Breastfeeding Troubles

kristinlizabeth

FTM here- my daughter is 3 weeks old. I intended to breastfeed her for a year, but have been having a lot of trouble- within the first 3 days she had caused so much nipple damage (painful blisters) that I was in tears every time she latched on and dreading/hating feeding times. The lactation consultant in the hospital wasn't much help, she just suggested putting ointment on my nipples and maybe pumping sometimes. The lactation consultant at the pediatrician's office was much better and she suggested pumping and bottle feeding for a while until the nipple damage healed.  Both consultants said her latch is fine, it's that she sucks REALLY hard, which causes the damage (she's also been checked- no tongue tie or anything). So I've been pumping exclusively since then- I did try going back to breastfeeding after a week and it went ok the first couple of times, but then I was right back to being in severe pain so I gave up on that. 
So the issue I'm having is twofold- one, exclusively pumping takes SO much time because I'm pumping every 3 hours (getting about 23oz per day this way) and still having to feed her on top of that. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up, especially with the night pumping/feeding because between the two I'm only getting 4 hours of sleep a night (broken into two hour blocks). Secondly, when she drinks from a bottle, my daughter sucks SO hard that she ends up dribbling milk everywhere, getting the hiccups, spitting up 1-2 times a day, and getting milk caught in her throat so that she ends up choking/coughing/weezing, which sounds terrifying (kind of like a drowning pug). The doctor said it's fine and that she just has milk caught in her throat that she can't clear but she is actually breathing just fine and is getting enough nourishment.  We use the low flow Medela nipples, and have tried the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow bottles (which didn't help at all), and just got a Medela Calma nipple we intend to try but are not optimistic. We already try to burp her during and after feeding, keep her upright when feeding and for 30 min after, and periodically take the bottle out of her mouth when feeding to make her take a break and slow down, but nothing seems to help.  

So, any suggestions for getting her back to breastfeeding, making the pumping/bottle feeding easier to maintain, or dealing with the eating/spitting up issues? I'm getting pretty tired and desperate here and considering giving up on breastfeeding altogether, which I don't want to do, but something has got to give!

mrsc12414

Keep with it I promise it gets easier !! My nipples got torn up at the beginning too. I had to use a shield for a little while to let them heal but this allowed baby girl to still nurse . It took a few weeks to wean off but to me it was worth it because my nipples were cracked and bled !!! Good luck mama your doing a good job !!

krissyberb

Who checked for ties?  If you're on FB, look for Tongue Tie Baby Support Group. They can recommend doctors who are knowledgeable about ties in your area.   My son had a lip tie and tongue tie that were missed by the ped and multiple LCs. We couldn't EBF until they were properly diagnosed and corrected. I EPed for 8 weeks. It's exhausting! For night feedings, I had my husband give a bottle while I pumped. It helped tremendously! 

kristinlizabeth

The lactation consultant in the hospital checked for ties and so did our pediatrician. I will maybe look into finding another doctor to check- thanks for the suggestion! I feel like there has to be something wrong because everyone keeps saying it isn't supposed to hurt, and supposedly her latch looks fine, but it DOES hurt! Really bad! I don't know, maybe there is something physically wrong with me, because while pumping doesn't necessarily hurt, I can only have the pump on the minimum suction, and my nipples are still pretty sore all of the time. 
My husband was feeding her while I was pumping in the middle of the night but he is back to work now, so I do the night feedings instead. Luckily he is a teacher and is done for the summer after this week, so we can go back to sharing that duty. 
I do have a nipple shield but haven't used it yet. I will definitely give it a try, though. I figured out today that I am pumping for 4-5 hours per day- which is 4-5 hours I'm not able to hold/bond with my baby! So something has got to change- I can't keep doing this! 

TravelingCouple

You are doing an amazing thing mama and like PP said, I PROMISE YOU it gets easier!! Your sweet one is still young and you are both in the learning phase of all of this. And honestly, it IS normal for breastfeeding to hurt. Not that it will hurt or should hurt all the time, but it's completely normal in the sense that many, many other women have similar situations to yours. Your LO may not have a deep enough latch, if only the tip of your nipple is going into her mouth, you can bet it's going to hurt like hell. The way you want her to latch is to tickle her upper lip with your nipple until she opens WIDE, squeeze the aereola like a sandwich and shove your nipple in her mouth. Don't let her take just the tip. If she does, break suction and try again.  The lips should be flanged out like this too:
 

A great cream you can use to help heal cracked or sore nipples is APNO (All Purpose Nipple Ointment). I swear it's a miracle in a bottle. My sister is nursing her newborn and had the same problem you are describing here. I had my LC prescribe the APNO to my sister and she said it healed her right up. You may need a prescription for it where you live too so ask your LC. Also, search for a local breastfeeding group in your area. I joined one my LC runs and it was a saving grace to me in my nursing relationship. I brought my son there when he was just 5 weeks old and we went religiously each week for the support and community. I'm still going strong at almost 18 months and I give a lot of credit to having the support from my LC and other nursing mamas. Don't give up mama, it will absolutely get easier and you will be glad you stuck with it in the long run! I know the long nights are horrendous but it won't last forever! If you are comfortable with it, I can add you on Facebook so I can add you to the Breastfeeding Support Group I'm a part of on FB. We have to be friends for me to add you, but then you can take me off your list once you're in the group. It's run by my local LC who has been an angel to me, and there are nursing mamas all over the world in this group that post questions, photos, etc to gather feedback from other mamas. It's also a great resource in the middle of the night because there's always someone awake! Just PM me and let me know if you're interested. Let me know if I can help any other way!

4N6s

I use a nipple shield and love it. 
Also, spitting up is completely normal. 

kayleecrites1

I know I'm late to this thread but if it helps- I use my pump on a low setting and use Earth Mama Natural Nipple Butter to coat the inside of the flange where the nipple will rub. It has made my pumping sessions much shorter. Personally I think it's the fact that I no longer stress and tense up during pumping sessions which I was doing because it was slightly painful. I still pump 3-4 times per day for 30-45 minutes per time. I find that if I drink enough water during the day, eat enough protein and get 3-4 good sessions in, I can eliminate a night pump. My husband and I have worked out a routine where he gets ready of a morning and then prepares and bottle feeds with stored breast milk while I pump. I then pump 1-2 times at work and then at night 1-2 times, sometimes while my husband gets to feed LO. As for nursing- LO stopped at 2 weeks when she had thrush and she refuses to go back (2 sessions of 45 minutes of torturous crying made me stop trying which broke my heart because I loved our time together). LO eats a lot right before bed (7-13 oz between 6-9pm) and generally sleeps through the night. She eats 27-32oz per day (19 weeks old). You are doing an awesome job and providing for your LO. It is difficult but setting a routine may make it easier (or just allows us to get used to the craziness)!