Newborn and one boob not working-help!

[MacMomo]

DD 5 days old, my first. So far only BF. Disappointed by support offered in hospital and am needing some advice.

DD preferred rightie from the start, but with rugby hold fed from leftie twice in first two days but not since. Managed to express a tiny amount yesterday by hand to try to make the nipple less enormous for DD but still no take. Bought an electric pump today (medela swing) to again try to make the nipple the right shape but it only made it bleed (seemed to get suction on skin but I felt nothing on nipple); pump worked on right boob fine. Now have sore lump on engorged left breast and nipple tip not getting erect (and scabbed over).

DD may have very small mouth (6 lb 8 at birth) and really pinches although I try to get her to take more nipple in; both nipples are a bit bloody and the one she always feeds from is super sore and feeding hurts so much I almost can't do it. I need to get left one working and to get latch to hurt less.

Any advice? I can't give up, not an option as I really believe in this.

Well done and congratulations. Sounds like you are having a tough time of it though... can you get some RL help? Someone needs to check the latch if you have sore bleeding nipples,... how about tongue tie too? Have they checked for that? And if so get them to check again! Some of the support/lack of it is really shocking, and its awful you have to hunt for help, but it is there if you do. Try one of the bf helplines? LLL/NCT? Look at Dr Newman website/kellymom. But ultimately if it is a latch issue someone actually needs to see you in RL so speak to your mw/hv to see if there is a bf specialist lact consultant you can see.

Sorry, not much help, hope things improve soon.

Same as above, helplines, NCT, midwife and health visitor.
I had similar experience to you. I went through the pain barrier so many times but eventually got the hang of it and managed to bf until ds was 14 months. It's annoying when youre told bf shouldnt hurt and if it does you're doing it wrong. I know so many people who said that bf hurt for a while in the beginning, including my sister who has 4 dc's and she said it hurt in the beginning with all of them while her nipples got used to it. Especially with the last one who had a tiny little mouth too, bless him.
Good luck, I hope you get the support you need. Lansinol (not sure of spelling) nipple cream really helped too.

What is RL? will try the help lines today. I am staying in urban area for a few more days and then back to remote rural area. No one has looked at or checked anything! I bugged the hospital staff (was in for a couple of days due cs). But although a couple took the time to show me a hold, if I asked for help I was usually offered formula .

I can't help with latch or anything like that but I can say that I have had this with both of my children.

One side has always been smaller, never leaked, never got engorged, never been able to express from it and DC always preferred the other one and gave up on that one quickly.

I just fed from the 'good' side in the end. It can be done, I believe there are some countries where women only feed from one side, plus tandem feeders often only feed from one side.

Probably not the advice you were looking for but just to give you home that it doesn't have to mean the end if you can't get DC to take the poor side.

give you hope

RL - real life.

You really need to see someone face to face - breastfeeding can be sore at the beginning but that much pain and bleeding nipples means there is a problem that should be fixed! If you call the NCT or La Leche League they should be able to arrange for you to see a breastfeeding counsellor who can help you with the latch and check for things like tongue tie.

RL is Real Life, usually used on the Bfing boards as in get some Real Life Help. If there is pain or blood you need RL help straightaway.

If you are in the urban areas for a couple of days get in touch with the local LLL or NCT and see if there is a local bfing counsellor you can talk to.

Other than that, can your MW or the hospital put you in touch with a Lactation Consultant today? Don't know what its like where you are but around here you need to be pretty insistant, its a case of who shouts loudest gets the help.

x-posted with Moon.

And make sure you are getting actual latch advice rather than just 'how to hold baby' if that makes sense?

There are some videos on latch on , but really I think you need RL help straightaway.

How are you getting on now MacMomo?

Thanks for the help. Called NCT and although no one to come to me there is a lady I can see on Friday morning (seems an eternity away) which is good. I am hoping a local bf group will be meeting tomorrow, we will go along just in case.

Apart from that, have managed to hand express tiny amount from the unemployed left one, tried to feed from it after but no go.

Watched the bf DVD again with dh before feeding; I think there is definitely a problem with how deep the nipple is going. She comes at the breast with chin tucked away shaking her head from side to side and is always relucantant to take. There is only a minute between deep sleep and the screaming (even the mw failed to wake her) so she is always at least a little upset when we try. Changing her to wake her just ensures she's upset.

