5 month old: suddenly poor latch.

[Naschkatze]

DS is 5 months old, EBF. Had a hard time latching at the beginning but it had become easier and I was finally enjoying feeding him.
For the last few weeks though he is feeding right from the end of my nipple. When I latch him on (which doesn't require much help from me now) he immediately pulls back to the end. He isn't slipping, actually pulling away from my breast. I can't remember exactly when it started but it was quite a sudden change and now it's been a couple of weeks feeds are increasingly painful again and I'm a bit fed up!

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there anything I can try to make help him stay latched properly?

I had this with dd, we really struggled at first but she slowly got the hang of it, and we both enjoyed it but by 6 months she was doing what you describe, feeding right from the end of the nipple and it was getting a little painful. When we started weaning she shoved a spoon too far into her mouth in her enthusiasm for food, and suddenly started crying, we looked in her mouth and there was a bit of blood and on closer inspection she had broken the frenulum under her tongue. She had been checked multiple times by several different professionals for tongue tie and they had all missed it. I think as she was having more during a breastfeed she changed her latch out of frustration as her poor latch meant she wasn't getting a good flow of milk. Since she broke it her feeding has been far more efficient. I would get your DC checked by a lactation consultant, often midwives and even doctors miss it when they check when they are tiny so it is worth double checking as it will be a hard slog continuing to breastfeed through pain.

That's interesting Silk. I had a lot of help from a LC when he was tiny and he was checked so I think it's unlikely he has a TT, especially as he has always gained weight well?
I will bear it in mind though. I'm glad your DD is feeding more happily now.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I've tried holding him more firmly, various positions but he just gets frustrated and pulls away.

Only thing I can say (as I'm a new mum so learning as I go!) is that when I told a lactation consultant that my daughter pulled my nipple right out on occasion the LC said she was most likely trying to stimulate a let down.
My daughter has a tongue tie which is why I was seeing her but that's what she said when I mentioned it. Just a thought

My dd did this when she was teething so I'd have a few days of a dodgy latch. I eventually had to stop breastfeeding when she was 13 months as she had destroyed my nipple and I couldn't face it anymore.

Thanks both. I've had issues with a slow let down so it could be him trying to stimulate it. Don't know why he doesn't then go back to a normal latch though.

He could also be teething, definitely some other signs. Did it ever last as long as a few weeks for you SarahJones?

Around a week at a time. Then feeding would go back to normal then the latch would slip again next time she was teething.

Hello My DD is six months old and has BF well after struggling with tongue tie (missed by NHS and diagnosed at six weeks with a frenulotomy at eight weeks) but has been doing what you describe for some time now. It baffles me as she can and does do a textbook latch at times (lips splayed, chin tucked in) but other than that she puts her hand / fist on my pub to push herself away from it and feeds mostly from the nipple. As there are plenty of wet and dirty nappies and she's gaining weight well I've not been too worried. She is showing signs of teething so that could have something to do with it. Sorry not sure how helpful this is - I keep meaning to ask about it at my BFing support group.

*boob not pub

Moomin
That's exactly it. I know he can latch fine! Actually today it's better on one side so I'm hoping it's a phase.. I hope your DD stops doing it again soon as it's not the most comfortable!