boobs got bigger, latch got worse

springbeduk2

My baby is 3 weeks old. Her latch was pretty good but then in the last week my boobs have definitely gotten bigger and now we are having trouble especially after she has drunk some and the breast is a lot softer (I'm trying to make sure she gets hindmilk - early on seemed she might not have been getting enough). She keeps slipping down to just the nipple with mouth not open enough and lips not really flanged. I'm trying to squish it (like the big sandwich analogy the nurses at the hospital used) and flip it in but still she usually slips.

The first latch on a full boob is still usually OK but it only lasts so long!

Any suggestions?

roadspeckle

Have you tested out different positions to feed her in?

mommatotwo2

I agree with @rachelnjacob, try different positions. Are you using a feeding pillow of some kind? I found that helped tremendously especially in the early days. I almost always have to hold the breast for LO, even now at a year. But I'm large busted, so that's part of it for sure. How far away from the areola are you holding the breast? Hold it an inch or so behind, so that you can push enough of the breast into her mouth to give her something to latch onto.

springbeduk2

Thank you! I've tried some different positions but maybe not all? I mostly do cradle (I think - still new at this) either just holding her and I lean back, holding her in more of a sitting up position, or with her lying on the MBF pillow with her head on my arm. Sometimes side lying and once in a while football though not so much as it hurts my wrist some (though not as badly ad cross-cradle) and she doesn't seem to like it as much. Is there a position you recommend especially? Or trick with the pillow?

Holding helps some though the days that were worst with this it didn't seem to which was part of the frustration. I feel like I often need to keep holding (I think I hold an inch or two back) even after she is latched anyway (less so with the cradle hold though)- my breasts weren't that big to start with (B/C) but they stick out to the sides.

mommatotwo2

I found that for at least 3 months, the easiest thing for me was just lying her on a regular pillow or a boppy in front of me and holding the breast in place with 1 hand. Still, at a year, I have to hold the breast when she eats, most of the time and I still use a boppy a lot of the time.