Breast Shields & Expressing

[firstpregnancy]

I've been suffering with sore nipples since I gave birth 8 days ago, and finally became too sore on Sunday night to be able to continue. I'd really like to get back to breast feeding, once I've sorted out the latch etc as soon as my nipples have recovered. MW has recommended that I use a nipple shield on the nipple that is not so sore, and to express every three hours alternating the nipples. We also plan on using the expressed milk.

The trouble is that I just don't seem to be producing very much milk when we use the shields. I don't know if it is that they just don't stay on very well, or that I am doing something wrong, but my partner and I end up having to make up formula milk, because when the shield just goes dry. I feel like sellotaping the shield on to get it to stick - the lansinoh cream doesn't quite do the trick. What am I doing wrong? They are Avent shields.

Also, does anybody have any tips on expressing milk? I am using a hand-held Tommee Tipppee pump, but not getting very much out. Does it make a difference how fast I pump? My breasts are starting to feel very full and hard, and need to get some out somehow.

I am really missing that time I spent with my baby when I was bfing, even though it was really painful. Does anybody have any advice on how I can have that special time with him without breastfeeding? Atm I feel like I ought to stay away from him because I don't want to confuse or tease him into thinking he is getting a feed when he isn't.

I worry that I won't be able to get the shields to work, and that he won't go back to the breast when my nipples have recovered. We are using formula and expressed milk at the moment.

hiya

i think you need to at least speak to, if not get seen by, a qualified breastfeeding counsellor.
you have a la leche league group nearby (if your profile is up to date!), you could give them a ring? there is a number on the page there.

if you are expressing you need to do it at least 10 times a day including during the night to ensure you keep your supply up.
I would strongly advise seeing if you can hire an electric hospital grade pump... local NCT groupr normally have one you can borrow.

I also think that if you really want to go back to breastfeeding it would be worthwhile persevering with latching him on, trying to get a good latch and feeding him direct from the breast.
sore nipples are generally a sign that he is not latching on well, so if you can fix that you may well be back on track.. but the most helpful thing in getting it fixed would be to see someone in person who can watch you feed

you might have a baby cafe near you as well...

I support the previous posts, but would like to encourage you to try expressing by hand if your boobs are hard but you can't get much with your pump. In the early days, I couldn't get anything with my electric pump (medala electric) unless I started things off manually, and to be honest, I got more by hand in a shorter time.

Are both nipples too sore to feed off? I had a problem with one side, so I fed both of my twins from tue ok side for a week while the sore aide healed (expressing from sore side to build supply and releive hard soreness). Would that be an option?

From a healing perspective, I found breast shells helpful. They are hard domes that hold your clothes away from your nipples to prevent chaffing, and have the added benefit of letting the lansinoh stay on the nipple :-)

If you can bear it, keeps going. I promise it gets easier, and you'll be grateful of a 5 min breastfeed later on when FF friends have bottle-faff to contend with!

Good luck

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I think I need more help with this. I'm wondering if the reason that I couldn't get the shields to work is because I was stressed that they wouldn't stay on. Perhaps I am not using enough Lansinoh.

Does anybody know how soon after expressing milk it is possible to breastfeed again? Do I need to wait until my supply builds up, or do I just naturally produce what my body needs as and when?

you can breastfeed straight after expressing, that's fine

Thanks, I may try it again.

Have you tried different nipple shields? I switched from the Medela Contact ones to MAM ones - here which I find work very well.

I also hold the shields on while DS is feeding, although I need to do this less with the MAM ones.