Help! Breastfeeding Issues!

Hi, K.,

If you're in Jax, call Kristin Gartner, IBCLC at ###-###-####.

She is nicknamed "Latch" by her breastfeeding professional colleagues and will definitely be able to help you.

Peace,
H.

Careful K., he is too little dont confuse him with the bottle, because he wont take the breast.
wait at least a week, when your mature milk comes, and he is getting a lot from your breast, to feed him with the bottle. I breastfed my 2 boys. for a little longer than a year. and i was very succesful at it, but i did encounter every problem whatsoever, so if you have more questions. let me know.

first off, congrats!

as far as latching, just be patient. i breastfed both of my daughters, and there was a little bottle feeding done at the hospital. but, when baby is hungry, baby will eat. just be patient, and keep offering until the latching happens.

you can try gently rubbing the nipple on baby's cheek, just near the mouth, instead of trying to put your nipple in his mouth.

good luck, and hang in there!

J. v

You should have been assigned a breastfeeding consultant at the hospital when your son was born and they should have included her information in with the packet that you brought home. I would call her and maybe schedule an appointment to go in and see her so that she can help the two of you get the latch right. Other than that just keep trying and stay patient. The more frustrated you get the more frustrated the baby will get.

Good luck

Hello K., First I would like to say CONGRATULATIONS! My name is Muna and this is my first time with mamasource.This is my first response also I hav'nt even posted a ? yet...I'm 29 years old and just had my first baby girl 9 months ago.I had that same problem. I had help from a Lactation Consultant at the hospital where my baby was born, it took about 4 hours before she would latch on. Once she did I did'nt have a problem til I got home like your situation. I got so frustrated and felt helpless but i did'nt give up. I called the Consultant back that helped me at the hospital and she advised me not to pump so soon due to the fact that my baby would get too comfortable with it and refuse my breast. She would give me instructions over the phone and would tell me not to give up that evetually it will happen.K. after numerous tries and a few sleepless nights SHE DID.. Please don't give up it has beeen a wonderful experience for me...Check with your local hospital there usually is someone that can help.There's even support groups...One more thing I'd like to mention your baby might have what you call a tongue tie...Ask your Pediatrician about that.I hope it works out for you Good Luck......

K. - did you try different positions for nursing? Football hold is really great for small babies. Maybe a breast preference? Are you too full for the baby to latch on? Maybe extract a little milk before putting him on. Put a little on his lips and hopefully he will latch on. Hang in there, it will take time but when he is hungry, he will eat.

Is he eating at all? From a bottle? If not, call the doctor. This happened with my older one. She would not breastfeed or take from a bottle. Turned out she had Jaundice. After a few days on a billi blanket, everything was fine again. If he is eating from a bottle, have you called the lactation consultant from the hospital he was born? They should have given you the number before you left. If not, call the hospital. They will help you. Good luck.

I agree with the other suggestions you've gotten - call a lactation consultant right away. This is key to continuing your breastfeeding. We had to go up to the hospital to see the lactation consultant again after bringing her home (Susan at Ormond Memorial, if you're in Daytona area), and then that wonderful woman actually came by our house one day too to help us, when she was in our area to see her sister. I had issues too with my daughter, the cradle hold was awkward for us, she wouldn't stay latched. I'm large-breasted, so in the cradle hold I had to adjust her a lot to keep her nose clear so she could breathe, and it was almost like the positioning and adjustments we had to make to keep her in that position aggravated her and so she would let go (she wanted to latch on HER way, darnit! LOL :) Anyway, the football hold really helped us, saved our breastfeeding effort. It is awkward at first, but it's so worth it. I suggest a recliner for this position if you have it. I would put my recliner foot rest up, tuck her under my arm, bend my legs at the knees to support her back, and latch her on, then place a rolled up receiving blanket under her head for support. Otherwise, we'd sit on a couch, or even a chair with armrests, and place as many pillows at my side under my daughter as necessary to elevate her to the level of the nipple. Sofa and throw pillows usually worked best because they were firmer than bed pillows. I kept a couple of 10" square pillows in my car for breastfeeding on-the-go.

Some online resources:

http://www.lalecheleague.org/bfinfo.html
http://www.kellymom.com/lcdirectory/index.html

To find a La Leche group near you:

http://www.lllusa.org/FL/groups/index.html

You are doing the best thing in the world for your son. Don't ever forget that, even for a minute. Even though it is probably much harder than you thought it would be (it was for me! :) Best of luck. Let us know how you both make out.

Has your milk came in yet? If so, try getting a pump and getting the flow started for him before you offer the breast. Warm compresses may also get the milk to let down sooner. My son gets angry at the beginning of a feeding if there isn't milk right away. Also, remember to relax. Stress can cause you to have a slow let-down.

Don't give him a bottle!! If nothing else use a syringe to feed him - and find yourself a lactation consultant right away! Where do you live? I can help you find someone.

Hey there, I actually had this problem right from the start, I would get so frustrated b/c my daughter would just scream and cry out of frustration that I would cry too. My lac consult at the hospital explained it to me like this, "Babies have to work extra hard to get the nipple to the back of their throats, with bottles they dont have to, so they get frustrated b/c they are used to instant relief." The football hold worked best for me, on her back, feet dangling behind me, head coming up under my breast, and what I did was stroke her cheek until her mouth opens wide, then hold my breast in a way that makes it kind of flatten out and with my other hand to the back of her head I would try and pull her toward me and at the same time push my nipple as far into her mouth as I could making sure it brushed against her tongue or the roof of her mouth, she would cry/struggle but eventually she got the hang of it. I had to do this several times at a setting before she would close her mouth and suck but she learned. I know its frustrating. I found a great websited called breastfeeding.com that has some good videos of different bf positions and latching. It helped me to watch them. Good luck girl. My baby just turned 2mths today, everyone says this but it really does get easier!!

Hi

All babies are diffirent!! IM sure you mother instict will help you! Especially with our advice:)) Try this squeeze some milk let see if he will feel the drop and hopefully start breastfeeding!! I hope so!! Please let us know if any advices help!!
Best WIshes
A.

Hi. First I want to say I can completely relate and there is definitely hope - just don't give up! Also REALLY try to avoid nipple confusion by introducing a bottle. One thing I had to do to improve my son's latch was tickle his mouth with my nipple and as soon as he opened up shove as much of my breast in there as I could. Also, try starting a nursing session before he is starving and screaming - that may save both of you some frustration. My son was a crappy nurser at first and the football hold helped although it was akward to me at first. You can do it - just don't give up! Also, give yourself a break, get plenty of rest whenever you can and stay hydrated. Breast is best! Good luck.