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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Time to drain a boob? Help needed as am in agony

14 replies

Pennies · 19/12/2005 21:11

Can a newborn (6 days old) drain a boob in 5 minutes? DD2 never seems to spend more than 5 mins on me unless I persecute her with tickles, disrobing etc. She just falls asleep.

Boobs are hideously sore (I also suspect I have mastitis) and cracked and bleeding and so these short frequent feeds are doing my head in.

The thing is she's already put on 4oz in her first days with this eating schedule and I'm wondering if I should just let hr do her own thing (am trying to mimick Gina Ford roughly - she's a bit young for the full thing I think - as worked like a dream for DD1).

OP posts:

followthestarlover · 19/12/2005 21:15

i would let her do her own thing.

but also, if you are cracked and bleeding it COULD be that she isn't latching on properly which may also be why she doesn't feed for long.
it may be worth your while seeing a breastfeeding counsellor just to check that she is getting it right!

Original poster

Pennies · 19/12/2005 21:17

I'm not sure about her latch. When she first goes on it is AGONY - it sometimes makes me cry but after about 15 seconds the pain goes completely. Does that sound like a latch issue? Surely if she wasn't on right the pain wouldn't subside?

OP posts:

popsycalindisguise · 19/12/2005 21:19

breast compression is good for sleepy babies.....
I will find you a link

popsycalindisguise · 19/12/2005 21:20

breast compression

popsycalindisguise · 19/12/2005 21:21

...but also agree, it could be latching on....ds2 was like this....really hurt for the first week then was fine. But he was sleepy too

mandymac · 19/12/2005 21:28

I had this with dd for the first few weeks. I used to wipe her face with cotton wool which had a bit of cool water on, Tickle her under her chin, waggle her arms etc to try and get her to feed for more than five minutes. I used to sometimes manage to get her to do about 20 mins in the daytime. Nights were a different story as she woke up then , and I couldn't get her off sometimes. I don't think your latch should be so painful, when I eventually got it right, I sometimes couldn't even feel it, but it took a lot of tries and I did used to latch her off quite often to try again.

Are you applying nipple cream at every opportunity? I found Kamilosan great. You have my sympathy, I can remember crying when dd had been feeding for what seemed like hours at night and I felt like my nipples were going to fall off. It did get better!

springerspaniel · 19/12/2005 21:47

My LO was ultra sleepy for quite a while. Did all sorts of mean things to get him to stay feeding - tickled arch of foot with my fingernail, brushed my hand over his face and head quite firmly, stripped him (was July and VERY hot), put the fan on him to cool him down, burped him regularly and changed his nappy then tried again. Sounds mean but he became a total poppet about feeding every three hours because he fed so well at each feed.

springerspaniel · 19/12/2005 21:48

As for the pain, I had forgotten about that. God it used to make me shout out loud it was so painful. I never understood why it hurt for the first 30 seconds only. Lasted about three weeks if memory serves. Must have been latch but no idea what I was doing wrong.

bramblina · 19/12/2005 22:03

Pennies your latch sounds perfect if the pain subsides that quickly. I had 2 days of utter agony around week one which sounds just like you describe. They say a boob can never be completely drained but she is probably just very content and can't help but fall asleep. I think you would be right to let her do her own thing. I did and my ds slept through from 8wks with no forcing or waking etc, just the tickling like you say to ensure he really was done on one side, then we also changed nappy to wake him and followed on with other side. He also only fed for roughly 7-12 mins each side. However I did not crack or bleed so can only sympathise. I did put Lansinoh on after every feed though, expensive but worth it. It's all worth it. Sounds like you're doing great. Good luck

thecattleareALOHing · 19/12/2005 22:04

If you remotely suspect mastitis see your GP - and a breastfeeding counsellor.

newyearmum · 19/12/2005 22:05

I'd forgotten the pain too - like you, Pennies, it subsided after 30-60 seconds then it disappeared completely (after a few more weeks?)

tiktok · 19/12/2005 23:17

Pennies, get some decent help - someone who can watch what's happening.

No need to keep your daughter awake - have a heart She's just little and needs to find her own feeding and sleeping rhythm, and it's fine for her to do so.

No need to feel you have to 'drain' the breast either - one of the many odd ideas from Gina Ford that is based on a lack of understanding of bf.

But you do need to see someone about the soreness - pronto.

HTH

bloss · 20/12/2005 02:12

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Pennies · 20/12/2005 20:15

OK saw the midwife today and she checked the latch and said it was fine and that the pain is simply her "just" re-opening the cracks as she sucks. This was hugely reassuring for me as I was convinced that we were both getting it wrong.

Also went to see GP who isn't sure but reckons I have got mastitis (it was a toss up between that and stitches or an internal infection but she has decided to start treating me for mastitis to see if that is causing my temperature etc).

Thirdly I decided to test to see how much of a boob she's draining by expressing from it after a feed. I was incredibly full when she started the feed and she was finished in 7 minutes. Couldn't get a drop out after that. Obviously a voracious eater!

Thanks though everyone for the advice - esp the breast compression thing - intersting reading and I used it today when feeding her whilst she dozed off (again!).

OP posts:

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