Hello all,
This is my first time posting and I am a first time mum to a gorgeous 6 week old little girl. I was adamant throughout my pregnancy that I was going to breastfeed for the first year and tried to prepare myself by reading books, signing up to NCT. I'll admit that I had always been (secretly!) judgemental of friends who gave up breastfeeding after a few weeks, assuming that they just weren't trying hard enough. I think I am being taught my lesson now!!! Apologies in advance for a long message, I want to try and write all the facts to get any possible advice! :)
From the first night with my daughter my nipples got really sore. My latch was checked by lots of different midwives who all felt that it looked okay, but it continued to be painful. My nipples cracked, scabbed and bled and I started using nippleshields as it was the only way I could bear to feed her.
I tried different positions - mainly the football hold and laid back position, but neither significantly improved her latch.
Eventually on the recommendation of an NCT breastfeeding counsellor I went to see a tongue tie specialist/lactation consultant, who diagnosed a posterior tongue tie, and we chose to have this treated when she was just under two weeks old. This did seem to improve the latch slightly, but not completely, and I continued to use nippleshields because it was just too painful without. We've had follow up appointments and she now has good tongue mobility after the op.
We also used novogel dressings to try to heal the cracks.
The day after the tongue tie op I saw the LC again as I was in so much pain and she diagnosed thrush as I had constant burning and throbbing in my nipples, couldn't bear them to be touched by anything, and I have hypopigmentation on my areola. She prescribed me a 10 day course of fluconazole, Daktarin cream for my nipples, Canestan for my baby's bottom (which had a red rash) and Nystan for her mouth (she had no symptoms but it was to prevent her catching it orally from me). I finished the fluconazole and continued to use the cream for a couple of weeks. We have now both finished treatment for thrush.
A recent nibble swab and milk culture at my GP didn't show any thrush or bacterial infections, but my nipples are still sore and hypopigmented (although thinking back I actually think they have been this way for some time, starting during my pregnancy).
I've now been referred to a breastcare clinic to see if there is anything else going on, but I haven't got an appointment yet.
I've been feeding pretty much exclusively for the past 3 weeks using the nippleshields. A week ago I fed her for a day with no nippleshields and ended up with what looked and felt like a friction burn at the base of my nipple, where her tongue had been moving. I then used the nippleshields constantly again for a week and this week started again trying to introduce some feeds without the nippleshields (After going out without them and being forced to!).
Initially she seemed quite confused the first time I tried to feed her without the nippleshield, so I'm now trying to do at least one feed a day without nippleshield, but today have managed a few. She now seems to open her mouth wide enough, but will immediately pull back so that her latch quickly becomes shallow. I can feel her tongue again at the base of my nipple, but I'm very aware that I've lost all concept of what a good latch should feel like and that my nipples/areola are still so oversensitive sometimes it's hard for me to localise what I feel where! She still sometimes becomes extemely fussy when I feed her without the nipple shield, pulling back, twisting around, pulling off but then immediately screaming until she latches back on. She has had a few issues so sometimes I think this is due to wind, but it definitely seems to happen more when we aren't using the nipple shields. I think I do have a strong let down, (and sometimes feel it very painfully) but I don't think that's the issue as it doesn't always bother her.
Oh, and we have started having cranial osteopathy on the recommendation of the LC, had two sessions so far, I think it might have helped a little but then again I may just be imagining things/wishful thinking!!
Anyway, this post has got far too long, congratulations to anybody still reading!!! I guess I'm just looking for some advice about improving her latch, what I can do to help my nipples between feedings (the LC told me to stop with Lansinoh the first time I saw her, as it was preventing the cracks healing and allowing the thrush to breed) and just general encouragement if anybody else has been through a similar situation and it got better!!
Oh and also I express milk (which I also find quite sore!) and my husband gives her a bottle in the evenings to give me a break, particularly if she wants to clusterfeed which I find very difficult and painful. She is gaining weight, although slowly and is on the small side (25th percentile and today it seems from weighing her myself she might have dropped down into the 9th).
Thanks in advance and sorry for the rambling!!!! :)