Breastfeeding, inverted nipple, feeding from one breast?

[OTTMummA]

Hi ladies, i have ventured over here to ask a few questions and would be very grateful if i could have any advice.

So basically i am 33 weeks pregnant with dc2, with dc1 who is now 4yrs i had a traumatic pregnancy and then a c-section under GA.
I found out i was pregnant at 6 months and didn't cope very well tbh i had Antenatal Depression and then Psychotic depression after the birth.
I wanted to breastfeed, but having 1 very severely inverted nipple and one flat unco-operative nipple and body issues i never sought out help when my baby wouldn't latch.
We were kept in hospital because baby had low blood sugar ( i had GD ) and would cry at every heel prick so i gave in and he had formula..
I managed to pump when we got home my milk came in on day 5 and kept this up for 4 months, but was then put on medication for my depression and then had to stop.
I am trying to prepare myself this time, i have bought nipple shields, nipple cream, watched online videos about breastfeeding and latching positions after c-sections ( having another ) i have bought nursing tops and nursing bras, which i didn't do last time, i have told dh that i do not want baby to have a bottle and got him to watch some of the positions so he can help me.

The one thing i am worried about though is my inverted nipple, it is very tender, it hurts just randomly sometimes, like a shooting pain, it has always been that way, gets worse in the cold, shower, or if i knock my breast by accident, i couldn't pump that breast without crying everytime with dc1, it was basically torture, and i think it made my depression worse tbh.

So i am wondering if it would be possible if i could just feed from one breast?
I mean from the start, or would it hamper breastfeeding long term?
I have not had any depression this time round, and am trying to remain positive, it helps knowing your pregnant from 5 weeks but also be realistic.
So what are my chances? or rather what would you do?

It's perfectly possible to feed one sided (mums with twins do) in fact there is a mum on this board contemplating tandem nursing using one side only! It will possibly mean baby feeds more frequently to start with but if the bar for lactation need is set high initially (so only giving alternatives to bfing if medically required) then you should be able to produce enough.

Have you talked to one of the bfing helplines or been to a local bfing group for support? Bfing groups love to have pg mums come along (well I know ours does!) and it's good for mums too as they then get to know the peer supports/bfing counsellors in advance (it's less scary to call someone you know than a stranger when you are vulnerable and post partum).

Wishing you all the best.

Have you seen these medela nipple formers which you can start wearing towards the end of pregnancy to help draw your nipples out in advance?

I bought a nipplete contraption and it hurts too much, it also kept falling off on my inverted nipple, it does help draw out my flat nipple, but I find the manual breast pump works better in that nipple so plan on taking that into hospital. My hospital had a breastfeeding clinic, I will try to make an appointment, I'm just very self conscious about my breasts, they are so large!

Inverted nipples hurt when drawing them out as the ligaments that support the nipple are too short for it to protrude or there are 'adhesions' - the pain is the ligaments/adhesions stretching - if the nipple is very inverted it can be very painful indeed.

This is interesting reading - the study found that ante-natal prep for inverted nipples actually discourages women from bfing! I guess because the focus is on what's 'wrong' with the breast rather than what's 'right'.

This article discusses ways to work around an inverted nipple (as well as the aforementioned ante-natal prep) when baby is born and feeding on one side as well as ways to help prevent soreness in an inverted nipple.

Oh and if it helps one of the peer supporters I know has 36M breasts - BFPS are used to all sizes!

Thank you truth, my nipple is extremely inverted, even the breast tissue around the nipple and areola is drawn in slightly, that nipple does leak randomly, and quite a lot tbh, so I know there I'd no problem with milk supply from that breast, but I could never express that much dispute warm compresses and massage last time. I think I need to see someone in rl to help a bit more, I just read an old article linked on this forum about bf twins on one breast and feel more confident that I will be able to do it.

That sounds like a good idea (to see someone in RL). If you don't find them helpful, try other avenues (private IBCLC, NCT/ABM/BfN bfing counsellor, La Leche League Leader, etc) to see if you find a better 'fit' for you and your needs.

I had one inverted nip and the other was flat, and large boobs (32HH).

I say 'had' and 'was' because 9 months in, they're not like that any more!

It is totally possible to BF with flat/inverted nipples, in my own experience, not without difficulties, but definitely possible. You just have to work on getting the best latch/attachment/positioning very early on and rule out frigging tongue tie too

Any prep I did beforehand doesn't seem to have made any difference, there's nothing quite like a baby with a ferocious suck for drawing them out! My inverted nipple is now like a little button, or smartie, the flat one is like a proper grown up lady's nipple now! I have to be careful in cold weather - finally know what's like to smuggle peanuts, or peanut...

In all seriousness, a qualified BF counsellor or IBCLC will be able to help you find the way through without the use of shields and contraptions. I thoroughly recommend having a good Google of biological nurturing, exaggerated latch (or the 'flipple'), and the burger/sandwich hold, to ensure that baby is taking more than just the nipple (or lack thereof) - it's called breastfeeding, not nipple feeding, so don't put all your focus on what your nipples look like. Best of luck.

Oh, and as an aside, a good friend of mine fed exclusively from one side because the other had a severely inverted nipple. Her babies are very bonny indeed, and she's not lopsided :)

I bf 5 children from 1 breast,its possible.All mine gained weight and never had ant side affects.I too had an inverted nipple.Im lopsided but fuc it i didnt bf to become supermodel of the year.I done it cause i was to lazy to ff[joke]