Newborn Latching HELP PLEASE!

mfsunshine222 · August 2014

My son is 3 days old. Last night was our first night home, and this morning my left nipple is SO sore! He had a great latch and was feeding often in the hospital, both nipples were sore, but not unbearable and feeding was not painful after the first 30 seconds of a latch on. I took advantage of the LC's and asked many questions. We have two holds (cross cradle and football) in our breastfeeding vocabulary right now.
As of last night, our first at home, we have been having some problems with latching. If LO is upset and crying when we feed he will open wide enough to take in the whole nipple and areola, but once he settles in he spits it out and relatches incorrectly. I try to correct him but I can't get him to open up wide enough, to splay his lips or suck on more than just the nipple. Also, getting my finger in there to break the seal is also KILLING ME! And making him relatch over and over just makes his whole frustration process start over. Is there any way to make a correction once he is attached?
Sorry if this is a little incoherent sleep deprivation is taking over my brain as well. But PLEASE offer any advice you may have Breast Feeding is so important to me this has to work! TIA

TheBorg7of9 · August 2014

Hang in there, mama! It will get easier. With my first son, I had to do 10-15 minutes of Unlatching and relatching at every feeding. It was exhausting. But I don't think there's a way to fix a latch when he's already latched on. Sorry.

mshukh · August 2014

You have to unlatch every time he gets a bad one or slides into a bad one an re-latch. Just like PP, I had to do it a LOT the first week or two. Use lanolin cream on your nipples and air dry to help them heal and calm the irritation.

eggmankate · August 2014

So normal! I know you're looking for advice, but I just want you to know that. This happened to me all the time and I agree with PP to just pull baby off an relatch. I know this seems like bad advice, but I realized that I rarely had latch problems when visiting LC and then it occurred to me that it was because I was sitting properly. Also, if you think you got a kind of so-so latch sometimes I'd just make minor adjustments at DD's mouth such as flaring the lips out because that would help her adjust her jaw to get a better latch. It gets easier, I promise!

vvvvvfee · August 2014

try looking at some of these videos for help: https://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=videos

as PPs have said, you really do have to unlatch each time if your LO has a bad latch. it's hard to correct it after the fact.

did the LC show you how to make a "sandwich" with your breast by grasping it between your thumb and fingers and smushing it flat? it's easier to manipulate the nipple into your LO's mouth that way. (you can see that technique in the video link above) touch your nipple to your LO's lip/mouth and wait until he opens WIDE, then push him in close. make sure you have lots of pillows around you (do you have a nursing pillow, like a boppy?) so you are positioned correctly. it also helps to have a small stool on the floor to put your feet on to help with support.

stick with it! i know the early days are so frustrating. your LO will get stronger soon and have a little more head control, and will be less sleepy, and latching will get easier, i promise! if you're still having a lot of trouble after a few more days, don't hesitate to go see a LC. GL!

BootsOrHearts · August 2014

Hang in there, it should get easier over time.

When I was nursing we had the most success with the laid back position (not an 'approved' position in the US but common in most other places) which is just basically you lean back on some pillows and put baby on there, let him bob his head up and down until he finds a nipple and gravity will help him latch more deeply. Or you can pull his chin open a little as he latches on to help get a deeper latch. That way gravity is working for you and not against you if that makes sense. Google 'laid back breastfeeding'.

mfsunshine222 · August 2014

Thank you all so much! My right nipple is not nearly as sore as my left (it is smaller so I think LO has an easier time with this one) so I am giving my left a couple round break and will try again with the left later this evening. I will keep it up and keep relatching. THANKS for the videos, and seating advice I am trying them all.
What about a nipple shield would this negatively impact feedings?

vvvvvfee · August 2014

make sure you're applying some kind of nipple cream or coconut oil religiously after each feeding. that should help with soreness. you can also use warm compresses and take some advil. let your nipples air out as much as possible, too. as you said, start your LO on the side that is less sore to give the sore side a break.

trust me, you do not want to go down the nipple shield road! they are such a pain. your LO gets used to latching with the shield and doesn't learn how to "really" latch, and you will have to go through a long, painful process of weaning them off it. and yes, they can affect your supply and/or how much your LO is getting because they slow down the transfer of milk.

flcl · August 2014

Agree with vvvvvfee about the nipple shield. LO was tongue tied and chewed me up pretty good so I was in a lot of pain. A nurse gave me a nipple shield to give me a "break" and all it did was upset LO... he had to work so much harder to get the milk. We ditched it after trying it for a day. The hospital gave me some hydrogel pads which helped a lot. I would put a pair on and kept a pair in the fridge and swapped them out every time I nursed (they're reusable). I also used Angel Baby Earth Mama's nipple butter religiously. Hope you get over this hump soon!

TheAnalyticalMommy · August 2014

Hi! I know how that feels! It's normal and I promise you'll get past it. I second the hydrogel pags... they offer amazing relief!!

We were in a similar situation - find until we got home. I think that's because it takes a bit for the nipples to really hurt.

I watched tons of videos and asked a ton of questions here. What ultimately worked for us was the technique where you kind of "fold" your nipple up, then put the bottom of the areola on the baby's bottom lip and sort of push the lip down with it. You then release the "fold" so that your nipple and areola kind of force themselves into the baby's mouth. It sounds odd but you'll probably recognize this technqiues in videos and it really worked for us.

After a couple weeks of this, i didn't have to do this anymore.

LO is now 6 months old and can latch from any direction (even sitting beside me).

Hang in there and good luck!

camedowncrushing · August 2014

Hang in there! With DD2 I experienced a very painful latch...and like you one nipple was in worse shape than the other. I had the LC come out, and found out DD2 had a bit of a tongue tie, and an upper lip tie. I ended up waiting it out...it took about a month to get an almost normal latch. In the mean time I go a prescription for all purpose nipple ointment from my OBGYN which was a life saver!

MuchlyGen · August 2014

It will get easier! As their mouths get bigger, it will get easier.

With my first I had a lot of trouble at first. Sometimes I could make corrections by putting a finger on his chin, and gently pulling down to widen his latch. I also sometimes had to physically splay his lips, untucking them when they were curled under.

Another thing that made it difficult at first, without my realizing, was that I had an oversupply and overactive letdown. With the oversupply it was hard for him to latch because I was so engorged - I often had to hand express some milk, or use reverse pressure to soften the areola enough for him to latch. /Then/, when my milk let down it came out /so hard/ and fast that he would slip his latch just to keep from choking. With my second, I knew I had to unlatch when letdown happened, then relatch him once the flow had slowed a little.

As another poster said (but I'm going to reiterate here) one of the best ways to get baby a good, deep latch is to make a nipple "sandwich". Using your hand in a C shape (thumb on top, finger below) compress your breast. Use the bottom of your nipple to tickle his top lip to encourage him to open wide, and just pop it in as deep as you can (bearing in mind that your goal is for your nipple to be at the roof of his mouth - so keep that angled upward). Watching youtube videos can definitely help.

Experiment with holds, too. I was never comfortable with cross cradle or football. Just a regular cradle hold worked best for me. What one person says is the best ever may not work as well for you, and there is no "RIGHT" way to do it - the right way is what is most comfortable, and works best for you... and though it will take time, you will find that way.

So in closing, again... it will get easier. You can do it. One day at a time. I think for me it was the third week that I first went "Oh wait... that isn't so bad..."

And most of all... IT WAS WORTH IT. *big hugs*

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