April 2013 Moms
Bizzy80
member
Options
Breastfeeding- So frustrated!
Bizzy80
member
My LO will be 2 weeks old tomorrow and we are really struggling with breastfeeding. I've seen 3 LC's since she was born and we have another appointment tomorrow. I have large breast and nipples and she just doesn't want to latch at all and is very impatient and fights me when I try to put her to breast. I've done everything the LC's have told me to do. Her hands are constantly in her face and it is hard for me to get her to calm down. I've been pumping and feeding her pumped milk at each feeding after trying and she eats very quickly from the bottle. The last LC recommended using a nipple shield which helped for a day or two but now she is back fighting me again whenever we try to nurse. The nipple shield will be in her mouth and my breast leaking and she just cries and cries until I finally give up and give her the bottle. I've tried giving her a bottle for a bit to calm her down first and then nurse but that doesn't help either. I am just so frustrated and don't know what else to do. Anybody else have a similar situation or advice? I really want to be able to breastfeed her and not have to give her pumped milk but I don't know how much longer we can go like this. Thanks in advance.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Breastfeeding- So frustrated!
I am just about at my wits end. I bought a nipple shield yesterday and got her to latch with it, so maybe you could try that. I also fear I don't have enough milk or it won't come out because I can only pump about 1/2 an ounce from both sides combined and since you don't have that Problem, maybe it will work for you!
I hope you can make it work! I am so incredibly disappointed that it doesn't seem like we will be able to. But if you can't, just know your baby will be healthy and happy as long as you love her!
Thanks for this. BF'ing is really important to me which is why I really want to stick it out and keep trying. When your LO starts fighting you how long do you keep trying with her crying before you give in and give her a bottle? I don't want to create a bad experience for her every time but also want her to at least try for a while. Sticking it out for 6 weeks sounds like a good goal and then to reevaluate at that time. I may try the same.
Definitely keep that 6 week goal in mind, and keep seeing the LCs if you can! Even if anything for confirmation that you're doing all that you can! I really do have faith it'll get better (for both of us! lol)
Actually a few nights ago we had a REALLY rough night where she would not eat at all for 6 hours and I was in complete freak out mode and my husband got onto kellymom.com (without me asking him to) and was reading me info and somewhere he read that if LO fusses for about 10 minutes at the breast it's important to stop trying and get both baby AND mama completely calmed down before trying again. I have been following this 10 minute rule since.. if she just won't latch after the 10 minute mark I put my boob away, give her a paci, cuddle her on my chest.. we both calm down and then after 5 or 10 minutes I try again. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but if on the second attempt I reach the 10 minute mark that's when I reach for the bottle.
I have extremely large breasts (42H right now, was a 42DD before pregnancy), and I have had some issues, but not the same ones as you. LO latched right away and has a good latch. Only recently have his hands started to get in the way, and sometimes I have to get DH to come over and hold his hands while I get him latched on (that obviously only works when DH isn't at work). my main issue is what position to hold him in -- the only thing that works for me is side-carry/ football style, and he's so LONG that the chairs we can nurse in are limited because his little feet bump up against the backs.
I don't have a ton of advice, just sympathy because being extra large breasted adds a whole other dimension of difficulty to this.
I would agree with all of AmyG's advice and also add that if your babe likes being swaddled, try swaddling her to keep her hands and arms out of the way. Just make sure it's not even more stressful for her.
Keep up the effort. Remember that this is likely just a phase. If you stick to it, it will get better.
Yes, thank you for all of this.