Breastfeeding advice needed please

[Bassman]

Just need a bit of advice / support from "mums who know" please!

Am struggling with breastfeeding my second daughter. Nipples were bleeding from first feed in hospital. Have persevered however and midwives have checked latch and positioning etc. and apparently all well. Baby hadn't lost much weight at 5 day weigh-in so appears to be getting plenty of milk too. General consensus is that either baby has very strong suckle or I just have very sensitive nipples (I had same problem with my first daughter too and stopped breastfeeding after a couple of weeks as she was still losing rather than gaining weight).

I just can't seem to get my nipples to heal. Am using one breast per feed to try to give other a break, but nipples are still cracked and bleeding. am also using lansinoh cream. Yesterday was shocked to see blood around baby's mouth during feed. And my poor sore nipples are all I can think about.

Will this ever get better? Any advice / support gratefully received please.

[tiktok]

How old is your baby, Bassman?

The sort of things that would be routine to check here would be

• oral anomalies eg tongue tie
  
• depth of latch (I am afraid I no longer believe 'all well' when latch has been 'checked' - too often, a simple problem is missed)
  
• whether the baby can self-attach better (see biological nurturing)
  
  Baby swallowing blood is not a problem (though not nice for you). You do need to use both breasts per feed and if you only use one, you do need to express from that side - hand expresing is gentler on the nipples than a pump.
  
  Hope things get better.

[crikeybadger]

Bassman, I've heard from others in a similar, painful situation that buying something called jelonet is the way forward.

It's a gauze like strip that you can buy at pharmacies.

Also, would changing position help, maybe try rugby hold?

Good luck.