah, I bawled for days over that one..I just donated my stash to a momma in need. It was again a struggle to get him back to nursing after 6 weeks away, but we did it!!! Now I just want it to be EASY! Sometimes it is, often it's not.