How can I get baby to latch on?? HELP asap!!

[Baretoes]

My DD is 30 hrs old and as yet, has fed once very briefly and now won't latch on to my breast. I can sometimes get the nipple in but she won't suck.

HELP!!!

congratulations !! and bump for you.......

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I had the same problem. I gave EBM for the 1st week, and tried DS on the breast for 20 mins every time, before giving the bottle of EBM. I found the way the pump drew the nipple out, and covered it with milk made it eaier for DS. I also fed with DS under my arm, so his feet were sort of behind my back. Also on a V pillow helped.

rubbing their hands aswell can help the sucking action apparently.

i had same prob with ds, try rubbing nipple up and down over the lips. I'm no expert but maybe she is still tried after the birth, if worried phone midwife.
By the way CONGRATULATIONS and don't worry

I'm sure some experts will be along to help, but in the meantime, if you need more support there are a couple of helplines below. Midwives usually visit for the first 7 days which can be helpful. At this early stage it is really good if you can get someone to visit you - the NCT has volunteers who will do this.

"If you'd like more information on breastfeeding, contact the Breastfeeding Network on 0870 900 8787 or go to www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk. You can also ring the NCT breastfeeding helpline, which offers support and advice from breastfeeding counsellors. You can call them on 0870 444 8708. The line is open 8am-10pm, seven days a week. Or try La Leche League, an international charity, founded almost 50 years ago, giving information and encouragement, mainly through personal help to all mothers who want to breastfeed their babies. Their helpline is 0845 120 2918."

Bumping this for you and just wanted to comment that it is really really quiet today, with people obviously busy before Christmas .

I feel very true to my feminist principles here refusing to buckle under the pressure while dh shirks his responsibilities.

Hope you are having some success.

You might try expressing a bit and then putting expressed milk on your nipple so that she gets the idea that that's where the milk comes from.

But do call one of the helplines urgently and try to get someone to see you in person.

Baretoes, you may find it hard to find a volunteer who can actually visit you at this time, but this should not be necessary - the midwife will visit you and should do until your feeding well established.

The most important thing in getting a baby attached is calm, patient 'enabling'....no pushing, shoving, slotting, ramming, smooshing....and anyone who does this should be told to get their hands off !

Keep your baby close to you, skin to skin if you can, and don't make a massive performance number out of getting her to feed. Think of 'enabling' her rather than 'getting' her to do this. Take a bath with her let her rest on your chest, feet towards your feet, and she may just do it herself (you will need help with this, and someone to sloosh warm water over her back). Try to mimic this co-bathing position on dry land.

In the meantime, hand express colostrum and help her to have it from a spoon or little cup - this keeps her hydrated and tells your body to make milk

But main thing is - get the midwife to come and see you today.

gosh thank you all. the midwife came and we are now getting somewhere!! I think she was just too sleepy to be bothered. My nipples are so sore!!!! I am trying very hard not to get stressed at feed time....I can do this, I can do this, i can do this!!!!

It is hard at first, but worth it. Nipples being sore is fairly common, the main cause being the latching on technique.

Hope you find it gets easier. If it helps, can you get hold of a copy of "Bestfeeding" by Mary Renfrew? This is really good for advice in the early days of breastfeeding, and is usually stocked in bookshops.

This would be useful as it is likely that it will be harder to get additional support over Xmas and NY.

Good luck.