Breastfeeding help again please

Asher was born Sunday at 4:43am and latched on fine until we got home Monday afternoon. It seems like ever since then, he's gone so long between feedings. (See my previous post if you want times)

Now I think my breasts are engorged. He won't latch so we had to break down and feed him some Similac...I just got done pumping though and pumped an ounce out of one breast.

Helllp mee!   He's our second child, but the first time I've breastfed.

Keep offering the boob, he will eat. And no more formula it can damage your supply. Just offer your boob a much a possible even as a paci if need be.

I became very engorged when I got home and sometimes hand expressing a tad bit makes the breast a little easier to latch for baby. Maybe this is TMI but my breasts were rock hard and DD had such a hard time because she couldn't get a comfortable latch.
You just have to play around with it, find how you both are comfortable and what works for you. I know it's tough, but if you're dead set on breastfeeding, you just have to practice and not give up until baby is latched. It's their natural instinct to suck but sometimes latch takes work.
I know it's hard not to break down and give them a bottle with formula if you have it, but sometimes a bottle early on can cause nipple confusion, thus making latching more difficult. Your body DOES know the pump is not the baby and could mess your supply up. Smelling your baby, seeing your baby, touching your baby, hearing your baby cry, all play into your body's ability to flow milk which is why many women have such issues exclusively pumping. Your body needs you baby just as much as your baby needs your body.
Play around with your positioning, too.Maybe the position you're trying to feed is no longer comfortable for baby?
Are you relaxed or stressed? Milk doesn't flow as well or as easily if you're stressed and if your baby senses you're getting flustered, he will become flustered too.
Hang in there, it just takes practice.

Quoting DamonSalvatore=Addiction:" Keep offering the boob, he will eat. And no more formula it can damage your supply. Just offer your boob a much a possible even as a paci if need be."

He just ate the ounce I pumped out of a bottle. Even while he was eating the formula I pumped though because I was leaking like a faucet. I guess I just need to pump every 2 or 3 hours to keep engorgement down? It feels like he doesn't wanna latch because my boobs feel so hard.

Quoting K. P. Walsh:" I became very engorged when I got home and sometimes hand expressing a tad bit makes the breast a little ... [snip!] ... you're trying to feed is no longer comfortable for baby? Are you relaxed or stressed? Hang in there, it just takes practice. "

I am relaxed while he's eating. It went so well in the hospital, then not so well when we got home.

Take a warm shower it will help milk flow easy also massage boo s whule feeding to help let down....sit in a quiet room and rock with your baby...after the first 6 weeks it is super easy one day at a time momma. I recomend to everyone to buy the book the breastfeeding mothers companion....so when your up at 2am and have questions....yup its all in that book

The more you pump the more your body is going to think you need. Which will lead to an oversupply and more engorgement. Engorgement makes your nipples flatter and harder for baby to latch on. So try to pump or hand express a LITTLE before feeding. Just enough to soften up the nipple. Any more will just signal your body to make more than you need. Also, try not to use a bottle just yet if you can. Bottles are way easier to get the milk out of and your baby will prefer that obviously and not want to work to get it out of the boob. It can cause even worse latching issues. Just keep offering the boob and be more stubborn than him and you guys well get the hang of it! It does get easier!

You should talk to a lactation consultant. There may be one at your local WIC office or you can call the hospital and they can direct you on who to contact. I have no local lactation consultants so I spoke to a lactation consultant from Medela through email... I can give you the website if you want. Get help! I had lots of issues and am still having to use a nipple shield to get her to latch but she is almost four weeks old and has never had formula, you can do it!
The bottles will cause him not to latch on anymore especially because he is so young... there are other ways to feed him besides a bottle as well. Like I said, contact a lactation consultant! They can help you so much!

Thank you ladies!!! I talked to someone at the hospital today and she helped alot and so have yall!  

They are so engorged right now!  

Quoting Kelly +2 ERF/EH!:" Thank you ladies!!! I talked to someone at the hospital today and she helped alot and so have yall!   They are so engorged right now!  "

Do you have an electric or manual pump? The first week when I got engorged I would use the manual pump and pump a little out before I fed her, it felt so much better! I had plugged ducts too, they were huge hard lumps and it felt awful.

Quoting Mel152009:" Do you have an electric or manual pump? The first week when I got engorged I would use the manual pump ... [snip!] ... a little out before I fed her, it felt so much better! I had plugged ducts too, they were huge hard lumps and it felt awful."

or you could hand express if that is easier for you... massage them in a hot shower... I took a bath and turned over on my stomach and just let them rest in the water. Felt sooo much better!

Quoting Mel152009:" or you could hand express if that is easier for you... massage them in a hot shower... I took a bath and turned over on my stomach and just let them rest in the water. Felt sooo much better!"

Ya know....I do feel a few small lumps so I thought that was what they were. And I have an electric pump.