5 weeks - feeding getting trickier

[faverolles]

Ds has been feeding really well, no problems, but since before the weekend, he's bobbing on and off the breast, particularly the right one (which is always smaller and not as milky), and looks shocked on the left one when I get letdown and struggles to keep up

He hasn't really been cluster feeding, but has started, and seems to get quite frustrated, and he's not as settled at night.

I have to be very careful how he is latched, or it really hurts (no cracks or anything, but feel bruised and irritated around the nipple)

He has a tongue tie - I'm putting these fairly new issues down to that, and I'm going to ring a BFC, but could it be down to something else?

Could anyone suggest other things I can rule out?

Thankyou :)

Oversupply?

Hmm, has attachment been an issue from the start? Tongue ties tend to loosen over time, not tighten.

Re: positioning, an easy check when a baby is on: you want to be able to see the nose, have it barely touching the breast if at all, while the chin should be shoved into the breast, and invisible. The closer you hold the baby to you, the easier that all is.

Is getting the tie cut an option?

There are tricks to slow down the letdown on a fast breast (feed uphill, or stop some ducts from firing), and you could try breast compression on the slower breast maybe.

Do both nipples feel bruised and irritated? Do they hurt during the feed, after feeds, or all the time?

NB: if by 'ring a BFC' you mean, call a helpline, if you call in the evening, and from a landline, that gives you the greatest chance of speaking to someone, and ideally someone who is reasonably physically near you, so knows your local in-person support. (Alternatively, if you're happy to say where you live, I can have a dig.)

His positioning is good, but unlike when feeding my other dc, I have to constantly watch and keep him and my breast in the right position, or he slips off. (he didnt do this before, he kept on well even if I was reading or doing something else and not concentrating 100%)
Both nipples feel uncomfortable - almost like I'm back to the very early days. During a feed they are ok as long as I concentrate on how Ds is feeding.
I think there is a chance of the tt being cut, but as it's been on my mind a bit, I don't know if I'm wrongly assuming these recent things are down to that and missing something obvious IYSWIM.

I've tried breast compression on the right breast, but it doesn't make any difference to him bobbing on and off.
How do I feed up a hill?

I'm near Harrogate in N Yorkshire, if you know of anyone near who can help!
Thankyou very much :)

Faverolles are you sure you're not feeding my baby too? My DS is exactly the same at 4 weeks - I shall be watching with interest.
If I don't hold my breast the whole way through the feed he slips (my hands and wrists are so sore), he has a 'mild' Tongue tie (as described by HCPs...), nipples are sore but not in the same way as during the first few weeks - essentially his latch looks good but I have to engineer it to be like that. He has also started crying (looks scared?) during the feed on my left breast.
Good luck I hope things improve for you.

Uphill feeding is just about the angle of feeding - you lean backwards, so the milk has to go uphill, which reduces the flow a bit.

I think if you are having feeding problems, and he has a tongue-tie, and it's possible to get it snipped (either paying for it, or getting it done on the NHS), it's worth doing. You need to be careful about aftercare (i.e. feeding lots and lots so it doesn't heal up tight).

Can you see evidence of the tie? When he's feeding, or when he sucks on a finger, can you feel the tongue, or the lower jaw?

Bobbing on and off may not be indicative of a problem, some new babies do just feed that way.

I can't seem to link to the search results, but [url=www.realbabymilk.org/index.php?option=com_postcodesearch]this[/url] search slows four support groups in your area. I can't ... oh wait. Right, those are all groups run by LLL, which means they should be fine. (afaik, any group run by LLL/NCT/BfN/ABM is fine - some groups run by random healthcare folks are not as good).

If you want to get local support, call one of the women listed on the support page there (enter Harrogate, or your postcode, in the search box), they are local to you, and should be able to help. They do run a group on Monday mornings, but depending on how hard it is for you to get out of the house, they may be able to come see you ...

Oh pants, my link didn't work. I mean this.

NQC - Thankyou :)
His tongue is attached right at the front - the sides can go slightly beyond the gum line, but the middle bit not at all, although he can move his tongue up a bit. He won't suck my finger at all, just gags!

I am feeding him uphill at the moment, and he seems much happier, and it seems to be easier for him to stay in the rigt position too, so Thankyou for that too :)

Ok, if the middle bit can't go beyond the gumline, then you would be v wise to get it clipped. That's no doubt what's causing the pain - normally the tongue 'cushions' the breast from the lower jaw. His tongue can't do that, so he ends up bruising you. (He may also have to work harder for his milk/get less milk ... but it sounds like you have a good supply at least, thank goodness this isn't your first baby.)

I saw the HV today (lucky enough she is brilliant) who chatted about his feeding issues, checked out his tongue, and said it needs to be snipped. She said she couldnt believe we've got this far without problems, and if left, he will almost certainly have speech problems.
We go to the dr's on we'd to get a referral.
Thankyou for your advice.

Cool, glad to hear you're getting good medical support, hope the doctor is good.

I think there's a thread on here for mums who are dealing with TT? We have a local group in our area who focus on TT babies, too ...

Certainly, the big thing to be aware of afterwards is to feed a lot. Because that way the tongue won't heal 'tight' again, it'll heal 'loose', and stay usable.

Just come back from the dr's. Ds has the referral, but not before the dr made me feel completely stupid about this. Ds's Tongue has movement at the sides, and apparently this is all the movement he needs to suckle efficiently.
I explained how Ds falls off unless I hold him and my boob in the exact right position. How I get pain if I don't help him to latch on correctly. How ds's cheeks suck in when he feeds. How my nipple comes out flat and White at the end.
The dr listened to this like .
I am convinced that had he been my first (or even second) baby, I would really be struggling by now. I know Ds doesn't have a severe tt, but I can feel that he feeds differently to my others, and it annoys me that the dr has made me feel like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill about this.
I've noticed problems, I want to get this sorted before it becomes a big problem. Is that so bad?
Sorry, little rant there!