Breastfeeding help in the North West

[mrstucker]

Can anyone recommend a lactation consultant in the North West? I'm really struggling with BF, attachment is all wrong and my nipples are really sore and cracked. I'm having to alternate BF with formula feeding as I'm not able to express enough. I am going to my local BF support clinic and all the BF counsellors there have been very helpful, as have the midwives and health visitors but no-one can seem to find the attachment problem and I am getting desperate to find a solution.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

the northwest is a biggish place. can you narrow the region down some more?

I'm in Liverpool, but happy to travel if necessary.

DS is 3 and half weeks old and we've had problems from day one. My nipples are very sore and cracked and BF is extremely painful. I also have thrush (being treated) which doesn't help, but the main problem seems to be a bad latch. I have had lots of advice and help from various midwives/HVs/BF counsellors but no-one can pinpoint the latch problem, they all say he is attached fine. It feels like DS is chewing my nipples and they get ridges in them during BF. I'm currently BF only once or twice a day on advice to help them heal and expressing the rest of the time, but my nipples are always worse after each BF and not healing. When I do BF, DS stays on for at least an hour and doesn't come off on his own (I remove him when the pain gets unbearable) and never seems satisfied after a feed as if he is not getting enough milk. As I don't get much when I express DS is mostly getting formula at the moment. The latch problem started before we started him on bottles so I don't think the problem is switching between the two and he seems happy enough when he's on the breast. Hope this is enough info! Thanks for your help.

have you had a look on here?

Or speaking to one of the helplines? Are the people at BF support group actually BF counsellors or peer supporters? Because if you have got significant difficulties then you need a BFC ideally.

Definately keep up the expressing to help maintain supply while you get this all sorted out, most things can be rectified with the right help

Maybe I'm a wimp but I really admire you for continuing to feed through the pain! I have tried the back-to-basics thing and gone to bed for the day but eventually the pain just becomes unbearable and I give up.

I think I am just so distressed with it all that everything seems worse than it is. And I really want to be able to enjoy BF - not dread it.

Basically I think I want one more opinion on my latch as it really seems like a big part of the problem to me, but maybe I am looking for a solution when there isn't one and it is just a matter of perseverance. I don't think anyone has looked for tongue tie - and after reading some of the other posts on here about tongue tie it does sound like a possibility.

Once everything has been ruled out then I will revert back to 'grin and bear it' and just keep trying until we get it right.

Thanks so much for your replies/advice - knowing that someone has been through a similar thing definitely helps! :)

Ghoulish - they are BFC I have been seeing and they have been so helpful and supportive but I don't feel like we are getting anywhere.

Thanks for the link - it looks like there is a LC based in Manchester so I'll give her a call tomorrow.

Is it that the latch is right at the beginning but then goes a bit wrong. My dd does this frequently still at 4 months. It's like she gets lazy and prefers to just have a little mouth perched on the end of my nipple. Sometimes when I get her off it's pulled so long it looks like a lipstick. Nice image for you! I'm in Wirral and was visited a couple of times by organisation called Home Start who were great but suspect they're just Wirral based. Good luck

Thanks everyone for your tips & moral support. I'll just keep persevering!

We had a good BF this morning with not much pain - although he was on for almost 2 hours and still not satisfied so I'm going to have to work hard at increasing my supply. Unfortunately he has been quite getting fussy and wriggly on the breast and keeps slipping and pulling off even when we do get a decent latch which makes it harder. But he is being funny on the bottle too, like he can't get a good grip on that either so I'm not sure if the thrush has come back and his mouth is sore or it's something else.

Thesecondcoming - if you could send me Rosemary's number that would be great.

Thanks again!

Secondcoming - amazing! I saw Rosemary too! She is a bloody marvel. Rang her and within minutes she invited me to her house to check the latch etc. It really made a massive difference!