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Breastfeeding
TTC #2 with PCOS since September 2009
BFP, Femara 7.5mg, Ovidrel, IUI. Beta #1 17dpIUI -495 Beta #2 19dpIUI-1031
Lovebugs2012
My Blog
Nipple shield for big breasts?
I have always had a big chest for my frame (prepreg size 4 and 34D/DD). Now that my milk is starting to come in they are huge!! DS was latching pretty well in the hospital and is now unable to latch. I tried pumping a little and then trying to feed him, thinking they were just too big for him to latch on now. It didn't seem to help. Was wondering if using a shield might help this.
I know that he is still so little but I'm getting frustrasted. I don't want to just pump (but will if he never gets it). Right now I'm still trying to latch him at every feed but have pumped the last few to feed him. He takes a bottle fine. I would love any tips/suggestions. I have tried all different holds when feeding.
TIA
TTC #2 with PCOS since September 2009
BFP, Femara 7.5mg, Ovidrel, IUI. Beta #1 17dpIUI -495 Beta #2 19dpIUI-1031
Lovebugs2012
My Blog
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Nipple shield for big breasts?
the nipple sheild has nothing to do with the size of your breasts, its your nipple size they go by, so you should be fine--they come in different sizes but talk to a salesperson when buying one--or get the middle size to try. I used one for 24 hours to heal a cut ei got from ds and it worked, if you use one use it for a short period of time and then try to get LO to latch on his own. they can be addicting to the baby.
Its very early, keep trying. Make sure your not fully ergorged bc thats harder to latch onto. roll your nipple a little to make it protrude and get him to latch on. try expressing manually a drop of bm to get him wanting to suck for more. google videos of babies latching on to see how to get a goo dlatch. Call a LC if you can....GL!
Enlist help! I know when my DD was 3 days old it seemed I could have a million arms/hands and still not be able to get situated. Have DH help prop pillows or move DS or even get your breast in a good position.
Have you tried side lying? Your DS is still small, but it can really help with the fast let down that occurs when your milk is coming in.
I would lay off the bottle and just keep DS close so you can get him latched on at the slightest squirm before he becomes overly hungry and upset, which makes latching more difficult.
A nipple shield will fit, but what you're describing is not what it is used for.
My DD latched on to my HH cups, so I know that boob size is not an issue. Besides, it's just the nipple/aerola that goes in the mouth, not the fat part of the boob.
And since your DS as latched on to yours, it is certainly possible for him to do it again!! The difference is likely that your milk has come in now and it wasn't in when you were in the hospital (or not completely in).
Definitely try squashing the end of your boob to flatten it and push it into his mouth as he tries to latch.
The more you pump and bottle feed in these early days, the harder it will be to get him to accept the breast - he has to work more for the breast and babies are just as lazy as the rest of us and don't want to work when they don't have to.
Try to contact your local La Leche League for help. Or the hospital lactation consultants. Some hospitals also have breastfeeding support groups for new moms.