OUCH OUCH OUCH

[Dozeyland]

Breastfeeding DD 4 weeks old.

I go to the BabyCafe for advice which is great, I just can't seem to latch DD on properly sometimes.

I think its from where she was born and I wasnt really shown how by the midwives at the hospital. - so i have been sore feeding more so on my left, and i now have an open wound from bad latch. OUCH

So from this pain (excrutiating) I stiffen up and I now have back pain like you wouldnt believe whenever i feed off this side.

It's also worse feeding in the evening maybe because DD is tired or? I know she's having a growth spurt too because she is mostly content after feeds but she is feeding loads in the day since 2 days ago.

I don't want to give BF up, and i know people say it'll pass - i just dont know how much longer i can take the pain all day every day.... the other side isnt too bad, i just need her to latch better..

any advice/support ladies? i know its hard via a computer screen but all helps!

ALSO to add.

I have had a cyst on my bad boob since before i was pregnant. docs dismissed it as normal, but that actually causes pain too whilst feeding.

No real advice but sympathy. That doesn't sound like 'normal pain' which will pass, it sounds like an incrdibly bad latch. Has your MW or HV seen you do a feed? Can you contact a bfc?

ouch sorry, 'incredibly bad latch' wasn't meant to sound so discouraging . I just meant although bf can be painful to begin with this sounds like more pain than you should be enduring iyswim.

Have you seen a breastfeeding counsellor?

Sorry you're having such a rough time.

This kind of toe curling pain doesn't just pass - like you say, you need to latch better.

My DS was tongue tied and i suffered a nasty crack on one side dues to this as i was better at latching him on the left side as i am right handed. at the time he was happily feeding off one boob so i just expressed every other feed at the time and gave it to him in a bottle. this enabled the crack/open wound to heal and then once that was done, i had to be very strict with the latch.

difficult like you say via a computer screen but try and get your DD to latch on chin first, then she needs to kind of latch on as if she is taking a big bite of a sandwich so she has a big mouthful of breast. again difficult to say without seeing it but more of the areola at the bottom needs to be in her mouth than the bottom (from her perspective) so if you are doing cradle hold on the left boob, more of the left side of the nipple needs to be visible than the right (as you are looking at it). she needs to be compressing the milk sinuses - the bits that if you squeeze just behind the nipple milk spurts out - with her mouth.

i'll try and find pictures...

good old kellymom :)

Has anyone checked for a Tongue Tie. DS has one and it caused v.bad latch, nipple trauma, painful feeds, he used to lose the latch during feeds as well. Am no expert, just a thought :).

Yeah I have seen BF counsellor. latch is a bit high but ive been working on it. will keep at it x

yes, stick at it Dozeyland- if it hurts then try and readjust it while she's on there, or take her off and try again.

You could try buying some jelonet from a pharmacist for the open wound. Not used it myself but it's a gauze strip that you stick on till the wound is healed.

Would a different hold help?

Acually, I found bf toe curlingly painful or the first six weeks - would literally yelp and bite something! Latch was fine - I think it was partly the let down reflex and just partly my boobs getting used to it. Are you using Lansinoh? I slathered it on after every single feed for the first eight weeks and found it really helped.

Paracetamol or ibuprofen, lansinoh, and absolutely jelonet - keep that wound moist so it heals without a scab, otherwise you'll get the scab pulled off everytime you feed.

You poor thing! I'd second the tongue-tie thing - I couldn't do a thing without pain until DS's was snipped, and no one picked up on it at the hospital, despite my asking (bastards).

[Sympathy!]

Blackcurrants - i thought i could only take paracetamol??

Haggis - yeah using lansinoh, i think my let down doesn't help matters either as its so fast and drenches baby.

baby seems unsettled while feeding too sometimes, think its the added letdown. but she needs winding throughout too where she is gulping. she is feeding more in the daytime, lots of wet nappies but only pooing ever 3 dsyd ish.

i get so upset, becaause where she fusses and i dontt know why i can feel myself feeling like a failure. then she can sence im upset etc its only this week shes feeding more. bfc says its more than likely growth spurt. other than than shes a content little thing.

ps. positioning. i find it hard positioning as i cant get comfortable in my room. the bed makes it awkward and the sofa is way too low. i try pillows but then i tend to be uncomfy, cackhanded and leaning forward. his makes it mega hard to pstition baby any tips/??

also any tips on baby opening mouth wider?

Nope, you can definitely take ibuprofen, too. with regards to the letdown, can you express a couple of ounces off first? that's what I id for a few weeks, until my supply calmed down. it meant baby got more hind milk, too. Tips for positioning baby - get a my brest friend (not a typo!) - I found ti great at holding baby high enough from weeks 1 - 15. i got mine for £15 on ebay.

Dozeyland - am bf too, DD 5 weeks old now. She fusses at the breast too as she can't cope with my fast let-down and chokes. The only way I get round this is to take her off as soon as she triggers let down, then put her back on when the feeling passes. She will still gulp and need winding half way through but at least she calms down enough to feed properly, and it's only for the first minute or so.

you should see my bed!! I have a rolled up sleeping bag and three pillows behind me and a v-shaped pillow to rest baby on my knee so I'm virtually sitting bolt upright. I'm comfortable like this.
Also, try the rugby hold, where your baby's body is tucked under your arm. It takes the pressure off sore nipples as baby is going at it from a different direction.

