Hi there, I am having a very difficult time with my baby, still! From the beginning I have had an incorrect latch, as my nipple was sore, bleeding and cracked. I got mastitis in my left breast and the milk supply totally plummeted to nearly nothing. Since then I have been on everything from fenugreek, more milk, more milk special blend and now brewer's yeast to increase the supply.I had to use a nipple shield and pump to feed him from a bottle to give my breasts a break, but now we are mainly back on track for breastfeeding, although my left breast still isn't close to producing the amount my right breast does. I have seen two different LC already and I feel like they were not very helpful because I am still having problems. I think the problem is that when I latch my baby on he has a wide mouth and is at the angle the LC said to put him on, but as soon as he starts sucking his lower lip slips up and right under my nipple, which of course hurts. I don't know how to keep him on correctly! I have tried latching him on with his lower lip as far down as possible, flipping his lower lip out once he's on, pulling his chin down, but to no avail. I feel like we have an easier time when my breasts are fuller (like during the night), but it still hurts( just not as much). Does anyone have any advice???
P.S. I usually use the cradle position and hold his head with the opposite hand. I don't know if this matters, but if I let go of his neck/head with the opposite hand he completely falls off the breast.
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. Well, things are pretty good now; for some reason he still slips off my breast if I don't hold his head in place, but the latch is correct and I feel much better!! I guess we just needed some more time to figure things out.
Just an idea... Perhaps, for a week or two, you can give him a 1-2 oz bottle before he starts a breastfeeding session? Because, he might be more willing to retrain his latch if he's not super hungry when he first latches. (When my daughter is famished, she is more aggressive in her latch, like she attacks the nipple and is less likely to latch correctly.)
Just an idea...
My daughter & I had a rough start too, so I can relate. At about 9-10 weeks, we finally "got" it. La Leche League is great, if there is not one near, keep trying different LC's. Also, the football hold seemed to work best at first for us. As for one side producing more, I had that too! I tried to always feed her on the lower producing side first, to try to up the production (supply & demand!) and pumped A LOT! After she would nurse, I pumped as much as I could & I froze what I saved. Make sure you drink lots of water along with the supplements you are taking. It does get easier!! Great job sticking through it this far, you are doing such a wonderful thing for your son!!
Sounds like the latch question has been answered pretty well here, but I did want to answer your concern about your supply being very different on one side than the other. I have talked to a lot of moms and lactation consultants (I go to a breastfeeding support group that at the hospital where my babies were born), and it is COMPLETELY normal to have one breast produce more milk than the other...and it is usually a difference of an ounce or two! No one knows why, but I'm sure there's a good evolutionary reason for it :), so don't worry too much about the difference in supply.
If you are still having trouble and a nipple shield helps, use one. The new thinner silicone contact nipple shields generally do not affect milk supply, and are okay to use long-term. I used one for the entire year I breastfed my first son and am on the same track with my second (8 months). I would also get a Shield Shell for your nipple shield to store it between feedings. I LOVE mine and use one for around the house and keep one in my diaper bag at all times! I ordered mine at www.shieldshell.com.
I sometimes breastfed and pumped at the same time. Sometimes breastfed and then pumped. I always tried really, really hard to keep up the supply so I overdid it sometimes. :) My first one learned to latch properly at 8 weeks... so I did a lot of pumping to compensate. I know it's frustrating (latch, separate, latch again, separate... ugh) but don't give up.
It does sound like you need to continue receiving help though. I like the suggestion of trying out the football hold, if anything it'll give your nipple some relief from getting hurt over and over in the same spot. Is his body positioned correctly? Have you tried supporting your breast?
We are proud of you for sticking to it!
Get a Boppy Pillow... for nursing.
It is VERY helpful, to position the baby and hold him... during feedings. And easier on your arms.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Boppy Pillow for nursing...
But yes, the entire areola, has to be in his mouth...
