Cranial Osteopathy for BF issues - anyone any experience? Think I am about to give up BF and very sad :(

[Wholelottalove]

I've had a horrible week again with DS (6 weeks). He had posterior tongue tie divided 2 1/2 weeks ago and for a bit his latch seemed to improve and my nipple pain was getting better. Then suddenly we're back to square one with chompy latch, painful compressed lipstick nipples with white stripe and now this week another bout of mastitis :( :( On antibiotics and with cracked nipples now worried about thrush as he's already on nystatin for white tongue.

I'm at the end of my tether. Since the mastitis cleared the pain is a little less but I have seriously cracked and now bleeding nipples which are permanently misshapen. No matter how I try to relatch him he pulls himself back to chew on nipples. He is gaining very well and plenty we/dirty nappies but I am so sore. I just don't know what to do now.

With DD after her TT snip it took about 2 weeks for things to improve but they never got better then went downhill again like this.

As a last resoirt as DS has so many issues opening his mouth widely and seems quite stiff at times I wondered about cranial osteopathy to see if that 'releases' anything to help him use his tongue better. Any experience would be gratefully received as I am really at the point of giving up now.

Cranial Osteopathy is nothing but expensive, no research to indicate it works.

My dss were both tongue tied, but they were snipped much later.

not directly answering your question - but hae you seen breastfeeding consultant?

I saw a cranial Osteopath for sleep issues in my DS and after two sessions he now sleeps through (after over six months of waking up 3 to 5 times a night) I went straight to a friends after the second session and she said DS looked much more relaxed lying down already. I didn't think it was that expensive, cost £75 in total and I think the sleep is worth it. I think, given TPPs opinion above, that it doesn't work for everyone but it worked for us.

I've used cranial osteopathy on my DS and it did work. I'm not sure about the research showing that it doesn't work, but if you get the outcome that you want, it doesn't really matter does it?

You can always find a practioner and talk the issues over on the phone and see if it is something they think they could help with.
In short, I'd say give it a go- you sound desperate.

I don't think my problems were as serious as yours, but I was also extremely sore due to DS clamping down and pulling and on the verge of giving up.

We tried cranial osteopathy and I honestly don't think it did anything for the feeding problem, though I have met people who swear that its helped them with other things. I got a breast pump and did a mixture of pumping, feeding, and yes, used some formula when it got really bad.

Things did improve as he got older and I am still feeding him at 8 months. I have to admit though that it was painful for about 3 months, and I was very close to stopping on several occassions - however if you can keep your milk supply going a bit it at least gives you the option if things improve.

I really feel for you, as I can still remember the discomfort and the despairing feeling of wondering if it will ever get better (it does!)

Well it won't do any harm except to your bank balance, so you can always give it a go.

On the thrush though, nystatin is useless! You need to get some proper treatment, and treat both of you.

We could afford it, but only because DH has had a tax rebate which is earmarked for some other things. I don't want to go on a fool's errand though.

With DD, IIRC by about 10 weeks it was all improving after TT division at 8 weeks. DH thinks it was more like 12 weeks we really turned the corner so maybe I just need to be patient.

DS does seem to have a cold - he's sneezed out a couple of huge lumps of bogey and seems really snuffly so wonder if that is not helping.

I am just fed up of being in pain and have DD to consider now as well as DS.

moonUnit Dr refused to prescribe anything else and said DS probably doesn't have thrush as only white tongue. I'm not 100% whether I have it as the only pain between feeds seems to be residual from blanching and a 'skinned' nipple due to compression. I did buy ome acidophiuls yesterday to try and combat it is the antibiotics give us thrush.

Is it milk residue on his tongue, or white patches that don't rub away?

Paying £££ to a non-medically qualified person to manipulate your newborn baby's skull?

Call me crazy but I would not. I second whoever said seeing a qualified breastfeeding consultant or group.

I found it does just get easier as they get bigger and have a bigger gape. Try and see a bf expert - a small change in position could help you to carry on, if you want to, and give you a second opinion on the thrush. Have you got any groups / baby cafe near you?

We looked into CO for other issues - I know some people swear by it but personnally I think its a lot of bullcrap. You say you can afford it but its still a lot of money that could be spent elsewhere - and you will probably be told you need several sessions.

Thanks for your replies. Interesting there is a mix of those it as and hasn't helped.

Hoenstly, we've tried so much to work on his latch. We've seen two lactation consultants and NCT BFC who has been over for hours helping with his latch. We go to BF group most weeks too. Have tried all sorts of positions, biological nurturing, feeding in bath, skin to skin, nipple snadwich, etc etc Seen all the kellymom and Jack Newman resources. Spoken to LLL, NCT and BFN on the phone (this is all over the course of the past 6 weeks not all at once!)

