Baby wont open.mouth mouth wide - but only on one side!

[Pagetta]

My week old is having good difficulties opening his mouth wide to get a good latch - but only on the left boob!
Right side still takes a couple of goes but we get there. Left side he just won't do it - it results in longer feeds and he gets very fidgety too - all v painful and the Nipple is killing me!
Any tips?
Found a breastfed feeding group to go to tomorrow but that's about 20 feeds away ha!
I know I could try rugby ball hold which midwifemade look easy with a different
Flipping doll. Not so much with a screaming baby :-/

[speedyboots]

Congratulations!
I am breastfeeding ds2 at the moment who is also a week old
Try googling laid back breastfeeding - I found that a really good way to improve latch and also just a lovely way to feed.
Good luck!

[LumpySpaceCow]

I've had this issue with two of mine. One I never got to the bottom of and had pain for 9 months! The other had a tongue tie. Get someone to check - it could be posterior!

[goodenoughmum88]

Google nipple flipple technique to help with exaggerated latch. Have tongue checked, try laid back breastfeeding too. Get yourself some lasinoh to help your nips if you don't already have some.
Finally if the birth was tricky your baby may benefit from cranial osteopathy to help everything back into line etc.
Oh, and chocolate (for you - good pain reliever and all that)

[OpposableThumbs2]

I used a nipple shield in this exact situation a few months ago. It helped my nipple heal and forced DD to open her mouth wider. Only used it for 36 hours on one side but it did the job.

[ZZZZ1111]

You will get there! Have you watched you tube videos of the football hold? Although the babies on those videos are always v well behaved!

It does just take practice and your baby will calm down and stop beating you away so much.

I know it seems ages away but going to BF support groups, clinics, drop ins etc is exactly what you need to be doing and get the help you need.

There's also the koala position some people I know have used with success (have a Google) and what about lying down BF?y

[ZZZZ1111]

Sorry posted too soon - so worth trying a few other positions to see if any woke for you and left boob!

[pocketsized]

When I was first getting the hang of rugby ball hold I pilled up a load of pillows beside me and rested DD on them. Then I could focus on the latch without worrying about lifting her up, once we'd got the hang of it I didnt need the pillows anymore.

[user1464887935]

Congratulations on your new baby! Cranial chiropractic worked wonders for a latch problem for one of my dd's. Really gentle and was amazing.