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Breastfeeding
mcanant
member
New baby new mom struggling
mcanant
member
I am ebf. Baby is one week old and first two nights were great. Now, the last three days are making me want to pump and forget the nursing portion of breastfeeding. Baby is not wanting to latch, taking ten to fifteen min to get going. Of course when LC came ver she latched perfectly. I am very sore, yet my nipples are not cracked. Also it's painful almost entire twenty or thirty min she is on the breast. She has not had bottles or anything but a finger feeding tube in the beginning for a but of colostrum. My milk is and has been fully in snice day two and I am pumping three times a day.
I plan on going to LLL meeting tomorrow night. Anyone have any advice ?
Also, I am fairly lage but have been expressing to not have her work so hard to get milk. It doesn't seem to change anything.
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Re: New baby new mom struggling
Give it a couple more weeks.
I know that that sounds unmanageable, but I was also ready to quit nursing at week 1 and exclusively pump. I am so so so glad that I got the encouragement to keep going, and it got MUCH better. I'm glad I don't have to EP. It works for some women, but it is a big committment and usually ends in premature weaning compared to those that nurse.
Definitely go to the LLL meeting, and seek out other breast feeding support groups at hospitals.
Pumping 3 times a day is a LOT. You shouldn't need to pump at all. In fact, the less you pump, the more milk will be in your breast and it's easier for baby to get it out. That should help with the fussiness.
If you are experiencing engorgement your LO may find it hard to latch on, especially if you are on the larger side. I found that if I nurse more often I was less likely to be engorged and he latched on better.
So every time he sticks his fist in his mouth try to put him to breast. I didn't do this as diligently but I tried to nurse him more often and it helped. His mouth eventually became big enough at around 6 weeks that he was able to take more nipple into his mouth and it stopped feeling so irritating. Hang in there!
Also, one mistake I made was constantly relatching him to get it to feel better. It caused a lot of trauma. Next time around I will only relatch if it hurts, not just when it feels irritating.
Stop pumping.
Have you tried a laid-back position with the baby on top of you? That often helps a lot. Link here
Hang in there. Seek in-person help. Take it one feed and one day at a time, and things will be MUCH better by 6 weeks. I had pain on every feed for the first 3 weeks (but no nipple damage) and it just went away with time.
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You do not need to pump right now, just focus on BF'ing baby. That's hard enough. Pump in a few weeks when everything is much easier, and it will get much, much easier with time. Pumping can contribute to the soreness, plus you are signaling for your body to make 3 extra feedings worth of milk. That could result in a massive oversupply, could be like 12 extra ounces of milk per day! That sounds great if you're planning to go back to work, but oversupply has its own set of issues.
You can take a pain reliever to help deal with the soreness, just check with what is BF'ing compatible. Hang in there, the initial investment is really rough, but it is worth it. EP'ing is such as incredibly difficult road. Imagine every time baby needs to feed, you have to pump, give a bottle, clean bottles. Sounds o.k. right now when you're home all the time, but imagine when baby is older and you're out doing things, there's no place to pump, it would take 5 min to BF baby, so you pump less, supply decreases. You get the picture, it's why EP'ing doesn't often last for as long as mom had intended. It's all the hassle of bottle feeding, plus lugging around a breast pump with you wherever you go so you can pump every 3-4 hours.
Good luck, you can do it! Keep it up.
i felt the same way- i was having a hard time and was in such pain. I had to take a day and just pump to give my boobs a rest- we introduced a bottle at 2 weeks so DH could feed LO and I could get a break. LO has been fine, no nipple confusion. I also have to nurse in a reclined position for active let down. After awhile I can sit up but the firs 15 minutes have to be reclined.
Keep working at it... each week gets a little better and less painful. The first week I was crying and dreading each feeding, but now i have hardly any pain (after the first latch on)
I know exactly what you are going through. I almost gave up numerous times in the first couple weeks. My nipples hurt way worse than my c/s incision! What helped:
-Frequent, shorter feedings. I fed DD every 90 minutes during the day, and every 2-3 hrs at night--BEFORE she was crying in hunger. It was easier for her to latch when she was less frantic.
-Pumping off 1/2 ounce or so before feeding to make it easier to latch. Mostly only necessary at night. I enlisted DH's help to change DD's diaper at night while I pumped or hand-expressed a bit.
-Fresh air on the nips between feedings.
-Relief bottles. When I really just couldn't take the pain, I let DH give her a bottle of EBM or formula.
-Time, patience, practice, and DD's mouth getting bigger and stronger. Some feedings are still difficult if she's frantic or I'm engorged, but overall I hardly ever have any pain now.
Every 3-4 hours is fine for a newborn. DS gained 3 lbs in his first month and another 2 in the second month. He has eaten every 2-4 hours since birth.
I was also ready to give up so many times during the first week or two. My milk didn't come in for four days. I felt terrible that I was to the point of supplementing because he was screaming that he was starving. My nipples were raw and nearly had me in tears. With that said, GIVE IT TIME. After those first few weeks, baby and I got into a routine and it became so much easier.
Some things that helped me, especially early on:
- Reclined or Laying Down Position. Great for women with larger breasts or over-active letdown
- Lanolin is amazing for sore nipples.
- Let baby eat for as long as he/she wants and you are comfortable.
Good luck. I promise it gets easier. You are giving her the best whether it's for a week or a year.
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Usually just a lurker, but this could be me almost exactly. Every time I saw the LC my son latched on/ate like a champ. I was in so much pain, no cracks or sores, but it brought me to tears many times. My husband was very supportive and talked me through it. My best friend was the pump. I have a Medela swing. It got me through a few days till the pain was less and he would go back to the breast. He did not have nipple confusion. He did have a bit of a lazy latch, and nights were also worst for me because I was so tired. His second weigh in he had gained a pound in a week. He has only gotten bigger from there, and things have gotten easier. He is 8 weeks old now, and I almost never have pain.
Things will get better. Do not feel bad about pumping and letting your husband feed him, or giving him a bottle yourself. Your husband will most likely be thrilled like mine, and your sanity is so important in the beginning.