I am updating this for anyone who may be looking for hope in a similar situation. My baby is now 7 weeks and 4 days and he is 100% breastfeeding. I really thought that it would never happen, but my Mommy instincts told me not to give up! Basically I just kept trying. He was more likely to try when he was calm and not over hungry. Then when it seemed like he might actually be doing it, I visited the lactation consultant. He got enough milk from that session, that she said I could stop giving bottles as long as he'd go for it. It's amazing, it really did just click one day!

I breastfed my daughter for 26 months, which some thought was way too long. I was so proud of giving her my very best until she was ready to be done. It was so great for bonding, and of course it was convenient and free. I looked forward to breastfeeding my next baby. I only had a 4 month break from nursing her until my son was born. I felt like he was doing great and he seemed like a little boobie monster. Then at his 2 week appointment, we learned that he had only gained 2 ounces and was still below his birth weight. They said to start pumping and supplement his feedings so that we could make sure he was getting enough and start putting on some weight. I started looking in his mouth some more and felt 100% that he had a tongue tie. I started seeing an IBCLC and she referred me to a dentist to get it fixed. At that point he was 3 1/2 weeks. He was nursing less and less, but I thought that as soon as his tongue tie was fixed, he would be back on the boob. He wasn't. I kept seeing the lactation consultant and she said that I was doing everything right and to just keep trying. I've tried nipple shields and different bottles. It's starting to really affect my mental health. He acts like I'm torturing him every time I try to get him to nurse. The constant pumping breaks my heart, because every time my body is telling me to feed my baby, I have to put him down and pump. I feel that I just need to give up now, but every time I think about it, I can't stop crying. It feels like I'm going against all my maternal instincts. Just wanted to share what I'm going through in case anyone else is going through the same thing.