MoonUnitAlpha it is really hard to tell as it is hard to get in his mouth to see, but I thought it wasn't rubbing off which is why we went to docs. It was at the back and fairly thick and seemed more than milk residue, although nowhere else (cheeks/gums/roof of mouth fine). Since he has had the nystatin I think the patch looks less thick when I can get a glimpse of it. OTOH he feeds pretty frequently so maybe just milk residue?

I guess I just need to hang in there. Maybe I will save the CO for now. I thought they were medically qualified though?

DS1 had a stiff neck (he couldn't turn his head in a certain direction at all, so couldn't feed from one of breast very well, bad latch etc), either from being in the same position inside me for months, or being yanked out by the neck during cs, or a combination of both.

After one session with a CO he could turn his head to both sides and feeding improved. However it still wasn't great.

Luckily my sister is a BFC and we eventually improved the latch. I think it was a case of ds learning how to have latch (and properly) all over again.

IMO I would book an appt with a CO and also a BFC.

Good luck

After one session with a CO

Thanks. He was born pretty fast and had a lot of congestion which I was told was from coming quickly. He does seem stiff when he is trying to latch and at various points through feeds, although this is whatever position he is in.

Other than the feeding issue (which is only an issue because it is causing me pain) he is a happy little soul and growing realy nicely. :)

Give it a go. He has learnt techniques that used to work a bit for him, now he needs to unlearn those and realise he can relax a bit more. If he has troubles opening his mouth wide enough then yes, cranial osteopathy can help to release any tension in his jaw muscles.

I took DS for a few sessions for various things - it was great to see his tension released and it made such a difference to him.

DS also had a tonguetie but I had his snipped at around 3w old - even though it was only a partial, it made a massive difference to feeding.

Also - have you tried nipple shields? Or does he not get on with those? Would give your boobs a bit of a break from the chomping at least!

I think CO is an alternative therapy rather than actual medicine.

I've never had anything but positive experiences from CO.
DH and I were sceptical but at the end of our tethers with constant feeding/screaming with ds1. Within two days he was happier and fed much better.
I think it's definitely worth a try.

Bluddy hell, local one just left me message to say initial appt £65 then follow up £45 and probably 3 sessions usual amount. So we're looking at nigh on £200. Seems a lot to pay.

thumbdabwitch I've tried them a couple of times, they didn't make a huge amount of difference as he still compresses the nipple inside them IYSWIM, although they might help reduce the friction which is making bits of skin peel off and me bleed.

That does seem alot wholelotta- i'll look up and see what I paid, hang on...

OK, just looked at the cheque stubs and each session was £25.00. Not sure what the inital consultation was, but I think it was £30.00.

HTH

when I was learning to feed my daughter I didn't realised I could have used breastfeeding consultant (she's 13 yo)
I can't remember one day without topping it with formula until at 3 months old she suddenly started doing everything right.

I never had any infection though, but spent hours feeding her.
I guess my problem was that I didn't have enough milk - yours is that you produce enough and ds is not able to suck it all out.

Have you tried to extract it manually or with a pump to empty your breast after each ffeeding?

That does sound expensive, I'm sure ds's sessions were either £25 or £30.

MoonUnitAlpha - to be an Osteopath you are medically trained, they then take further training to specialise in cranial osteopathy. However a cranio sacral therapist doesn't have the same medical training as an Osteopath.

Just because something is a therapy and not medicine, it doesn't mean it doesn't work.

My sessions cost £42 for initial one and £33 for the next. If you are thinking about it try and get a recommendation from someone who has used one and check that they do paediatric co.

Cranial osteopath helped a lot with poor latch, stiff neck, not wanting head touched that sort of thing. I don't think it would be money wasted. They are usually very supportive generally, and all these things help in indirect as well as direct ways when you are feeling low.
As kayah said sometimes it takes them a long time anyway to work out how to do it right, my ds2 certainly took a while
I had a cranial osteopath for my own back problems, and I once mentioned various feeding problems with the dtws, and she said something fairly cryptic which I brooded on, about how mother and baby had to find their own feeding pattern. It didn't make sense in the early days, you felt there was some technical solution, if only someone would tell you what it was, but in the end it did seem to be a question of calming down and working with each other (not easy I know)
I think a lot of what cranial osteopaths and bfcs do is model how to handle babies, which often what we are bit uncertain of as new mothers.
We talk to loads of people but never really get confident with our babies for several weeks

Sounds like the one I contacted mifht be charging over the odds a bit. I don't know anyone IRL who has used one, but will ask at my BF group.

swanriver that's interesting; I wonder if DS and I are both getting a bit tense and that's not helping.