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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

2 day old baby breastfeeding help

11 replies

Clarabell78 · 04/07/2013 21:16

I gave birth by cesarean section yesterday morning and had wanted to breastfeed. Milk isn't in yet. And he was screaming and my nipples are in tatters. I haven't slept yet as he won't settle so I gave in and gave him some formula so we could both rest and try again with breast once a bit rested... Have I ruined my chances of being able to breastfeed??

OP posts:

SweepTheHalls · 04/07/2013 21:19

Not at all, use loads of lasinoh, try to express a little if you Cana Nd rub it onto your nipples and let it air dry. Shields work for some people too. Congratulations!

pixiegumboot · 04/07/2013 21:24

YY to nipple shields. good luck keep going

TooManyDicksOnTheDancefloor · 04/07/2013 21:25

Has anyone checked your latch? I had the same problem and my baby was tongue tied.

Beamur · 04/07/2013 21:29

Not at all - took me a few days for any sort of supply to get sorted. The midwives at my hospital were fab and supported my attempts and did suggest using a little formula as I was getting so very sore. But after a few agonising weeks (had badly cracked nipple on one side) it all went very well. Lansinoh was my salvation.
Keep going and don't get disheartened - recovering from a CS is tough too as you will find it hard to move around. Have you tried feeding lying on your side? That worked well for us.

MrsBri · 04/07/2013 21:34

Once your milk is in rub some on your nipples as it will REALLY assist healing.

I had to do the same for DDF after my EMCS and am mostly breast feeding now. Don't worry.

stargirl1701 · 04/07/2013 21:37

No, not at all.

Can you ask your midwife for hydrogel pads (known as circular wound shield in the NHS, I think)? They will help soothe your nipples and prevent infection entering your body through cracks, etc. They are amazing straight from the fridge

Is there an Infant Feeding Co- ordinator in the hospital? Please ask your midwife if she can pop along to see you.

Nipple shields may help. It's worth trying to see. I certainly used them to get through some feeds!

Are you on painkillers? Are they working? Do you feel the pain is under control?

Call a midwife every time you latch your LO on. They may not always have the time but it's worth getting the latch checked as often as possible.

Congrats on the birth of your baby!

noblegiraffe · 04/07/2013 21:39

Your milk probably won't come in for another day or so, and when it does, you will probably feel dreadful, so just be warned that the hormones are awful!

If your nipples hurt, you need to get help with latching baby on properly. If baby is struggling to latch properly, ask a midwife to help you hand express into a syringe (will only be a tiny amount of colostrum) and feed baby that way if you want to avoid formula.

Lansinoh is key to helping your nipples heal. Slather it on after every feed.

LikeCandy · 04/07/2013 21:59

Good luck! I remember it well, after EMCS my milk came in at day 5/6. My nipples were raw and baby had blisters on her lips from all the sucking!
Try lashings of lansinoh and know it will get easier :)

Congratulations!

Original poster

Clarabell78 · 04/07/2013 23:23

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to reply , I'm in tears here reading through... Hormones are everywhere and I felt like such a bad mummy earlier for giving in and giving him a bottle so quickly. My pain has been worse than I thought it would be so have asked for more painkillers and am going to speak to feeding specialist tomorrow xx

OP posts:

meso · 04/07/2013 23:31

Huge congratulations on the birth of your baby!!
You are definitely not a bad mummy!!! I used nipple shields for ages with both mine as they were tongue tied, get someone to check as its very often missed and can really make things harder for you and baby.
Good luck!

Ps if you feel up to it you can call La Leche League or NCT breast feeding helplines, useful to remember once you're home and don't have 24 hour midwives available!

Gomez · 04/07/2013 23:37

So a little formulae won't have stopped your chances of breastfeeding.

3 sections day 5 days on each occasion before milk came in. At which point I could have fed the town so relax.

It is hard. Try to latch every couple of hours as that is what brings in your milk and it will help loads.

You will become engorged soon - hand express to make your boob less hard and a latch easier.

Give it 4 weeks. It is much worth it.

But it is fecking hard, my third was the worst by far and if I hadn't already fed 2 I would have given in. Don't.

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