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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

I'm in so much pain I want to give up

60 replies

OnlyWantsOne · 01/09/2012 13:09

Dd3 is 9 days old

My nipples are blistered and bleeding
Feeding is agony.

I've been using a sheild some feeds to rest
Nipples but she doesn't feed properly. Or drain breast. Think now have mastitis (red patches on one breast hurts hot lumpy)

So I either use sheild and feed inefficiently for hours and get mastitis or rip my nipples to shit.

I cannot go on in this agony

OP posts:
Original poster
OnlyWantsOne · 01/09/2012 20:15

But I have been feeding DD2 right up until dd3 born & I've loved feeding her

I want the same with DD3 :(

OP posts:
chocolateistheenemy · 01/09/2012 20:25

OP did you post about this a few days ago? I am sorry if so, didn't realise it was you. Fwiw my sister had this experience with DD2- ebf no probs with DD1 but sheer agony second time DD2 basically ripped her nipples off with her strong sucking reflex. She had to stop after 4 days as was so ill. She worried very much about the bond but it has all been absolutely fine and DD2 has continued to be a feisty madam to this day Grin

JollyBear · 01/09/2012 20:32

Have you tried the rugby ball hold? I found that much easier as I could see what I was doing.

Do you feel she is latching wrong each time? Or is it agony because it opens the cracks?

Original poster
OnlyWantsOne · 01/09/2012 20:46

It's all agony but slightly better wen she takes more breast from under the nipple rather than the nipple itself but she's getting really frustrated and cross as am i

OP posts:
gemma4d · 01/09/2012 20:48

DD2, my nipples were not just cracked - they were destroyed. I was using breast pads to absorb the blood between feeds. Midwife visiting me had a fit when she saw - but she couldn't really help. I went to see the breastfeeding specialist at my hospital and she helped me with latch. What really shocked me was the pain stopped instantly that she latched on properly. I had been thinking, "maybe dd2 is latched on and it just hurts because I'm in a mess" but I was very wrong.

So my opinion is, 1) if its hurting then baby is still not latched on and so is doing more damage, and 2) get help. If the midwife didn't help you enough then try another, or ask who is best at helping with BFing, or try eg La Leche League.

DD2 is now 1.5 and still BF. Only hurts when she bites now!
Good luck, it can be done if you want it.

ObviouslyInvisible · 01/09/2012 20:49

I found lying on my side with DS snuggled in next to me helped, as I didn't have to worry about holding him and could concentrate on getting my nipple in his mouth properly.

I agree with Shenanagins, that maybe expressing and feeding from a cup for a couple of days, could help give your nipples a chance to heal. You can then start afresh, hopefully with less pain.

Original poster
OnlyWantsOne · 01/09/2012 20:51

How do you cup feed?

OP posts:
Trazzletoes · 01/09/2012 20:53

You poor thing, OP. I second the cup feeding - helped me with DS. I was encouraged to express milk in to the sterilised lid of a baby bottle and allow DS to sip milk out of that.

Also, if your breasts are really full of milk, it makes it harder for DC to latch on properly. Again, I was told to express a little bit before a feed to soften up the breast again and that would allow DS to latch on properly. I really hope you get it sorted.

ObviouslyInvisible · 01/09/2012 20:56

I was given a little cup with a lip on the postnatal ward - You put your expressed milk in it, sit your baby up and just hold the cup so the milk sloshes at their lips a little. They feel it and start to lap it up. Ask your midwife, or one of the helpline numbers you've been given on this thread. I will have a google and see if I can find any links to demonstrate. The idea of it is that it avoids your baby getting used to sucking from a bottle when you are intending to return to BF.

ObviouslyInvisible · 01/09/2012 20:57

Yes, the sterilised lid of a bottle is perfect.

Original poster
OnlyWantsOne · 01/09/2012 20:59

How do I get more breast in her mouth?!?!

OP posts:
bemybebe · 01/09/2012 21:02

Also, check the baby for oral thrush. Apparently a very common reason for poor latch missed by hps.

bemybebe · 01/09/2012 21:04

Check this out. WE had it.

ObviouslyInvisible · 01/09/2012 21:06

I've found showing a baby being cup fed. There are quite a few videos on there.

I often fed with Ds lying beside me, with his mouth slightly lower than my nipple so he had to look up for it. I used my fingers to hold either side of my areola (not too tightly) and guide my nipple and tissue from under my nipple into his mouth.

SirBoobAlot · 01/09/2012 21:09

Here are a series of videos about latch and everything else you can think of to do with breastfeeding. They can be really helpful, they're really straight forward.

ObviouslyInvisible · 01/09/2012 21:13

There are videos showing different feeding positions and tips for getting a good latch too.

is quite good.

I also found that stripping DS's clothes off before feeding him helped keep him more awake. He used to nod off after a minute - he was a very sleepy baby to begin with.

Original poster
OnlyWantsOne · 01/09/2012 21:14

Bemybebe - what do they do for thrush? Have text my MW and asked her about it

OP posts:
ObviouslyInvisible · 01/09/2012 21:15

Cross-post with SirBoobAlot. Those are good videos!

GummiberryJuice · 01/09/2012 21:18

My midwife recommended glycerine and whiskey, mix up and rub on nipple air dry it works wonders, if it didn't I was planning to drink the whiskey but between that, nipple shield and expressing from sore side it all healed up good luck

3littlerabbits · 01/09/2012 21:18

Really soory to hear this. I had a similar sounding experience with dc2. Feeding was agony - I mean screaming and shouting and crying agony. Awful. Turned out baby had thrush and was passing it to my nipples then back to her mouth gain. Took so long to sort out, because took a long time to diagnos and then treat both of us, then my nipples (cracjed bleeding ouch) had to heal. Didnt have a pain free feed til about 11 weeks. Grim. But, we got through it and fed beautifully until 14 months.

I did a lot of expressing and a few formula bottles to get us through.

Good luck, thinking of you x

3littlerabbits · 01/09/2012 21:21

Just saw question about how to treat thrush. I had antibiotics, baby had oral drops (nystatin) then doc gave me a steriod cream which i used a tiny drop of just once on my nipples.

3littlerabbits · 01/09/2012 21:23

Also read somewhere (i read everything going at the time) that sometimes just takes babys mouth to grow a bit bigger to allow enough room to feed comfortably, that thought kept me going also!)

hersuit · 01/09/2012 21:34

Teaspoon of vinegar in a cup of water to wash nipples with for thrush. LLL told me about that one. It might smart a bit but until you can get to docs and get cream for your nipples and baby's mouth prescribed, it will help kill the yeast

All sounds very tough going :(

Don't worry that you won't be able to carry on though, whether it is thrush or TT, or just a case of working on latch, you'll get through it.

DS2 didn't feed at all until 11 days and we still got him going inthe end. He had TT and loads of other problems. I found using an exagerrated latch really good & did so until he was a few months old. This vid is pretty good . The bit where she kind of flicks his top lip up a bit makes a big difference to latch.

Good luck, hope an end is in sight for you.

Original poster
OnlyWantsOne · 01/09/2012 21:34

Have put the nipple sheild back on. Now I know she isn't feeding efficiently though :(

OP posts:
hersuit · 01/09/2012 21:47

We were given nystatin cream for my nipples and daktarin for baby's mouth by the way.

Everything you need to know about thrush: www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/BfN_Thrush_leaflet_Feb_2009.pdf

You must be sick of links! It's a good leaflet though.

Wishing you a more comforatble night.