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Infant feeding

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

Is 7 weeks too old to get the latch right?

9 replies

Haylebop12 · 12/11/2013 14:38

DS is 7 weeks.

Brief back story...
was in neonatal for first week due to pneumonia, wouldn't maintain latch so was offered nipple shield. Grabbed it with both hands as until he was feeding they wouldn't allow his out. Carried on with shields and finally weaned him off by five weeks. Half his feeds are ebm by bottle as I find bf on demand and having another child hard work so this helps me to do school run on time, housework etc.

The problem...
First latch good and has been checked but lately, i think as my let down happens as its a few sucks into it, he readjusts himself so that his bottom lip is no longer flanged (if thats the right word) and it hurts. I unlatch and relatch, same again, first its good then he readjusts, and repeat. Hes getting what he wants and is satisfied by my nips are sore and I find Im giving him ebm more often when actually i'd like to be feeding him deirectly more often.

He has been checked for tongue tie although I may ask again... who else apart from my bf support worker could check for this? BF support said possible posterior but The hv said def not TT. Is it too late to be snipped if so?

Can he learn to keep his latch now or have we missed the boat? Is it a case of relatching constantly because feeding out and about is gonna be such a hassle! I checked the way he sucks on his bottle incase he was mimicking that but his lips are both flanged. I have looked into exaggertaed latch too because he doesnt open his mouth enough most of the time and that works, but again not all the time. I use the middle finger of the hand I shape my breast with to pull his bottom lip down.

Any advice?

OP posts:
Haylebop12 · 12/11/2013 15:55

Bump...

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Weemee · 12/11/2013 16:24

Hi Haylebop... I don't think that its too late. With dd1 I didn't get latch sorted till around 10 weeks. I had reached breaking point and was gearing up to stop at 12 weeks if things hadnt improved. I now know latch wasnt great from day 1 and the damage from early days hadnt had the chance to heal. It took a lot of effort (unfortunately that meant unlatching to correct and relatching) for a couple of weeks but sorted itself out that quickly with some concentration from me and expressing on the painful side to let my nipples heal ( I don't mean you aren't concentrating but I wasn't iyswim). I had to seek out support and really pushed to get it. It worked well I kept going with dd1 for 15 months! You've done great getting to this point push for support and advice! All the best Smile

Haylebop12 · 12/11/2013 16:33

Thank you for replying :-)

He gets frustrated when I keep unlatching him, which is understandable as he's hungry. However last night he was better but there again he wasn't starving unlike this morning. Maybe it's a good idea to make sure he's not starving on every feed?

The HV suggested I may be too full/firm breasts and he's too hungry so he's not concentrating iyswim. Glad it's not too late, I'd like to carry on until 6 months ideally.

I'm going to my bf group tomorrow so hopefully will get some stuff to try.

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gretagrape · 12/11/2013 16:42

Definitely not too late as long as you can get decent support.

My son was diagnosed with cow's milk allergy through my breast milk at 8 weeks - due to his constant discomfort/unhappiness when feeding his technique was awful but it didn't put him off - I went dairy free and once he wasn't ingesting dairy he soon perfected it!

Not relevant to your specific issue but just wanted you to know that it's never too late!

Haylebop12 · 12/11/2013 16:46

It's frustrating because I know he can do it!

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mawbroon · 12/11/2013 17:05

This behaviour is something that a tongue tied baby might do. He may find that he has more success with the position he moves himself into with the lower lip curled in.

But obviously nobody can diagnose from your post!

You need an expert. Where are you based?

Haylebop12 · 12/11/2013 17:09

Wet midlands. We have breast feeding buddies for support. He's definitely not got a normal TT (at the front) and he can get his tongue further then his bottom lip...

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Haylebop12 · 12/11/2013 17:18

Just to add the bf buddies are not medically trained, they are volunteers who have done the courses etc. mne has been bf for 3 years so she's fairly clued up.

Who (medically) would I see to check for TT?

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Haylebop12 · 12/11/2013 17:19

Oh and west* midlands although it has been fairly wet recently Hmm

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