5 week old ds, not latching properly, feels like tongue or something obstructing nipple...

[smk84]

Hi, DS is just over 5 weeks and every so often he latches on but can't get any milk out (we are doing everything as we normally would). He goes through his regular suck pattern, and the milk doesn't come to begin with, and things feel very strange. I don't know exactly what is going on inside his mouth, but it feels like something might be over my nipple (perhaps his tongue or top lip?). This seems to happen about once a day at the moment, other feeds are fine. He gets very frustrated and keeps trying to suck, and sometimes a little milk will come, but it's not a proper feed. He doesn't have a tongue tie (he did have a slight posterior one snipped about 10 days ago, but this was happening before then anyway). Have tried putting him in skin to skin, and bathing him, but doesn't seem to make any difference. On previous days, it has either righted itself during a feed after a few attempts at latching, but tonight it hasn't yet, and it really stresses me. Any ideas please anyone? Many thanks.

If he had tongue tie then he could also have a high arch pallet they often go hand in hand. You could try an exaggerated latch, you hold the nipple and sort of flip it into the back of the mouth when trying to get him to latch on. I'd google it for some video's.

This would help now but it would be good to get some more help with feeding. Who cut the tounge tie did they give you breastfeeding support to?

Sounds like tt. The snip isn't always a cure all; if he's got used to sucking one way he might continue. Did you do post op massage to prevent tt re-occurrence? Also cranial osteopathy can really help, worked wonders for us - would recommend you start taking him.

i haven't done that becs, my brain is so foggy i completely forgot (someone mentioned it on another post). thank you both for your comments - haven't had the tongue in front of nipple feeling for a few days now, so hoping we are over it.