Advice on progressing from the football hold, help!!

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

I'm a bit stuck, I've always used the football hold with ds supported by three cushions, but now he's 8 weeks old he's just discovered his legs and likes to use them at every opportunity! So when I get him latched on, he stretches his legs out against the back of the sofa and pushes himself up off my nipple with a painful POP!

I'm trying to find a better variation on this hold as the others still don't work (saggy boobs, if I try to latch him on in any normal cross hold I end up needing about five hands so I can hold him, support my boob, and hold it away from his nose so he can breathe)

Any experienced breastfeeders out there who might be able to advise?

Roll up a muslin and pop it under your breast! That might help.

I've tried it, it doesn't work. You'd have to see me doing it to see what I mean but just trust me, it doesn't work with my boobs at all. Can't feed on my side either, only the football hold works, hence why I'm frustrated and stressed now he's fighting against it!

Anyone got any ideas? Other than swapping to the starting-to-be-rather-attractive option of ff...

Hm...maybe less cushions and your little one more in a sort of sitting position in the rugby hold?
Not sure I am explaining it well...but basically then the pushing with legs of the sofa shouldn't happen then...

At first i always used the football hold and couldn't do the others very well (big boobs and painful feeding) but as ds got bigger and had more head control i moved to holding him the usual 'cradle' hold.

Also, have you tried lying down on a bed to feed? At first i found it a bit difficult, but now i've got the hang of it i'm fine. It means you can have a bit of a rest too

No, as I said, I can't feed on my side successfully at all. My boobs just aren't the right size or shape to make it work, I end up not so much supporting my boob as using both hands to squeeze it (hard) into the right place/shape to reach his mouth, he can only get the end of my nipple in his mouth and it hurts my boob so it must be wrong!! Believe me I've tried about 100 times, I'd love to be able to doze while he feeds, I slept sitting bolt upright with my head back against the wall for two hours last night.

I know it will get easier as he gets bigger and can support his own weight more but right now he's still tiny but just has crazy legs!

I have just tried sitting him up more whilst feeding in the football hold, seems to work but haven't perfected it.

Banana....it can be so frustrating at first, glad that the method I described worked at least a little bit...really hope that Tiktok et al are finding this thread...I just know the real proffessionals will be able to help you!

Whilst I know you say you hvae tried feeding lieing down....but there is lieing down feeding and then there is lieing down feeding...iykwim...
have you tried lieing down sideways, and then putting your little one up on cushions, so, that ds is high enough to feed from teh top boob rather then the bottom one? That was the only lieng down feeding I ever managed without hurting me....

JamesandTGB

I am 32J (well, okay, K, but you can't find many bras in that size) and have very floppy boobs. My nipples almost touch my tummy!

The best suggestion I got re: positioning was that because my nipples point down (that's an understatment!) to bring my ds on from underneath the breast.

Most positioning guides you'll read in books / see on the internet, show baby in the tummy to mummy position so he is lying side on.

But I found "tummy to mummy" never really worked for me and seemed to be better for smaller boobed women.

If your nipples point down and your boobs are nearer your tummy than your chest it might be better to actually lay him almost flat on his back on your knees. Then put his head in your arm (not in the crook of your arm, but further along nearer your hand) then use that arm to turn his head, neck and shoulders towards your nipple.

Here is a picture of what I mean you'll see I'm using two hands to hold him and his face / shoulders are turned in to me but his legs are dangling out and he can kick and play with them if he wants.

(Picture is very poncey I know but it was to do with something on facebook a few weeks back).

You could also try taking a bath with your ds, lots of warm water (get a helper to pass naked baby to you) and just hold him in a cradle hold. He will probably start to root for the breast and may even attach himself.

J&TGB - ooops sorry I'd read through the thread quicky. I have to say I couldn't get on with lying down at first, but after a couple of weeks and much wriggling I found a position that worked for me. I lay ds flat on the bed, without my arm under him, and roll him onto his side to feed.

Mossy - that photo is really beautiful

I second mossy - I've got 34J's and after bf 3 my nipples don't quite point downwards but they're pretty low down so having baby lying nearly underneath the breast works for me too - I also found that with flappy boobs , too many cushions is a bad thing and the baby ends up lying at the level you wish your nipples were, not where they actually are lol!
Lisa X

Thanks folks! Yeah, it's no good when your boobs simply aren't the right size or shape to work with the regular holds designed for people with gravity flaunting breasts!

Weirdly, today he hasn't done any acrobatics during feeds, although I've taken the pressure off myself by giving more formula and expressing while I was feeling sore instead. No point in us both being stressed and miserable.

Mossy thanks for your advice and for showing me your "poncy" pic lol it's nice actually! I will give it a try and see how we get on, but I won't hold out much hope because (painting a fantastically attractive pic of myself here but soddit) I think my fat tummy will get in the way.

I have found a position which seems to work though, lying back on the sofa with feet flat on sofa, back propped up with pillows and baby in cradle hold supported by fat belly and thighs! Don't think it'd work in asda's mother n baby room though! lol

I had a very similar problem and was advised by LLL lady to put loads of cushions behind my back so that we were all further away from the back of the chair iyswim. Only works of course if you have a very deep chair otherwise you would be perched on the end, but it did work for us.

That makes sense!

re feeding on side, i couldn't do it for ages either, until i worked out that could put my arm round him, which meant he was moved up a bit.

you could also try arranging cushions so that he is bent in the middle (sort of sitting position) with legs going up and so can't push with feet. sorry awful description.

this bit doesn't last long, soon you will be doing all sorts of different positions with ease, he just needs to get a little bit bigger and stronger.