Getting really frustrated

[Brasso4]

Hi, sorry this will be a long one!

My DS is 7.5 weeks old and ebf. We had a painful start to bf - he made me very sore very quickly. After attending various clinics, baby cafes and having a counsellor come to my house, I switched my hold to the rugby ball and the pain went away (he was also checked for tongue tie). At 17 days he was on the 25th percentile and gaining well.

At around 5 weeks, he started letting in air during feeds and then began hurting me at some of the feeds too. He is very unsettled at night and will not settle in his basket after his 2.30 feed, which is exhausting. At my 6 week check he had dropped to the 9th percentile and the HV asked to see a feed and told me to feed more regularly and make sure I used both breasts. I switched back to cradle hold (I was finding rugby ball a bit of a bind) and readjusted my latch technique. I have since attended more baby cafes and seen the counsellor again. At the baby cafes his latch has been near perfect and pain free!

However, outside of the baby cafe I am struggling. He will initially latch on and gulp some milk (if he is hungry). After the initial brief bit, he will close his mouth slightly which then leaves him just on my nipple - which is painful. I then de-latch him and the cycle starts again. Each feed then becomes a latch, de-latch saga which takes ages. Worse than this he will get to the stage of not latching properly at all at which point I end the feed (it is too uncomfortable) or he falls asleep sucking my nipple and will not latch back on after I take him off.

He is doing lots of poos and there are lots of wet nappies, but his weight gain has slowed again. I am getting really frustrated by the whole process, feeds take ages and now I am getting sore again. I have a 2 yo DD and find it very difficult to spend time with her with all the feeding.

Basically, I am worried he is not getting enough food, he is alert and produces the nappy evidence of thriving, he is very grumpy at times and does not settle well to nap or to sleep (especially after the 2.30am feed).

I just want some advice really... sooo frustrated!

Forgot to say, I do the nose to nipple position but he never seems to throw his head back like everyone says he should! His mouth is normally wide but no backward movement!!

Hello - I'm in a similar position so bumping to see if anyone had any advice...

My DD2 is 5wks old and I've had 2 bouts of mastitis and 2 blocked ducts episodes. I went to b'feeding cafe every week and was told that her latch was perfect everytime! However, after the last episode I went in and said it can't be perfect (it might look it!) or I wouldn't be having these issues! One of the lactation consultants spent more time with me and noticed that when DD cried she had a flat tongue (like a lily pad) which is a sign of tongue tie. She then had a feel in her mouth and thought she might have a posterior tongue tie. I found the details of a specialist lactation consultant in my area and lo and behold my DD had a 50% posterior tongue tie. She got snipped 2 days ago and OMG What a Difference 24hrs makes!!! My boobs are emptied every feed, she's going slightly longer between feeds, feeding is more comfortable, I never thought my nipples were that sore, but I realise now her tongue was having a mild sandpaper effect on my nipple which has gone immediately, feeding is definitely more efficient and EASIER!
Essentially even if you are being told it LOOKS like a perfect latch, I your baby is slipping onto the nipple, not opening the mouth wide enough etc keep looking for help as something isn't right. I feel such relief that I could cry / yet I didn't think things were bad. Instinct just told me things could be better and I am staggered at how much better!!!

Plus I have a DD1 who's 4yrs and suddenly I think evenings might be easier with more time and I feel really positive!