18-day old clamping so hard - nipple agony - HELP!

[TBJP]

Hi
I posted a week and a half ago that DS has been clamping really hard on my nipples - he started when he was seven days old, he's now 18 days, and still clamping hard - previous respondees said it would pass - can anyone advise how long it could last, as I am really in pain, and was hoping he'd have stopped clamping so hard by now.

Any tips? Do I need a better technique/new positions? Should I express for a while?

Thanks in advance!

Hiya, It does happen sometimes, and I totally sympathise it is horrible when they do that! The only advice I can give is to get as much of your boob in his mouth as possible, if he clamps near the tip of your nipple it will hurt loads more than if your nipple is at the back of his throat where it should be.

TBH he could be teething, have you tried Anbesol before a feed?

It could be that your let downs fast and he's trying to stem the flow, have you tried feeding laying down? It should help slow the flow down if that's it.

Thank you for the replies - sorry for delay, had a baby stuck to me! :)

KickArse
Am definitely trying to get as much into his mouth as possible, but it still hurts. But yes, slightly less than when it's just nipple - been there, done that.

Do they really teeth this early? I think I've heard some babies are born with teeth - I've had a look and can't see any, but doesn't mean not, I guess.

Never heard of Anbesol. What is it meant to do?

Helen
How would I know if I had a fast let down? And what actually does that even mean?
I have been trying to feed laying down from the start - this afternoon is the first time it's actually worked! And it was mildly less painful, but still rather painful. But preferred to the other pain. Does this mean I might be restricted to lying down feeding?

I had this and it was caused by my flow being too much for DS - I fed leaning back slightly so gravity didn't make the situation worse - and also did under arm hold for a few days as the 'clamped' areas were really bruised - so it moved away from there while they got better

Hi tbhp, Yes they really can teethe this early! Anbesol is a liquid that you rub on their gums and it makes them numb, makes them happy and if you do i before a feed then the baby doesn't have the urge to chew you!
looks like this

Let down is when after (usually) a few minutes of feeding the milk starts to flow all by itself, at 1st you can't feel it much or you may feel a pressure in your boob. If you watch your ds you will see something like:
suck x4 swallow
suck x4 swallow
etc
then it will become pause swallow, pause swallow etc because the milk has been stimulated to flow.

There are other ways to slow down the flow if that is causing the problem, but tbh, if that is the problem then its usually a temporary thing because he will become more able to deal with it as he grows.

HTH :)

Thank you, mcn. DS doesn't seem to like it when I lean back, but I will persevere, as he didn't take to lying down feeding until a couple of days ago, so there is hope.

Thanks again, KickArse. Been to midwife for last checkup today and she said he's not teething. Thanks for explaining fast let down - I think I have that! Been laying down to feed, and done a few sitting up and he does seem to have loosened the clamp slightly so it's much more bearable - hopefully this hard clamping phase is ending.

Thanks for all your help.

What Kickass said -- do try to get as much of the areola into his mouth as possible; squeeze your boob as flat as you can then insert the nipple far into his mouth when he latches on at first. Much easier on the nipples.

How far are you leaning back ? I just used a cushion low under my back - and actually one thing the NCT bf councillors suggested (which was also more comfy for me) was I sat back (only slightly) and had one leg up across my other knee if that makes sense (kind of balancing just above the ankle? ) meant I wasn't lifting ds into position - meant I could rest my arm on my leg, and he was in the right position so FAR more comfortable for me (and therefore him) with the slightly less gravity to make the difference ? god I haven't helped there - but DS was basically in the same position - but with just a slight angle and more comfort for me

but also - whilst it was sore to feed there rugby hold under arm helped hugely!

Thanks, math, have definitely found that.

nora, I've experimented with all sorts of leaning angles, anything backwards, he really isn't taking to, but I will keep trying. He's not clamped as strongly today, so I think this painful stage is easing up.
Have mastered the leg on the knee technique (knew what you meant!) and rugby-balling him - also a good one.

Should I expect pain when the teething stage arrives? Any tips in advance?

Thanks everyone, have really appreciated the help.

Teething can result in the odd bite, but be ready with your finger. All my DCs gave me a little bite once or twice; I cried out "OWWWWWW" and surprised them. I think this may have been off-putting enough.

IME some babies just do this. It's awful isn't it? When you say clamping hard, do you mean he clamps hard and holds it there. Or do you mean he's a chomper with a really hard suck? My DD has done both.

tbh I didn't have any clamping or chomping with teething, and it took about a couple of weeks of having a tooth before I got a bite... unfortunately for me that bite kept coming every feed after! So I weaned off gradually - one month after that tooth we were onto forumla :(

My baby does this, its agony. I think its cos he is teething. I push my boob into his face and he stops, also agree with the be ready with your little finger to release!

Agree with KickArse, get as much of the aeriole in mouth as poss - good latch and then doesn't hurt even with a clamper.

Try the Anbesol and see if it helps, a friend of mine took her 4 week old to the gp because she was convinced he was teething and the bonjela said 2 months plus, GP said "No, babies don't teethe this early"... 2 days later and up popped his 1st tooth!

I don't know anyone else whose baby had a tooth that early, but it can happen. AFAIK Anbesol can be used from birth. So can Ashtons and Parsons.

"good latch and then doesn't hurt even with a clamper."

Unless you have my DD (and others I'm sure) who waits until I fall asleep, then pulls off to just the nipple and clamps down like hell. OWWWW!

Have you thought about expressing first? If you let down is mega fast? I have one boob where ds just gulps and gulps and still ends up spitting out milk or coughing! But the bigger they get the more used to it they are.

gaelicsheep! been there! I think that has to be the worst wake up ever!! I have a tendancy to scream too and it used to scare the hell out of dp!

Sorry for lateness, and thanks for extra replies. Most grateful.

gaelic, chomper with a hard suck! And a hard clamp when he very first latches on. But, DS has stopped clamping now. Success. :) Well, he does the odd clamp, but before, it was clamping non-stop, so this is easy. gaelic, though he has done the sleeping clamping thing occasionally too! So I don't quite sleep while he feeds, I think he does it on purpose! But still a relief from the two weeks of hard long clamping action.

KickArse, yes, I've read they can teeth this early now, and some are even BORN with teeth, as I said earlier.

Thanks for the tips re teething time.
Spookily, he is getting nice and big, and things are getting much easier. I will express if it gets trickier again, good tip, thank you.

Thanks again.