High palate and breastfeeding

[3babesfull]

My dd is 4 months old and I have been struggling to feed her for most of the time. I have a son and a daughter and bf them both. I thought that my milk was low because I wasn't resting enough (school hols were rather hectic!)but then I was told that my dd had a high palate and I thought later that there might be a link. Anyway, searched the internet and it said that children with high palates find it difficult to latch on - this explained the clicking noise (however many times I latched on) and the reduction of milk. I am now, reluctantly, giving her formula and she has breast milk for a snack. Has anyone else had this problem? Have you managed to overcome it and bf or do you know a good teat to help her feed? Thanks alot!

Hiya, no experience, but have you thought about expressing?

Thanks, yes I have tried expressing - lots of effort, little reward!!

3babesfull
You might be able to get some guidance from CLAPA - the cleft lip and palate association. I know your dd doesn't fall within this category, but I would have thought that the problems would be similar.
Good luck!

3babes - what made you feel your supply was reducing/was low?

I was told dd had bubble palate. I expressed badly and ended up bottle feeding. She was also allergic to milk proteins and had lost a lot of weight. I foudn out when she was 3 months and spent a month shut in a darkened room trying to bf and got frustrated in the end. You could try a nipple sheild which will make your nipple longer and more like a bottle, or you could express or you could just go for formula. I did a bit of each until she was 6 months then gave up all pretence of bf. I found she got more if I did it lying down rather than sitting so tended to feed at night and in the morning but bottle fed when out. Sorry that this doesn't help you bf much.

Thanks fairyjay, i will look up the wesite - worth a go.
tiktok - I thought my milk was low because she fussed on the breast and pulled away, however, I knew there was some milk there as she had it around her mouth!!

Manitz- good idea, I could try a nipple shield at night, other people havd complained that these have caused them to overstimulate their breasts for milk - just what I need!

Thanks for all your advice ladies!!

3babes - I bet your milk supply is fine.

If fussing and pulling off is the only 'sign' of low milk, then I honestly don't think you need worry....unless you have been giving a lot of formula, and then this will have an impact on the supply.

My dd has a high palate and at first breast feeding was painful and made my nipples bleed because she sucked so hard. She also pulled off frequently due to milk coming too fast for her, making her cough and choke. Contacted La Leche League who sent someone round to help. She suggested instead of putting nipple in centre of dd's mouth when she latched on, put it at top of her mouth at upper gums, nearer to palate. It helped a lot.
On bottles, the 'cherry' bottle teats might help her as they are longer and would reach further up into her mouth.

Thanks for advice. I am still persevering but she laughs when being fed (not very encouraging!!) and is still only snacking. HOWEVER, last night she fed and did not need a supplementing bottle afterwards - HURRAH!!

3 babes, my DD also has a high palate and when she was younger (she's now 7.5 months old) used to "click" when she was sucking. This used to annoy DD and make her thrust and pull off the breast. What helped us was to make sure she took as much of the aerola into her mouth as possible so the nipple went further in her mouth.

We got over it and now she's a bit bigger we don't have the clicking at all and she's still breastfed (now on solids as well).

Lucy

@MWH how're you getting on?

@Lucy1977 howre you getting on?