Should I be getting in such a state over this clicking when BFing???

[luckymummy74]

I will try and be brief and succinct.

DD2 5 weeks old. BF DD1 for 5 months with few of usual difficulties in early days but generally it went well.

I have BF DD2 since birth, first 4 weeks thought I was doing fine, no worries at all, couldn't believe how well I was doing.

Went to BF advice drop in clinic only to get prescription for me and DD2 for her oral thrush. They insisted on watching me feed then told me I was doing it wrong cos DD2 clicking. She has also been doing many 'explosive poos' that leak everywhere, at least 2-3 a day. HV (a lactation consultant) said it was cos she was filling full of wind. It all made sense to me, what I had to do (nipple to roof of mouth, make sure DD2 not just on nipple, make sure no clicking noises). I came away all confident I could put an end to leaky nappies and her being unsettled.

Since then I have had the worst few days of stress and worry over BF. I have been in tears several times, and even considered giving up which I really don't want to do.
I am really finding it hard to latch her on preperly. I know what to do, but she never seems to open her mouth wide enough, or when she does, she just slips off onto just the nipple again. She frequently makes the dreaded clicking noise. The HV told me if she does that I need to take her off and start again. Then she gets all fraught and starts waving her hands in her face so I can't latch her on properly. The first few days of me trying harder to do it 'properly' I got sore nipples, which I hadn't suffered with previously (this time around).

I feel so incredibly frustrated and cross that I thought I was doing OK, then I went to a 'support group ' and I've now come away more stressed than ever. DD2 is gaining good weight (about 10-11oz a week), she is very settled at night, bit whingy in day and evenings.

She is still clicking, and cos I know it's wrong, as soon as I hear the noise, it makes my blood boil with frustration. Should I really be worrying this much about it or shoudl I just carry on as I was doing (happily) before?????

(DD2 doesn't have tongue-tie btw)
Thanks

[EffiePerine]

DS clicked and his latch was fine. Try ringing one of the BF support lines and get to talk to a trained counseller.

[luckymummy74]

any of the support lines you would recommend?? The HV I saw is a trained 'lactation consultant', so I assumed she knew what she was talking about. I just find the theory all very well, but actually trying to do it is sooooooooo hard, and i hate it.

[VictorianSqualor]

DS2 sometimes clicks, when he does I just pull his head closer in to the breast and he sorts it out have you tried doing that instead of the taking off and re-latching?

[kiskideesameanoldmother]

the clicking sounds like there may be a problem with latch. having oral thrush, which means you also need treatment for breast thrush at the same time, can account for this.

clicking can also be down to a fast letdown.

yes, ring one of the breastfeeding helplines.

the Counsellors on all these lines below will have 2 yrs of rigourous training and have to keep their knowledge current with regular training days or courses.

a 'lactation consultant' like a 'bf counseller' can mean a lot of things, as you suspect. LC is a recognised qualification but they are even rarer than bonafide bf counsellors.

these are the helplines:
National Breastfeeding 0844 20 909 20
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers 08444 122 949
Breastfeeding Network: 0844 412 4664 La Leche League Telephone: 0845 120 2918
National Childbirth Trust: 0870 444 8708

[luckymummy74]

Yes VS, I have tried that. Tried wiggling around a bit etc, sometimes it works, but sometimes not. I am so fed up with this, but I don't wanna stop.

I don't get how you can tell if they are latched on right or not, cos I got told to hold them firmly on, so my boob is just all squashed in her face anyway, then when I worry about her breathing and try and release a bit, she comes off and is just on the nipple. I can't believe how hard it is.

[luckymummy74]

Thanks kiskid. We both had treatment for the thrush. It's actually cleared up now, thankfully.
I do think I have a fast let down, I can express 6 oz off one boob in 5 mins . Maybe this is all it is

[kiskideesameanoldmother]

then go to kellymom and use the search function with the phrase 'fast letdown' or 'oversupply' it has a lot of useful info there.