She's a very sucky baby, always sucking vigorously on fingers (which clearly don't go very deep into mouth - wonder if this has taught her to suck further forward on mouth). As a breech, every scan showed hands and feet in face/mouth.

Meanwhile, it continues to be excruciating, but dh is giving lots of help and hopefully we will do the bf group at lunch time. Thanks again for all the support, really helps.

The head shakey thing is her instinctively trying to find the nipple - my ds looked like a terrier with a rat doing that at first Have you tried biological nurturing type positions where you let the baby latch herself? Might help her get a deeper latch, especially as the baby is on top of you so gravity is on your side.

Yes a few times and we started out that way as I kept her on my tummy through the first night together (much to the annoyance of hospital staff). How upright do you recommend for this? Have been told flat on back and also half sitting up. She does feed this way successfully but so far no less painful. She always comes at it nose down rather than chin first and I haven't yet managed to help her do it differently.

I forgot to say earlier: mf 5 day visit yesterday. Baby weighs same as birth weight, so the pain is worth it, it's working. Mf offered lots of sympathy for the painful latch and gave us the DVD, but she didnt know of support in local area.

When I've done it I kind of half propped myself up on the sofa (so I could still watch TV!) - and had lots of cushions around me and supporting my arms.

My DS is still similar at 5 months - comes in sort of curled into the breast nose down rather than chin first. When feeding him in the traditional cradle position now, I often have to re-adjust him by pulling his feet further in the opposite direction (so if he's on the left breast, pulling his feet to the right) which pulls his chin into the breast and clears his nose.

All the pictures show women with big juicy boobs that can be angled and manipulated - mine are tiny and just can't be "gripped between thumb and third finger and point your nipple..." to point my nipple I have to point my whole body! Just hope the bf club is on today after the night we've just had.

Sorry to hear about your bad night Mac. Please don't worry about the size of your boobs, mine are minute

If the Bfing Club isn't on today I'd seriously think about getting in touch with the LLL, NCT and ABM to see if they have a Bfing Counsellor in your area.

Glad to hear about the weight too, at least something is going well for you both

Saw a bf advisor this morning and feeling better now. It still hurts because of the damage already done but at least we now have confidence that we are doing it right and can carry on. These ladies are amazing in their commitment. Thanks for the support so far and for telling me about the NCT network: we've made it through the first week and hopefully it should get better now. Both boobs now working

Hi Macmomo, what did they recommend for getting your other boob working?

I have one huge breast produce milk like there is no tomorrow and one that is like getting blood ou of a stone! Think it is related to having a very inverted nipple, dd can't latch on and hard to pump. I find nipple shields have helped a lot, I sometimes use shield on good breast too as it gets sore with her frantic sucking. Hate being lopsided though!

Recommendation for the lazy boob is just to keep using it and eventually it will produce more. Mum said in the 70s they were told it can take as long as three months to establish a good continuous flow.

Am now ready to use nipple shields. Despite have the latch and technique checked twice now, the pain for the first two minutes is just unbearable and the nipple isn't healing, it seems to be getting worse. It now hurts like an open wound if anything touches it, even soft cotton breast pad, and it's always coated in lansinoh to start with. The nipple shield look way too big, though, but it was all they had on a sunday.

Hi MacMomo, I had a very similar problem this time. DS2 just WOULD NOT take from the lefthand side. I don't really know what to say to you because I had so much excellent support from the hospital.

I did express from the unused side just to keep it employed and I fed it to DS2 from a cup. One thing I did do was strip him right down to his nappy and let him sleep on me for 2 hours and then he fed from the left. Both on the hospitals recommendation.

Sorry you're in pain, I remember that from DS1 and it is horrid, but it does get easier. It honestly does. I fed DS1 for over 2 years so I know that once the pain is sorted and a good supply going then it can be done and successfully. Keep going, you can do this. Good for you for being so determined.

Thanks for the support, much appreciated. Amnudubv nipple shields for a few days and expressing from the left to get it going, it's giving some which is better than none. One day at a time!