I have a low supply of milk. My daugher wasn't having enough poopy/wet diapers and wasn't gaining proper weight. I was taking fenugreek and it seemed to boost my supply, but it made me and her both terrible sick and diarrhea so I had to stop. She used to suck at the breast for at least 10-15 minutes and stay there...even if she wasn't swallowing milk. She has always had a bad latch...I have some physical deformed nipples and so it makes it hard for her to latch correctly. The LC says that she probably could latch effectively when she got bigger and stronger. She gets frustrated and won't latch at all now and when she does latch she sucks for just a few seconds and gets ticked. I can get her to stay on long enough for the milk to let down, but she will suck/swallow for about 30 seconds and then get angry and pull off and won't latch again. I've tried switch feeding...which I've had to do from the start...and she won't latch at all. Pulling head back, screaming, pushing at breast with her hands.
I've been pumping after every nursing session. Right now, because I have three other kids, this is all I can do. I tried pumping every hour and when she woke up to eat there wasn't any milk available to her and she wouldn't latch. She'd just get angry. I couldn't keep her on the breast. She is a totally different baby when she gets fed and is full. When I'm giving her the breast and switch feeding she will scream and cry and be fussy and angry for hours on end at the breast. By the end of it I'm crying and she is crying and we end up having to supplement anyhow.
I want nursing to be a pleasurable experience for me and her and it just isn't. It is a fight. She is angry and I'm upset and by the time she gets fed enough to be content we start all over again in 30 minutes. I honestly feel bad about this, but I HATE when she wakes up because I realize I have to go through circus hoops/fights to get her to nurse and be content.
I'm not sure what else to do. Pumping, nursing, so frequently has my nipples so sore and the lack of sleep is really taking its toll. I know breast milk is best, but what does a mom do when she isn't making enough and baby won't nurse?
Just really frustrated.