over producing? pain, cracked nipples, blisters OH MY!

maganh91

I had my baby 10 days ago and i have had a lot of problems breast feeding. ive seen the lactation consultant and she couldnt get her to latch either. i tried pumping and was getting less than an ounce of milk, even after the 4th day post delivery. i had to supplement with formula for two days, then i was making enough to feed her. but, she still wouldnt latch so we are having to bottle feed her. i prefer to breast feed, but the most important part is that shes getting the breast milk.

well, now, 10 days post delivery, i feel like im over producing milk. i pump every 3 hours and get anywhere between 6 and 10 total ounces. my newborn only eats 2 ounces per feed, so im freezing the rest. it would be fine, but with the milk came a bunch of awful other things. it started with nipple tenderness, which was expectedd, but i thought it would go away, its only gotten worse, and now its excruciating. the tips of both of my nipples are covered in blisters also, which makes the pain 10 times worse. now, one nipple is cracking and its horrifying. this is my first baby and my first experience with breast feeding. ive called my OB and she said that its ok and should go away. but i just dont think she understands how severe it is. im really hoping that i am overreacting and that it is normal, but i cant even find pictures on google that matches what my nipples look like. i also have clogged ducts (off the subject question: when i pump, sometimes the duct unclogs and this nasty string of thick milk comes out, gross. but is it ok for baby to drink those thick strands of milk? )

 now, am i overreacting? is this really normal? or should i insist that my doctor see me?

on the over producing note, should i pump less? would i be risking more clogged ducts if i do? if i start trying to slow down milk production, could it backfire and make me dry up completely?? should i be worried about getting an infection because of the broken skin? ive been keeping everything clean and dry and following doctors orders to the T, if this isnt normal, what did i do wrong? how do i fix this? can anything help with the pain (aside from tylonol)?

please help! i dont know how to deal with this!