Shallow latch effect weight gain?

[Sugarbug17]

My daughter is 3 & 1/2 weeks old and we’ve had a turbulent BF journey so far... post labour health issues (failed episiotomy stitches), mastitis, tongue tie, infected nipples from latch damage!

I had mastitis last week which cleared up this weekend... DD had tongue tie which was corrected last Tuesday... so we’ve had a number of set backs

We’re still learning to feed properly following tongue tie... but she is currently feeding, feeding, feeding... today at her weigh in she has maintained weight (still 8 Oz off birth weight)

Her latch is a little better since tongue tie procedure... but I’m wondering if it’s a little too shallow - would a shallow latch effect weight gain?

I’m not trained and I think with all that you are experiencing I think you might be best speaking to one of the Bfing Support Lines, have you got the numbers?

Have a read of this on Biological Nuturing which may help improve baby’s latch.

Congratulations on your new LO too

It didn’t affect my DD. She also had a shallow latch and a tongue tie (corrected, but at 6 weeks so her latch continued to be shallow).

After much critique from various experts I went with the approach that a poor latch was better than no latch, and as my nipples hadn’t fallen off we were probably doing ok.

She’s nearly 8 months and hasn’t deviated much from the 50th centile aside from the first couple of weeks where her weight dropped a bit.

If you’re feeding ok and not in pain you’re probably both doing fine!

At 3 weeks you’re both still learning. Try going back to basics, snuggled up in bed or on the sofa for skin to skin and constant feeding. Don’t be afraid to keep taking her off and relatching till she gets a deeper latch ( or too hungry and frustrated)
Google the flipple technique, good for getting a deeper latch, as is laid back feeding or lying down.

Oh and congratulations and well done for giving her this great start. Be kind to yourself, those first few weeks are tough. Still feeding my second at 2years so it does get easier

I'd say everything you've been through will have affected baby's weight gain! Try to just keep going with feeding on demand and with the other issues sorted you should see a decent pick up from here. Just keep an eye on it. Shallow latch in itself wouldn't worry me too much.

Ps on my first we didn't hit birthweight till day 29!

northdownmummy flipple! I'd totally forgotten about that. Worked a dream with DS. Totally worth a try!