Try positioning him other ways... you don't have to just do what the LC said...try on your own, finding a good position... having him at the right height to your nipples...
AND... while nursing, put something like a pillow... under his neck to support it... then you won't have to hold his neck there... and get hand fatigue.
Next though, my concern is your milk supply. If you are not producing enough.... that means your baby is NOT getting adequate intake... and babies need to feed on-demand, 24/7, day and night.
Watch out for dehydration... a baby can get dehydrated VERY quickly. I know a woman whose baby got inadequate intake and her baby ended up in the ER.
Is he having enough wet diapers?
If you are not producing enough milk.. you still need to feed him. I would let the Pediatrician know...
But I guess your right breast... IS producing enough???
all the best,
Susan
My advice is to find a really, really good lactation consultant--as you suggest a good one makes a HUGE difference. I had some questions recently about breast feeding and asked around and ended up having a home birth midwife come to my house to help me. It was amazing. She was about 100x more helpful than the LC at the hospital. Perhaps look some up in your area and ask if they do any lactation work.
Has he been checked for tongue tie??? That can cause exactly what youare saying?
I had the best luck with the football hold, tight grip and flip the lip with my son.
I had a bad latching problem with my daughter (saw multiple LCs) and eventually I did give up (though I didn't want to). I pumped until I dried up at 4 mos. With my son, I successfully nursed him full time for a year. I don't think it had anything to do with me....just my daughter's latch. We tried EVERYTHING including supplementing through a medela supplement system while I nursed. She had a weird latch and a STRONG STRONG suck that would cause my nipples to split and bleed. Interestingly, at 3 years old, she sucks her thumb till it is raw.
Good luck and what you are doing (trying to get all the help) is great!
Doris is a pretty well known & awesome LC. If you can't figure this out, I highly suggest her! http://www.pump-n-go.com/lactationservices/
I had similar issues with both of my sons. A LC suggested that they might have both had very deep tongue ties. Things got better, finally, around 12 weeks, but I did use a nipple shield for a while, just to get through it.
With my first son, I got mastitis, then thrush from the antibiotics. Then I had an abcess in my right breast. The pain was almost unbearable, but I pumped through it. My supply was never the same in my right breast, but I always offered that breast first, to make sure it was emptied often, and to help even things out a bit. It's worth a shot. Hang in there, I'm so glad I did. It's so worth it when things finally turn around- it will get easier. My friend who is a midwife said that eventually babies self-correct, and I have found this to be true with my 5 month old. We were finally able to get off the nipple shield about a month ago.
Good luck, Mama,
T.
Barefoot Books Ambassador
www.ReadandGrow.com
My sister and nephew had the same problem. She was cracked and bleeding FOREVER. They finally figured out that the latch problem was do to my nephew having a problem with the frenulum. He had a little procedure to cut it and he nursed great for the next 10 months. Have your child evaluated by his pediatrician and see if his frenulum is alright. Good Luck
I know you said you've seen two LC's but have you gone to a La Leche League meeting? Those women are fabulous and chances are someone there has experienced something similar to what you are going through. They are the best, most kind and helpful group of ladies. Find out where your nearest one is and get to a meeting ASAP. God bless you for hanging in there amidst all this challenge and trouble. You are to be applauded! Blessings!
Other people have said what I would say - check for tongue tie. I've heard of stories where the pediatrician doesn't want to deal with that (dismisses the idea) so you might need to try a couple.
Here's a story that might help... My friend had similar issues with her first. She tried several La Leche meetings and LCs but nothing was fixing the latch. She just persevered for the time being. Finally when her baby was 9 months, she talked to another mom at La Leche who had had the same problems and found a solution. It had to do with the breasts being large. The solution was to flop her breast up and down while the baby tried to latch on. The baby had to open so wide to "catch" the breast that it got the latch right. After doing that, my friend was able to nurse without pain, and recently weaned her daughter at 2 yrs old.
Keep up the good work! I hope it gets better.
