My baby is now 5 weeks old and from the start breastfeeding has been a struggle. I have been trying to work on getting a deeper latch with no luck. I've seen a lactation consultant a couple times and when they assist it's a better experience but once I get home it's a different story.
LO isn't good about opening her mouth wide and I'm not good at getting her on quick enough. I've been trying the laid back/nurturing positions reclining back which is more relaxing, but now she'll move her head around and pull my nipple upwards which hurts.
The latch is bad enough on my right breast that I'm blanching and loosing blood flow due to her clamping on the nipple. She also "windmills" her arms if I try the cross cradle making it harder to get her on.
Sorry for the long rant but I feel like after so many weeks and getting help I should be better at this. Still feeling so frustrated makes me feel like a failure. At times I want to give up, but I want to do this for my baby.
Any advice? Any positions or tricks?
Re: Wit's End
Hang in there, I promise it gets easier with time!
DD1: allergic to eggs & dairy
c/p 4/1/11
DD2: milk and soy protein intolerant, allergic to eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, bananas
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Ditto. We had the same troubles. I touch my nipple pointed upward to her mouth until she opens big and then I sorta roll the nipple it really fast. It took some practice but after a few days I got it. She gets a deeper latch on my right side so we are still workin on the left but it's was better than before.
I had the same problem and she would eat very strongly, please don't avoid any feedings, I stretched the time in between them as I was afraid of the pain, I didnt even realise I was doing it, until later, she was hungry and she would bite on my nipple harder than she would otherwise.
I got the trick with pointing my nipple upwards only the 6th time - appt with consultant, keep on trying! When you get it, it'll be plain sailing! I promise. I've been enjoying it ever since. Also, the GREATEST advice I got from her was to air my nipples out, sleep topless, the sores go away very fast and don't really form if the nipples are exposed to air. Good luck.
IUI#2 Femara/Ovidrel (cd 5-9) = BFN
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beta #1 11/23 = 270, P4 = 75
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Our daughter E was born 7/29/2012!
Surprise, our 2nd daughter P was born 5/22/14!
I've been trying out the football hold but not a whole lot of luck. One of the (many) issues is that my milk is stored up front behind the nipple (versus further back towards my ribs) making for a more firm surface for her to take in. She just opens and closes her mouth and sticking her tongue out. I have rarely seen her tilt back with a wide open mouth. I'm trying to work on pointing the nipple up, just harder to do when I'm a bit fuller.
I saw a LC today and it seems the issue is that LO has learned and now prefers to "drink from the straw" and we even saw her pull her self off a bit when I had a good latch and then continue to drink. Ugh! So now it's trying to retrain her how to nurse properly and use a wide flange bottle to help stretch out her mouth and assist in training her.
Have any of you moms had this happen before? Were you able to work through it?