Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Infant feeding

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

Getting newborn to open mouth wide

1 reply

Bearcrumble · 08/04/2012 10:29

Hi - I just had my second baby. It's only been 2 years but I am a bit out of practice at feeding a newborn. I'm finding it really difficult to get the latch right. I know what it should look like but she won't open her mouth wide when it is close to the nipple. She'll do a lovely big yawny gape if she's lying down - so I pick her up and try to position her (cross cradle seems to be the easisest at the moment) and she will only open her mouth a little bit or open it wide and shove her hands in so I can't get her on.

When I do get her on properly she often lets go of quite a bit of areola after just a few sucks. It is not painful for me but I do notice some flattening of the nipple when I unlatch her if she hasn't got very much in her mouth.

She is getting some milk for sure as she does wee and poo regularly.

What I do to try and get her to open her mouth is to express a few drops so she can smell it and then hold her nose-to-nipple in the cross-cradle position. Also stroke her cheeks and chin.

Any other tips?? Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
crikeybadger · 08/04/2012 10:46

You could try opening your mouth really wide for her to see (and say the word "open" and the same time.)

Does anything happen when you stroke your nipple along her top lip?

Or, you could try the biological nurturing position and see if she will self attach. Get comfy, semi reclined with lots of pillows for support. Skin to skin if you can, lean back with dd on her tummy, fully supported on yours. Spend some time stroking and cuddling and see if she will come to the breast.

How old is she now? Has the mw given you any other suggestions?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page