Really struggling with breastfeeding

[CaptainWarbeck]

DD is 2 weeks old tomorrow. Latch on the left side has been generally fine, right side has been rubbish right from the start.

She doesn't open her mouth wide when you tickle her lip with the nipple, we always have a shallow latch which is absolutely excruciating at the start (about as painful as contractions) and dulls to a constant pinching pain during the feed. I've got nipple grazing and cracks on the right side. I hate latching off and on again because I know how painful each latch is and it never seems to improve much.

I've been using the left side more to rest the right and because it's less painful and now I'm worried I've damaged the supply on the right and will have wonky boobs.

Have seen: midwives, lactation consultant, talked to breastfeeding counsellor on phone, have had laser therapy from physio on right nip, tried nipple shields (baby hates them) and I don't know what to do next. She doesn't have a tongue tie just apparently a small mouth and high palate. Putting on weight fine so she's getting lots of milk.

I spent last night crying in bed trying to feed her on the right side while DH slept next to me. I won't use formula but the pain is just so awful and demoralising. Both breasts are sore and achy to touch between feeds and I don't know why. No obvious blocked ducts/mastitis. Breastfed my son no problems for 2 years.

Sorry so long. Any suggestions at all would be amazing as this is just so hard at the moment.

Could you pump and freeze the milk? Then introduce it in a bottle when LO is a bit older? At least it will keep the supply up. I found it really handy at Christmas to have a frozen stash as it allowed me to have a few drinks here and there on Christmas day. Safe in the knowledge there was no alcohol getting into DS.

My DS started refusing my right side at 4 months. I'm in the wonky boob stage right now as I just can't be bothered to express it anymore. I used to express and make milk Ice lollies to help with his teething but now he's on solids I don't bother as he has fruit smoothie lollies.

You aren't alone, but definitely recommend expressing if you are worried about supply.
I hope it gets better for you xxx

Apparently a high palate and lip tie go hand in hand with tongue tie. DS was 9 weeks and had seen countless midwives, GPs and paediatricians before his TT was diagnosed - 75% tie. Do get it looked at again. Best of luck.

Using lansinoh like it's going out of fashion medical.

Okay, I'll ask the lactation consultant about thrush as I'm seeing her again this week. I thought the GP was very quick to dismiss it.

Don't know who to get to look at the tongue tie issue again ouch and my... She doesn't tip her head back to latch and her tongue is hardly ever down when she opens her mouth but everyone who's looked in her mouth says it looks okay tongue tie wise. And surely we would have problems with the right breast too if that were the issue?

I'm so fed up of this pain. I just want someone to come and tell me what I'm doing wrong and fix it for me I read that poor latches due to small mouths tend to improve around 8-10 weeks - that's bloody ages!!

Ribena are you just feeding from the left side then? I'm half thinking we might end up doing the same at this rate. How wonky is the wonky boob stage? I'm a bit reluctant to be waking around with one engorged breast if she's late for a feed and one totally normal one, purely aesthetics wise.

Waking = walking

Have you tried the laid back approach (sometimes called biological nurturing)?
It's the approach where the baby is positioned down the body instead of across. The great thing about it is that they find their own latch without you doing a thing.
I was at my wits end 2 weeks into breastfeeding, every feed was excruciating, I gashes around my nipples that were horrendous from a shallow latch. As a last resort I went to a breast feeding support group and they showed me the laid back approach and it saved my breast feeding career, it took a further 5 weeks for the damage to heal but little by little with the new position it got better. I'm now 4.5 months in breast feeding is a breeze and I'm so glad I persevered, one of my greatest achievements.
I bottle fed my first two, I just didn't have the circumstances/couldn't get to grips with BF. Having experienced both I'd say it's true what people say, the first 6-8 weeks of breast feeding are harder than bottle feeding but once you've cracked the breast feeding you'll be so happy you continued, no feeling like it x

DS fed fine from the left but caused huge pain from the right. Has anyone felt inside her mouth? You can't diagnose by looking, they need to have a good feel. It does sound exactly the same as DS to me.

I've heard amazing things about silver cups for healing cracked nipples.
Have you tried compressing around the nipple before a feed to get it to stand out more? Also, take a handful of breast tissue (including nipple) and try to shove it in baby's mouth like a big burger! You can even have someone else help you with this. With a newborn, it really helps to try to get as much of the breast in their mouth as possible. If your breasts are engorged, you might have to hand express a little first.

Tutu that's pretty much the only way we feed at the moment! A counsellor recommended it over the phone and it's been the best way to get a decent latch on either side. It means I can't feed in front of anyone though which is a bit of a pain.

My that's really interesting it sounds similar. DH has an ENT friend, might see what he thinks. I've exhausted available lactation consultants at this point without paying privately for one.

Fruit I've been trying the burger thing, she just fusses and won't latch unless I let her do it herself. Very frustrating! Will look up silver cups.

I do just feed off the left now and have been for the past 4 months.

Well they arent wonky as such, just one bigger than the other. When i go out i use a good supportive bra with padding on one side and they look fine. I know once I stop breastfeeding they will both be the same size again.

My ds is 6 weeks but I had this at around the 2 week mark too! Couldn't figure out what was going on, took antibiotics for mastitis which did improve things a bit but once the course finished the pain was still there, I was doing a mix of expressing and gritting my teeth through feeding and was considering going back to the GP until suddenly it stopped. Sorry this probably isn't helpful and I still don't really know what was going on there, mix of the mastitis and a crap latch on that side?

Sorry I can't help with most but the Madela shields worked for us as you can buy different sizes unlike the others. I have small nipples so they were the only shields that worked for us. Hope you find a solution