Urgent help needed for friend- high pallet causing BF problems.

[dogsagoodun]

My first thread, sorry to be asking for help so soon.

I have a friend with a two week old. She is finding breast feeding extremely painful. Her baby has been diagnosed with a high pallet. She could really do with some specialist help. Are any of you in the Wokingham area and could help her? Failing that, any advice I could pass on.

Yep - call the BfN (breast feeding Network) or La Leche League.

They will specialist, trained supporters in her area and will be able to speak to her over the phone, do a house call and or invite her to a local group/clinic where she can get further help.

Attachment like exaggerated latch/deep latching technique would be helpful. See here, hereand here for more information on how to get a deeper latch as sometimes a high palate can mean baby only latches shallowly (which hurts).

Who diagnosed a high palate - MW/HV/GP? Did they not give her any help or was it a case of just telling her what might be causing the pain not working with her to resolve it?

Details for groups/bfcs in the Wokingham area here.

La Leche are very helpful and supportive.

My son has high palate and it's tricky at first. I had to formula top up for the first two weeks as we struggled to get it.

I find the best way is to use two fingers to lightly pinch the breast behind the nipple and direct the tip upwards. I then am quite assertive in pulling DS in, waiting until his mouth is wide open. Sometimes I even rock backwards and almost faceplant him on the nipple to ensure it goes far enough in!

I also express milk and give him a bit to calm him down first if he's really hungry as it's even harder when he's starving (I used a bit of formula at first before I could express).

It is possible but it's hard work x x

I was told my DD had a high palette when she got her tongue tie snipped. She's now 12 weeks and her latch has improved since the snip, but can still be painful at times- I still sometimes see a line across my nipple where she had been compressing it. Is this evidence of a shallow latch caused by a high palette? God, it's just one problem after another... TT, thrush, currently battling mastitis. Yet despite all that I love breastfeeding my daughter. Just wish it was easier

Thanks all. I have passed all of this on. The HV diagnosed high pallet and is working closely with them to help. My concern is that she is not a feeding specialist hence asking for help here. This same person also ruled out tongue tie but I have advised my friend to get a second opinion there just to be sure.

Really appreciate all your help.

High palate is often accompanied by TT so it is worth getting a specialist 2nd opinion.

If she wants to have a feel for herself there is a technique call Murphy Maneuver that she could try at home. Or if she fancies getting very technical there is this presentation that goes in depth into how to assess a TT.

Meant to say it might also be useful to compare how her HV checked for TT against the presentation. If the HV just opened up baby's mouth and looked with out touching then she won't have ruled out some of the hidden TT like a sub-mucosal TT.

Sorry but the HV shouldn't be diagnosing or ruling out tongue tie - it's quite difficult to diagnose anyway, especially if it's not a usual presentation.

Just to add to your other responses, DS has been diagnosed with a high palate as well and I was shown the exaggerated latch technique which has helped immensely. I would have really struggled to get it right without seeing a lactation consultant though, so hopefully she can see someone as soon as possible. Any positioning issues can be addressed too (if there are any). I'm a week on from seeing the lactation consultant and although progress seemed slow at first and it took me a while to get it right, its nearly 100% better on one side, and much better on the other side.

Please let her know that once the latch is corrected, it does get better and the damage starts to heal very quickly. Pain free feeding is an amazing feeling! Also, it takes an expert to know how to do things properly - all the midwives told me my latch was fine, but the high palate meant it wasn't.

Dorcas - yup that line is a sign that the latch is too shallow. Sorry you are having so many problems - I was told to take him off and latch again if I got pain - but not always easy if they are hungry and fussing as it makes things worse. Sometimes I wait for a minute or two, then unlatch and relatch.

Thanks a lot everyone. Will let you know how she gets on.