Any advice for getting her to open wide?

carly007

I've tried everything - rubbing my nipple on her bottom lip, rubbing my nipple on her top lip, tickling her cheek, squeezing her cheeks, trying to get her to mimic ME with an open mouth...

No dice.

 What to do?  

ncbelle

Have you tried latching while she is crying (so mouth wide open) or yawning?

The best advice I read that worked well for me was to lead with the bottom lip (sometimes literally guiding his chin into position) and then hook the top lip on.  In the beginning, I kept trying to get both lips on at once which always resulted in a shallow latch.  

na24

I posted this same question just the other day.  I still haven't found a surefire way with Cordelia.  But it does help to get her chin dug into the boob first and then bring her head towards you.  I find that only works sometimes, though.  Other times I have to just take advantage of a yawn or a cry.  Sometimes I also have her sitting in front of me, facing me, and I tap her bottom lip over and over with my finger until she opens her mouth and sticks her tongue out, and I do that a few times so it gets her in the right frame of mind.  She's usually a little more pliable after that.

simple288

i learned today for Lactation nurse to take advantage of the crying and shove LO to the boob. i hate doing it but it must be done for my LO to learn that we want a big mouthfull to latch correctly. my LO closed her mouth (bad habbit she and i created) like Zoolander. it caused me pain for over 3 wks with bleeding nipple, lipstick shape nipple... you name it.

we're now retraining our BF position. my current challange is catching the big mouth position and get to the boob before LO gives the Zoolander pose.

cfitz16

Just rub nipple on the bottom lip...I would say not the top, that is sort of confusing.  Keep trying...you'll get it.  You didn't say how old baby was, but my baby didn't really get the latch well until a month or so.  Now, it's too funny..he has his mouth wide open coming at me. 

NewMrs07

simple288:

i learned today for Lactation nurse to take advantage of the crying and shove LO to the boob. i hate doing it but it must be done for my LO to learn that we want a big mouthfull to latch correctly. my LO closed her mouth (bad habbit she and i created) like Zoolander. it caused me pain for over 3 wks with bleeding nipple, lipstick shape nipple... you name it.

we're now retraining our BF position. my current challange is catching the big mouth position and get to the boob before LO gives the Zoolander pose.

 

LMAO with that Zoolander comparison!