cracked and sore nipples advice please and which electric breast pump?

[Gelsa]

Hi, my son is over 4 weeks old and have been breastfeeding all that time. my nipples are still sore and slight cracked from feeding. I am doing all the stuff including nipple creams using nipple shields even though not recommended btu still not right. have seen a really good dvd by clare byam- cook and am trying this for now.

Does anyone have any advice re above ? any experience of when it got better? I have had many people check my latch and said all fine but not properly.

I have had some engorgement to so thinking of getting an electric pump? any advice on which?

Many thanks all

Well done for getting to 4 weeks :-) Chuck the dvd in the bin and get yourself off to see a properly qualified bfc! If you are sore there is something not quite right with your latch despite what others have said and unless your latch is good no amount of creams will help you. Pump wise Medela is a good brand.

your latch is possibly not quite right if you are still having soreness and cracks, nipple shields can hinder more than they can help

have a look at

howbreastfeedingworks.com

they have a list of the 4 volunteer helplines you can call, also contact local NCT if you can

pumping is not going to help, you need to get the baby positioned, attached and latched on correctly to feed so that your body gets the right signals that milk is being removed and more is needed, nothing is as efficient as a new-born at removing the milk from the breast

please, IMO ignore anything that CBC says, she is notorious for bad breastfeeding advice.

the latch may 'look' fine to everyone thats checked but if you are sore and its hurting its not right.
The very best thing is real life help. Unitl then, maybe try a change of position. I found biological nurturing position super for getting a good latch. It feels odd to begin with as you have to do very little. www.biologicalnurturing.com/

Has your DC been checked for tongue tie?

I agree with trying the biological nursing position, the first time I tried it I was amazed that feeding didn't hurt. Feeding in or just after the bath was also less painful.

Have you got a decent cream? I used to rub breast milk over my nipples and the slather on Lansinoh so stop them drying out.

I had the same problem with DC1 to the point that my nipples actually bled. I think my prob was that DS was very demanding and my milk took 5 days to come in so I was sore before he even began feeding properly. However my latch was fine and after about 6wks it became pain-free. I used Lansinoh and cold cabbage leaves to soothe. I too used nipple shields after about 2wks and couldnt have continued without. This had no effet on DS and he fed fine to 1yr, as did DD1 and I'm now bf DD2 6wks.
I don't think bf is always pain free, even if you are doing it properly. Whenever DD2 has a growth spurt, I have a couple of days of toe-curling feeds. I don't think it's anything to worry about.

DS only put on 1oz in last 1 week which i find disappointing but he has been very happy and settled. He has had green poos too so am thinking he has not had enough of the hind milk of breast milk probably a result of using nipple shields.pain has become excrutiating tonight and couldnt tolerate anymore. I would rather go through labour than through this and that really is saying something!!!!! I had a wonderful experience of BF my daughter who is now 4yrs and it was painfre apart from first 2 weeks.

I had to give him a bottle of formula which I found really upsetting but am going to continue with breastfeeding with nipple shield until heals and expressing have ordered machine for expressing and hopefully nipples will heal. have another lactation consultant coming round on monday to review situation. I just hope my milk holds out - one side isnt too bad.

One lactation consultant thought it could have been posterior tongue tie definitely not anterior tongue tie.

thanks for your help and any other advice you can recommend please advise!!!

Is the second LC an IBCLC and ideally someone who knows about TT? Posterior TT can be hard to diagnose (hence the first LC wasn't sure) so you really do need someone who knows what they are doing.

www.lcgb.org/consultants_tongue.html