new mum breast feeding needs HELP

[valleymum]

Hi everyone, I have a 3week old boy, its my first child, I ended up having a c section, which made breast feeding difficult from the onset, i.e. good positioning.

After many failed attempts to get baby latched on and on the verge of giving up someone suggested nipple shields, which proved to be a god sent as baby latched on with no problems.

My concerns are these, he won?t latch on without a shield, and he seems to be never satisfied and often falls asleep at the nipple, then wake within an hour or so hungry again. At approximately 4am he starts making loud noises, constantly fidgeting, waving arms and legs around and going red in the face as if he has a bad stomach, he also breaks wind quite a lot and it?s very noisy, his poo looks normal and he doesn?t appear to be constipated. He sleeps soundly in the day. Any advice help or hints warmly welcomed and much appreciated, new mum and not sure if this is normal baby stuff.

There is a recent thread on this. I'll look for it.

here

It also has the nct breastfeeding number too.

3 weeks is pretty normal for frequent, knackering to mum feeding.

If he's very windy, you could try laying him on his back and moving his legs as if he is cycling - bending his thighs GENTLY over his tummy with legs bent at knees. Baby massage is said to help too, there are some good books out there.
Apologies for stupid question, but you are winding him after feeds, aren't you? Just I know Miriam Stupid Stoppard says in one book that b/f babies don't need winding. Not true. Also, if it is wind that's the problem, you could try Infacol or Gripe water from the pharmacy.
Sorry can't help re nipple shields but hope it all goes OK.

have you ever tried the rugby hold...
to feed from the right breast
put the baby on a pillow with his body lying under your arm along under your right side - this may help him latch better.

He might be taking more air in because of the shield. ds started on them but was feeding directly from breast within the 10 days or so. It doesn't sound that unusual behaviour for a 3 week old and will get better but in the meantime perhaps learning some massage techniques and getting some help with the positioning and latching on would help. Could you contact either NCT bfeeding line, La Leche League or local bfeeding cousellor who could advise you over the phone or visit you.

iirc I got ds to take breast by starting a feed with shield and then once he had been feeding a few minutes, remove it and try latching on to the same one again. That way the frantic hungry part is over and you are both more relaxed.

valleymum, I didn't ever use nipple shields but I do remember reading that a good idea was to start to cut away a little bit of them every day until eventually your baby doesn't need them any more.

Aside from that, many of the other things you mention are really typical in my experience. The falling asleep on the nipple, fussing and seeming 'unsatisfied', and especially the early morning digestive noises! My dd used to drive us nuts between 4-6am making the most awful straining grunting noises. I put ear plugs in in the end as I knew I'd hear through them if she was actually crying. Between 3-6 weeks was without doubt her windiest time, it got much easier after that.

I used nipple shields to start with and keep trying a bit at a time to take them away. I think I had done it bythe time she was about 5 weeks. I am still breast feeding her now (without shields) and she is 2 in a week.

valleymum - both of my daughters were breastfed and always breaking wind and pooing constantly so i wouldn't worry about that as i think it is very common for a breastfed baby. I used a nipple sheild on one side as my breast had ballooned and the nipple was flat so unable to latch on! I found using the sheild until the boob had 'deflated' and then taking the shield off did help alot and dd1 was too engrossed in her milk to kick up a fuss.

valleymum my dd is 5wks also c section birth and didn't have a suck reflex so didn't get any breastfeeding done until after 1 week old. She is also a windy baby and we have found infacol is working well now. The position she takes in the least wind when feeding is lying down.
I have also been trying to notice when it is worse (7-midnight) but it was hysterical screaming wind the two days I had baked beans for breakfast. (no more baked beans for me) You may also want to do a food diary to see if that makes any difference.
No experience of nipple shields sorry but I had to do formula top up at 3 weeks as I couldn't satisfy her during that growth spurt.

Hi valleymum,

Congrats on your ds.

Nipple shields can be good to help a baby feed when they are finding it difficult to latch on. The nipple shield will 'disguise' the not so good position. Sucking on a nipple shield is different/less work for the baby than latching onto the nipple. Have you tried to feed without the nipple shield at a feed when your little one is not so hungry so that he'll be able to latch on slowly&calmly? Feeding lying down could relaxing for you and ds.

If he's falling alseep at the breast he might just be getting the foremilk and missing out on some of the hindmilk. The foremilk is the thirst quenching part & the hindmilk is full of richness. Some babys are sleepy and have to be woken up to continue to feed. You could try tickling his feet, blowing air onto his head or even resort to a wet flannel or nappy change; One tip that worked for me was just to put dd in her cot - she woke up in no time!! As he wakes and continues to feed after an hour or so he could be getting too much foremilk which I think can be a cause of disruptive insides. Ensuring ds has both foremilk & hindmilk could sort this. You could let him feed from one side until he has completed a feed - waking him and just leting him continue until he finishes and your breast might feel emptier (though not all mums feel this).

But he could be needing to feed both for hunger and for comfort - which is good for getting your breastmilk supply established. There'll be growth spurts coming up and ds could be anticipating this. My dd had lots of wind - even when we were out & about so we gots lots of strange looks!

Good luck -

Hi Valleymum
good luck with the breastfeeding. I failed with my first and succeeded with my second thanks mostly to a brilliant video I hired from the local library about breastfeeding. I sat and watched it several times to learn the technique to ensure successful latching on. It worked a treat with 2nd child. With first I had no idea and just thought you shoved the thing in. I ended up with cracked nipples that bled and had pus coming out of them. I remember asking the doc if the pus would effect the baby. Yuk!!! I tried shields and then started to cut them back using scissors. But it was a lost cause. Pop down to your library and check out the video. Not sure who produced it cd be NCT but I never had the so soooooo painful nipples 2nd time around. Good luck. You are doing well!

Thanks everyone for all the great advice, ds(darling son I assume)is feeding great sleeping for longer, What works, ds latches on not to bad Rugby style on the left side after starting with nipple shield (to much of a fight between us to start straight on the nipple), and pretty good on the right side again after starting with nipple shield, I tried to extend the time between feeds starting with approx 10mins and building up to approx 1hr, he now seems to take more at one feed and doesn?t fall asleep so much at the breast, there is still a lot of ear, hand and feet tickling though. He now goes approx 3hrs between a feed which is sooooo much better and we both seem to be happy. :0

I didn?t manage to get a video, but did get a good book which seems to help.
I Had started using infacol and the midwife told me it was more suitable for older babies?, ds still suffers a little with wind, so we wind in-between a feed and at the end, also helps keep ds awake. I have read on the forum about a product called Infants Friend, anyone know any info about this product and were it can be purchased from.

Once again big thanks for all the help

Its good to realise that all the things I have been experiencing are quite typical and normal new born baby behaviour, the 4-6 noises, the chicken korma poos, the rather loud and ample full bottom burping.

I took the time to read all and try as many of the suggestions as possible, Sorry it took a while for the reply, still settling in to this new life, and learning to typing with one hand while adoring the little face staring back at me in the other.

aaaah sounds so sweet. I'm getting all nostalgic for those newborn days and ds is only 9 months! glad some of these suggestions helped.