Difficulty establishing feeding (day 5) looking for advice to keep my nerve.

[Lyra75]

I'd be really grateful for any advice that anyone has on those early days of breastfeeding, especially those who have done so with larger breasts! Sorry for the long post.

I've just been discharged from hospital with a gorgeous 5 day old baby boy, but the breast feeding isn't going so well. I don't think I was very well helped in hospital. On day 3 his weight had gone down by 10.7% and so they advised top up with EBM and formula. I feel guilty now that I agreed so readily, but I was still a bit shell shocked from a 48 hour labour followed by an emergency section that when they suggested he might be losing too much weight I just agreed. They also kept mentioning the size of my breasts like it was a big problem, not to mention fairly demoralising when you're not feeling so great about your shape anyway!

We're now home and I realise that I don't really know what I'm doing at all and am worried that we might not crack this. At the moment I'm feeding 3 hourly (often having to wake him up), I'm not sure how well he's feeding (if any). Then he has top up EBM (this has just really been the past 24 hours, I think getting home relaxed me enough) and then some formula.

I'd be really grateful if you have any advice. Thanks.

Well done Lyra - it does get easier and easier

Oh I'm so happy to read your positive post - 8oz in 2 days is amazing - well done!!! Keep us posted how you get on!

BIG BOOB ADVICE _ lay baby on pillow on your lap. Take boob in hand and gently hold around nipple area to reduce the width. Point it towards babys mouth and let them latch on. Can be tricky but as they are on a pillow you have 2 hands free to fiddle with your breast and get it in position. Another common problem can be a fast letdown. DD practically drowned for the first month or two. If you have chance express a little first into a tissue to ease the flow.

Do not worry about the tummy to Mummy etc, "needs must" and if you have not got any tummy showing because you are so big (as I was) then you have to find a position that works for you.
HTH

Fantastic Well done! Its great when you really feel like you're getting somewhere. I know I kept looking at other considerably smaller chested women bfing and being so envious at how easy it was for them to feed baby with one arm, cup of tea in the other, so relaxed when I was propped up on pillows, no bra, feeling I would never work it out.
I fed for nearly 18 months so I guess we 'worked it out'
Hope it all just gets easier and easier.

Really great to hear you sounding so empowered Lyra.
Well done!

lyra - i was wondering about you. pleased it is a bit easier. xooxooxo

Lyra, an alternative positioning tip I've seen Mears (Midwife, v v well trained in bf matters) give on here is to lie your baby on your lap and let your boobs sit in their natural position. She calls it the 'angle of the dangle'. That way you're not left trying to hold your boob up, which gets hugely uncomfortable if baby is feeding for an hour or half smothering the baby wen you let go and it drops to where it should be!

Her advice is basically, don't use a cushion/pillow, etc to start with, don't hold your boob, just shape your nipple a bit so baby can get a grip. Once baby's latched on, if you then find you need some kind of support you can get your dp to put it in the right place.

Hope that makes sense!

Olihan my friend feeds like that, she lays her baby on her lap and just dangles her boobs down. Looks quite cool actually

Just a wee update for everyone who has been so supportive - midwife visited today and DS has put on more weight - now back up above his birthweight and he's only Day 8! We're now 48 hours with exclusive breastfeeding and feeling very pleased with us both!! We've still got a bit of a way to go with the positioning but I'm going to go to a breastfeeding workshop run by a very supportive BFC tomorrow. Now that I'm more confident that there is milk, that he is putting on weight and that we will crack this we're going to experiment with some of your solutions - the angle of the dangle sounds like it's definitely worth a go !

I am delighted for you

Yay!!! COngrats to you!

congrats. so pleased for you. You will be so glad thst you persevered! I almost gave up in the early days and felt so let down that it wasn't as easy as i was lead to believe. It sounds like you are both well on your way now, and it will just get easier! well done. x

Lyra - well done I'm pleased it is starting to improve. I think you will love BFing your LO