And on getting baby to open mouth wider - yes, been a huge problem here too, I've only had a handful of latches that have been completely comfortable because she doesn't open wide enough either but it's getting easier as she's getting bigger.
She takes a good mouthful if she's screaming to be fed in the first place
not ideal, I know, but it works!

Haggisfish
I'll have to have a look! I currently use my DreamGenii pillow but i feel like its a lot of hassle when i still don't feel comfortable!!

Sarahlou
Yeah When my DD fusses & chokes because of fast let-down I either take her off or she comes off (not letting go of my boob - ouch)
but then the milk gushes EVERYWHERE.
When does the let-down calm down? ie: when am I going to be able to BF in public without drenching baby & myself, baby choking etc

Wehn I go to babyCafe, its so lovely to see the mums BF without fuss, hardly any mess & a happy baby afterwards. The newborn stage i know she is still learning but i just can't wait for the pain to go away. I think its starting to slowly (very slowly) get better but each feed is like a mountain climb emotionally. and people say just switch to bottle. I have nothing against bottle-fed babies but I like BF DD, its literally the pain i am finding hard and her being a bit fussy at the mo. took her to docs earlier and she has a little cold so that doesnt help. and growth spurt!

Yeah its the latch i need to master. she's so petite i think she finds it hard to open wide, she tends to open and lean down not tilt head back? then where the milk spills she tries to eat the muslin! bless her...

do any of you get soreness after feeding, or when getting out of the bath?? i wish i knew when the pain was going to settle :-(

Hi there Dozey, I know your pain.

With DD it got so bad that I would cry every time I fed. Again, I think it was because the midwives didn't show me how to do it properly at the hospital (actually they didn't show me at all) and thats where it started from.

I saw a BF counsellor twice - she came to my home, and that gave me a little more confidence, although it wasn't till DD was about 6 weeks that the sore, cracked nipples healed and from then on it was very easy.

I second Lansinoh, keeping your breasts out to heal (at home obviously :) ) Jelonet gauzes, and I think there was something else that I bought from Boots, maybe by Chicco, some kind of pads similar to jelonet to put on your breasts. Have a look and see.

I'm pg with no 2 so dreading feeding again, however once I'd gotten sorted with DD1 I fed her for a year, so there is hope.

Keep posting :)

It's tough isn't it, when their mouths are so small it's hard to get a good latch. It should definitely get easier as she grows. Things got a lot better for me around 5-6 weeks.

Re finding a comfortable position for feeding, what worked for me is sitting up in bed leaning against pillows, putting his tummy against mine and then putting my knees up to hold him in place. This way your arms have very little work to do so it's easier to relax your shoulders and back. You can experiment with how upright/reclined you like to be. I actually find i get a slightly deeper latch if I'm leaning back more so his mouth comes down more on top of my boob.

hth

I gave feeding her lying down a go last night & that helped. she was still quite sicky yesterday as she takes in so much air from let down.

my left side is still EXCRUTIATING

when does the let-down calm down??? i want to be able to feed in public but i can't bring myself too as it goes everywhere then she fusses as she gets squirted or chokes!

i feel my new milk has come in again where shes been feeding more, got a bigger supply.

we gave her her dummy yesterday first time in a week, it comforts her so why not.

I think the reason she doesnt latch well on my left is truely because of the cyst. the STUPID doctors say its "NORMAL" though - (My ass)

Its causing havoc for us both bless her. i'll keep going back until they refer me.

:(

The past week, she doesnt seem to fall asleep when shes finished either, she comes off (looking shattered) but doesnt fall asleep after eveery feed, i give her her dummy after the feed sometimes (well today) and then she nods off.

are the babies meant to fall asleep at the end of every feed??? shes normally so content. i think its the cold and growth spurt maybe

Dozeyland - Just wanted to express my stmpathy and say well done. My DD is 5 mo and I can only describe the first 12 weeks of BF as utter hell. BUT I love it now, so it WILL get better.
My let down was so fast (still is) that to this day I still find splatter marks of milk, the remote controls got the brunt of it. It was so painful and made DD choke and she was also 'flick' and nip my nipples in an attempt to slow it down. I also had a big sore on my RHS.

My strong advice is to get some Jellonet (I got it off the internet) for your sore. I used to cut it into squares and put it on the sore with a pad on top and then bra. This is the only thing that helped in the end.

Be ready with a muslin square and as soon as you feel that let down take your LO off, cover boob with muslin and shush to hysterical baby who can not understand that the interuption is for their own good.

Your supply will settle down, I don't know when as mine took ages and even now can be a bit arratic (e.g. I had to get up at 3am to change my PJs as covered in milk :( )

Good luck and keep posting, MN helped me so much.

You will soon be one of those mums at the BFC who is happily feeding baby.

Oh and no babies are not meant to fall asleep but lots of times they do. This I find changes week to week!

Sorry for spelling mistakes, one handed typing and lack of sleep!

Summerhols

Thanks for your post!

I will search for some jellonet, i am using lansinoh at the mo but will try that too!

I tried tht this morning (ready with muslin square) and that did help, then i fed her laying down. she wasn't half as gassy.

Do you burp your baby during feeds? I let her feed until she comes off (or chokes in that case bring her off and try then put her back on) do i have to burp at the end of every feed when shes not asleep?