First time mom here
Looking for advice on how to get baby to latch and feed off me after using nipple shields in the hospital and then switching to formula in a regular bottle.
Baby was born Monday at 37+3 and had trouble latching to me.. so they gave me a shield. She wasn’t getting much so they had me use donor milk with a tube and syringe (tube went into shield and we slowly pushed milk into it for her)
We tried a few times and it was tough and frustrating and was causing my BP to rise up (and I had preeclampsia so they needed it to go down). I also had GD and she didn’t pass her second glucose test to they told me to try formula. We did it with the syringe a few times and I was just so exhausted and frustrated and couldn’t get my BP down that I asked to switch her to a bottle. They had us stay an extra night bc of my BP and her sugars and I was so upset bc I had been there since Friday and it was Tuesday already. I felt defeated and it had literally only been 24hrs since she was born but I had a really kind nurse talk me down a bit and finally get me to sleep and after using the bottle over night my BP was down in the morning and they finally cleared us to go home.
Anyway we are home and I’m pumping to get my supply going and I think I’m doing well (7-11ml pumped every 3hrs or so) and she takes that from the bottle before having the rest as formula.
I tried at the 2am feed to have her latch for about 5min each breast and she did suck a bit (it was a bit painful so I felt she may have latched) but she keeps needing help relatching.. She had formula to finish off and I tried pumping and nothing came out so maybe she got some? Idk but she slept good and we had to wake her for her feed now. I pumped and got about 12ml and she had it from a bottle.
Anyway my question is... how can I get her to latch after using a bottle nipple? I want to be able to feed her and don’t know if I should keep trying a shield or keep trying to get her to latch. Or just exclusively pump? I don’t want to get to the point where it’s too late to try again.
Anyone have any tips for me??
Thanks!
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