[VictorianSqualor]

A good latch will look like this don't worry about her not breathing, she'll come off if she can't breath.

Make sure the mouth is wide open, and point nipple to roof of mouth, there should be no pain, and baby shouldn't close mouth properly until as much of your nipple is in their mouth as possible.

I'd definitely call a BFC though.

[VictorianSqualor]

Have a look here for the latch videos.

Have you been on hunkers blog?

[luckymummy74]

think i will call.

I know all the theory, went to an excellent BF workshop prior to DD1. It's physically doing it.

Thing is, even when she is clicking, it doesn't hurt me, so I can't be doing it that wrong?????

[luckymummy74]

VS - i just looked at the latch pic, my boob is always squashed onto her face, so can't see if her bottom lip is rolled down etc. If I try and pull a bit of boob away to have a look, she falls off the nipple. I have always been told to hold her firmly. I don't mean to sound defeatist, but I don't see how in that pic the baby is being held firmly to breast?

I really don't like to be so negative, I'm just at my wits end trying to perfect this.

[luckymummy74]

just looked at the kellymom website and read just what I needed to read....

'clicking can be normal, if the baby is gaining weight well and mum is comfortable, i.e. no pain or sore nipples, then don't worry about it'

At last, feel I can relax a bit!!!

[puffylovett]

um don't have much to say re the clicking - but re the holding, i've never held DS close to the boob, i've just held him comfortably in my arms.

it did mean sometimes my nipple stretched quite a bit !!!! (the aureola that is - got big nips but it certainly never hurt...

(course at 15 mths with teeth, it's a different story if we get our position wrong )

what happens when you relax a little once she's latched on ? does she still fall off ?

[wobbegong]

Glad about that kellymom quote.

My DD clicked for a while. She stopped of her own accord. Maybe we were doing something wrong, maybe we weren't. We pottered along through and her latch got better as she got older and stronger. Her weight gain always fine even if feeds were long.

Others will disagree but I found that avoiding the "experts" helped me relax and I swear that helped!

[ChirpyGirl]

DD's 1 and 2 both clicked, HV heard it and never commented, and I fed DD1 until she was 13 months
In fact, DD1 still clicks when she is asleep sucking her thumb, so I doubt there is much wrong with her latch there

[VictorianSqualor]

Does she click when not latched on?
Might sound silly but DS makes clicking noises when just sat doing nothing, he also humms a lot, he's only 7 weeks and he does those noises both when latched and not feeding.

In fact I just fed and even pulling him close couldn't stop him clicking this time, he was certainly satisfied by the feed and it didn't hurt so I can't see it being latch problems either.

[EffiePerine]

I had a string let down and clicking, so sounds like you may have found the answer

Honestly, if he is gaining and feeding isn't sore I wouldn't worry too much.

[VictorianSqualor]

I've just been sat here trying to work out what a 'string' let down was

I too have a strong let-down, sometimes DS coughs and splurts or chomps down on my nipple to slow the flow, does your DD do any of those?

[luckymummy74]

Thanks all, just got chance to check the messages today (it's 11pm!)

I've had a much better day today, much less srtessed and just not worrying about it so much. I agree with you wobbegong, in this instance I think I will be better off avoiding the experts.

It's good to hear some of you also say for me not to worry about it.

puffylovett not sure if she falls off if I relax a bit, I just find it hard to see cos my (ample) bosom is normally in the way!!

VS She doesn't click when not feeding.

My own instinct is that if DD is putting weight on, and I'm not sore, and she easily goes 4 hrs between most feeds and has been known to go 7-8 hrs at night sometimes, I must be doing OK!!!

Thanks to you all for posting, MN is great for this sort of thing.

[asicsgirl]

glad things are going better lm74.

just wanted to say i've realised from reading this thread that i have a fast let-down - ds2 clicks and is gassy, and he frequently coughs and pulls off leaving me to spray milk across the room! the advice on kellymom is v good so thanks to you all, wise women of mn