Can you pump and still feed from the breast interchangeably?

Question

I have had a hard time feeding my newborn (6 days old), mostly problems with him latching as he gets really handsy and pushes it out of his mouth and screams when he does that. I don't have enough hands to support him and hold his hands down and hold my breast. He's also cracked my nipples badly and I'm engorged on one breast so out of the frustration my husband and I realize a pump would be a lifesaver. Can I alternate bottles and breast? I mean I assume so but how realistic is it to keep up successfully?

Answer

Pumping is a lot more work. You need to pump 12 times a day literally every two hours even through the night.it takes around 25 minutes to pump longer if you have to power pump. And then you have to clean all your parts. And than give a bottle. And then it's time to start over. Most that set out to do it, don't succeed. Baby could get bottle preference and refuse your breast. You should really meet with an IBCLC for some help. You are both learning and having some help and support from a professional will set you up for success. I learned this recently:Did you know that if your baby’s face is not touching your breast as you initiate a breastfeeding session, he will use his hands to find your nipple?  Newborns have incredibly poor eyesight and use all five senses to locate and latch on to the breast.  Those little hands are searching for your breast to help bring it closer to his mouth.
* Let your baby suck on his fingers to calm himself at the breast.  When he moves his hands, he is already at the ‘restaurant’ and will be ready to breastfeed.
* Try not to tuck your baby’s hands under his body or swaddle him while breastfeeding.  Tucking his hands can disorient him.  Think about if you were trying to eat with your hands tied behind your back.  You would most likely feel off-centered and clumsy.  Babies need their hands to keep them stable, just like we need our arms to our side or in front of us when we eat.
Try laid-back breastfeeding to assist with this.  In this position, you can wrap your baby’s hands AROUND your breast and he will come in with his face instead.
Sometimes babies do get caught in a ‘reflex loop’ of sucking their hand, moving away, and then sucking their hands again. Moving the baby slightly so his face touches mom’s breast can interrupt this loop and get the baby to move his hands away and look for the breast with his mouth again.”

Answer

I had to give pumped milk in a bottle for latching issues even while working with lactation consultants weekly. It's possible but it's also triple the work 😩 
There's also a high chance that baby will develop a bottle preference because it's much easier for them to drink from a bottle vs drinking at the breast. I did it for the first 6 weeks until my baby finally figured out how to latch and we've been successfully breastfeeding ever since (7 months now). It's a difficult route to take but not impossible. Putting baby to breast frequently is always the best option but sometimes we have to compromise. 
Just be mindful of this while giving a bottle and always pump every 3 hours minimum, especially in the beginning while establishing your supply.

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It's not recommended to give a bottle until 4 weeks to establish good breastfeeding between you and baby so you can offer the pumped milk via syringe. Maybe go see a lactation consultant and they can get you a syringe and show you how to use them. If you give the bottle now you just run the risk of the baby preferring the bottle and refusing the breast. Nothing wrong with exclusively pumping and giving through a bottle as an option. I'd definitely recommend going and seeing a lactation consultant and just talking through your options! Good luck!

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I do both my 2wk old does the fussy hands as well I pump when she's sleep and nurse when she isn't and if we have trouble I have a back up bottle and I'll just pump , all the extra doesn't bother me the cleaning an what nots aren't that big of a deal ! I say do it an get some lanolin for your nips ! I put a little around mine right before pumping just to avoid cracking an pain and when ur babe is nursing make sure he is latch further up on your breast not just the nipple 1. Better production 2. Less pain an cracking 3. Makes it easier for baby to suck. Best wishes mama 😘

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Yes just remember the more often you stimulate the more often you produce. So your body will think the baby is feeding more often, however you'll end up with a nice supply!

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Can it work? Yes, however pumping is a lot more work. I'm 7 months into bf, I supplemented with a little formula the first 10 days due to latching issues, once I got home from the hospital I began pumping so we could feed her breast milk from bottles. I never responded all that well to a pump so I never much much of a stash built up, but that turned out to be a good thing b/c my milk developed high lipase and gets a sour taste once frozen. My lo got to the point that she refused bottles and only wanted to nurse, we tried 9 different kinds. Bf is hard, but however you choose to do it I wish you luck.

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Yes you can alternate between pumping & nursing. It'll just take a little more effort

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My next question then is can I just have a few bottles stored for when I can't get him to feed? Yes, right? I just feel desperate when he won't latch and has no dirty diapers. I feel like I'm making him suffer.

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Try to swaddle the baby so he can't push the breast out. It's really babe when they are sucking and they just pull the breast out from their mouth that's why they teach u to put your finger in their mouth to break the suction but yes u can pump while u breast feed but you got to push through the pain and feed him the breast till he gets it right that way he won't get confused between bottle and nipple. Make sure most of ur areola goes in his mouth when breast feeding. It helps a lot

Answer

It's possible! I did it for the first few weeks and it didn't bother me but it is extra work. You don't need to sterilise the pump after every wash, just clean with boiling water (that saves time). 
Try a nipple shield to avoid cracked nipples and help with latch. I use one all the time, my baby is 6 weeks and it's a lifesaver. 
Make sure when your baby is at the breast that he's in the right position. His tummy to yours and his lower hand reaching under/around your boob and his top hand on your boob, that should stop the hands going everywhere.