Some advice on breastfeeding please

[handlemecarefully]

I managed to breast feed dd for 3 months (well it was very definitely mixed feeding towards the end). I was never a 'natural', hated feeding in public, and dd seemed to have an aversion to my right side and could never get comfortably positioned on it.

I'd like to breastfeed ds who is due next month. Are the cracked, sore and bleeding nipples during the first few weeks inevitable even if you are doing it properly - or is it poor positioning?

Is there anything I can do if ds does not like feeding from one particular side like dd didn't?

Thanks

[aloha]

Definitely not inevitable - I never got them, and I always thought I had rather delicate, sensitive nipples (ahem..!). I was very, very hot on positioning - I'd unlatch ds several times if it hurt at all - bar the initial early shooting pains with the first suck - until his whole mouth was over the areola. Frustrating for him but worth it for me. I have read in Desmond Morris's book that we all have a natural head turning preference - and I think that's true, when you like face down, I bet you tend to feel much more comfortable with your head turned in one direction rather than the other. Babies also have a head turning preference, some more so than others, which may be why they prefer to feed from one side rather than the other. I feel much more comfortable turning my head to my right rather than my left, I think most of us do, which would correlate with a preference for feeding from the left breast (my ds was the same), so I think it is a baby head-turning preference rather than an 'aversion' to your right side. But all babies are different and some have a stronger preference than others. My ds did feed from my right, but it wasn't his ideal. But I think esp with a newborn baby you can feed perfectly well mainly on one side.

[kiwisbird]

With my first who was shall we say an aggressive feeder, I used the rugby hold, this was so much more comfortable for him and me. It resolved the recurring mastitis, the painful latch and his brokend feeding patern, he also started sleeping longer
Oh joys
With DD who is/was a delicate feeder, I can lob her on at any angle and she's fine!
Work with a few diff positions until you find yours...
xx J

[prettycandles]

With ds I couldn't understand what everyone was talking about, when they spoke of it hurting, of cracking and sore nipples, etc. In the second week I had some excruciating pain for the first few sucks, but I got some advice from the NCT re positioning, and it cleared up within 24h. I went on to feed for 5.5m (allbeit mixed, for a different reason) and it was truly never painful or problematic. He was a gentle easy feeder.

With dd, on the other hand, I had blood-blisters on my nipples before she was a day old, and went on to have most of the problems everyone had been talking about! I am however still feeding her (14m). And she still thrashes and yanks.

I thought I'd be a natural at feeding, and that I would have so much milk that I would donate, just like my mum had done. Did I get a big fat hairy shock .

Your babies will be different to each other and may well feed very differently.

I fascinated by Aloha's comments on head-turning preferences, because dd from a very early age showed a preference for turning to her left, and generally seems to prefer my right breast. When she struggled to feed from left, I would feed her lieing down on my rght side. First the right breast, then I'd lean over her a bit more to bring the left breast to her mouth, and she only needed to turn a bit onto her back (maybe with my arm under her head) to feed from the left breast. Unfortunately I only discovered this position when she was about 6m old, IIRC.

[prettycandles]

BTW, feeding lieing down is blissful, I still do it occasionally, because you can both relax completely.

[Tommy]

I had lots of problems breastfeeding DS1 - like you - sore nipples, bleeding, mastitis etc. Gave him formula at 3 weeks and from then on was very definitely mixed fed until 13 weeks when he refused to breast feed anymore.
DS2 is nearly 7 months and am still breast feeding him! He's a big bruiser and I also donated milk to the SCBU. It all just "worked" this time. Don't know why - the labour and birth were much easier and I put him on the breast after about 20 mins so maybe that helped. (With DS1 I was induced and had forceps after 24 hours. He didn't get fed until 8 hours later) Also, I think I was more relaxed second time round as I knew that if breast feeding didn't work, it wasn't the end of the world as I thought with DS1.
Good luck, handlemecarefully - hope it all works out.

[Clayhead]

Personally, I had some soreness and discomfort each time but for lots less with ds (2nd child). I don't know if it was me being more experienced at feeding as I think the positioning was similar. I also think that I found it easier as I knew it wouldn't last forever.

I have found it easier both times round to feed from the right hand side and have used it for about 2 out of 3 feeds. I have no idea why I find it easier!

[Levanna]

Hi handlemecarefully, I didn't feed DD in public either - for 14 months I managed to entirely avoid it . I had blisters and cracks and whatnot last time, but for me I just wasn't being 'brave' enough about making sure enough of my breast was in DD's mouth at feeds - in the early days what with engorgement and inexperience, I was letting her suck on the nipple rather than that and a good portion of the areola - not great for milk production or comfort!
I never really used rugby ball, but found lying down with DD was really good, especially near the beginning. I also fed her (I would be lying, but tilted right up IYKWIM) lying facing me, and down the length of my body- it doesn't sound all that comfortable, but it was and DD loved it!
I'll be breastfeeding this time round too, and I'm really looking forward to it, and hoping that the experiences of last time and a course I did, will help make it all much easier. Best wishes for this time

[JanHR]

I still feed DD morning and night at 19 months old.
She is a wriggler and keeps changing sides every few minutes so she does not appear to have and problem latching on.
If your DS prefers one side to the other I would suggest expressing from the least favourite side to relieve yourself from excess build up and any problems this can cause.
AFAIK cracked and sore nipples are NOT normal. just keep trying different positions. I definitely recommend trying lying down.

[handlemecarefully]

Thanks some good advice here. I am a wee bit more confident about breastfeeding this time having been there before....and I think I will take the time and effort to latch ds on properly, even if it means causing him some frustration and taking him on and off a few times before I am satisfied. With my first baby as an underconfident first time mum, the moment she cried I wanted her to stop so I probably just shoved a boob at her without thinking about correct positioning enough!

One thing I never seemed able to suss last time was whether or not she had drained a breast and needed to be offered the other....not sure I will be able to suss that one this time either...

[kiwicath]

In the last few months of pregnancy I stocked up on all the lotions and potions for cracked and bleeding nipples as all the other mums in the neighbourhood said "you will get them like it or not!!" Well, my little one was tongue tied at birth so took a while to learn how to latch and suck effectivlely but they never became cracked or bleeding. They got mega sore for the first 3 weeks when initially latching on but that began to get better in the 4th week. Ten weeks on now and loving feeding times - no pain what so ever. Couldn't get a handle on the rugby ball hold (don't let the All Blacks hear me say that!!) or the lying down pose. Bog standard cradle hold suited me and babes best. My little one did have a side preference though but I think it was more the fact that I felt more comfortable holding him on my right. Good luck

[tiktok]

Handlemecarefully - b*s to the notion you have to 'drain the first breast' It's not possible, and it doesn't matter. The people who say/write this do not understand about bf.

Just allow your baby to decide when he needs to be offered the second side. You judge this from his/her behaviour, not whether you still have milk in the first breast or not.