Bfing with massive boobs - latch help!

[Flappityflippers1]

Hi all,

I had my second baby on Monday, and despite no intentions of direct nursing this time around, baby latched while in recovery! (Much to my astonishment!)

The feeding plan was loosely to exclusively pump if I could handle the schedule, if not then formula/mix, and offer the breast if I felt able (prev bfing experience caused severe MH issues for me and big problems with eldest, so was keen to avoid that again)

Anyhow, exclusively pumping is going well, I’m up to 800ml a day on day 5. Schedule is manageable right now and I’m finding it very satisfying. Baby is thriving and then some (actually gained weight when weighed yesterday, rather than a loss!)

He isn’t thrilled with bottles it seems however 😳 he’s constantly rooting for the breast. I have been offering every so often and when we manage to latch, he feeds great. (We use MAM bottles but have offered the spectra bottles and tests and he's fuming with them too)

The problem is getting him to actually latch - I’m so shit at breastfeeding 🙈 I simply cannot get him in the right flipping position! Every time he’s gone on has been pure luck and no idea what did it. I’ve only managed to get him on in cradle hold and then I’m having to press my boob away from his nose, so I know I haven’t got the latch right

I’ve tried laid back feeding to no avail, and he was absolutely livid with the attempt at football hold, which was the only way that worked with DS1!

I’m recovering from a section so lots of time skin to skin in bed. I’ve read to just let him explore and have a go, but he gets so frustrated trying to latch he ends up screaming. I am keeping a bottle of expressed milk to hand to placate him at these times. I’m also squeezing a bit of milk out by hand to help him.

My boobs are a 36G - how do I breastfeed a tiny baby when I have moon boobs? They’re a good 3 times the size of his head 🙈

Any help appreciated- I’m sick of watching YouTube videos with the same tips nose to nipple bring baby to breast which aren’t doing the trick - what am I missing?

Thank you in advance 🙏

Hopeful bump 🙏

Have you tried the both of you on your side in bed, you leaning back from him a bit (and offering him the breast closest to your mattress? You kind of end up half your body tilted away though so put a big pillow behind your back for support

Hello! I was a 36HH and found feeding generally came really naturally to both of us - I'm really lucky and grateful for this. Laying down feeding was my go to for the first few weeks as I had a traumatic birth and lots of injuries - sitting down wasn't an option! My DS had jaundice so we had to feed round the clock; I found putting some of my milk onto a dummy then replacing the dummy with my boob would encourage him to latch. Laying down just next to him with a boob out though seemed to always pay dividend. I really hope you get some progress - mine didn't take a bottle until he was 7 months old so that was fun........ also #fedisbest

Also, do you have a breastfeeding pillow? I used to have to lay DD straight across it, keep my hands over her so she didn’t wriggle away but only the (firm) pillow supporting her head. It was impossible for me to feed while supporting her head because my breasts would end up suffocating her

And agree with PP, fed is best. Don’t feel pressured into breastfeeding, especially not if it’s going to cause your MH problems

I had to press boob away from nose for the first few weeks I think, I found the more reclined I am feeding the better. I used to hunch over to get the latch but that ultimately didn't work, but if I was in a position where I could lean on pillows I found it easier.

As pp, I used to lay on my side in bed, slightly leaning back. Baby flat on mattress with my arm above their head, then turn them in towards me. Holding the breast around the areola and pretty much gently shove the nipple into baby's mouth. But I also used to have to cover my other nipple with a towel or wad of tissue or I would leak all over baby whilst trying to feed.

Unfortunately I can’t lie on my side yet, it pulls my wound too much (I do miss side sleeping!)

He won’t take a dummy 🙈🙈

That’s reassuring to hear other pushed the boob away from their nose - he’s 5lb 1 so only tiny (37 weeks born) so as he gets bigger that will perhaps be less of an issue.

He’s doing everything he should to latch, it’s me trying to “help” that’s throwing him off I think

I will try being more recline, I’m definitely hunching over him!

I don’t have a bfing pillow, but the dreamgeni pregnancy pillow would do the trick!

I definitely won’t be sacrificing my MH this time around and very firmly in the fed is best camp ❤️

My boobs are huge, always have been and I'm now obese so they are like melons 40F. I had to press boob away from LO's nose too, there was no position that allowed otherwise. I bottle fed and then just breastfed about once a day, I just found bottles so much easier.

I’ve definitely pressed the top of my breast whilst feeding all of mine until they were about 6 weeks or so! I only really get on with cradle hold - rugby ball hold was recommended but I couldn’t get my brain around that. As PP have said, side feeding is AMAZING and is the one that allows you both to have a nap!

With my youngest I had to lift my boob to "present" the nipple to him as otherwise they hung down and he got very frustrated trying to latch. A midwife suggested it after telling me I have "large downward pointing nipples!" Had to laugh.

@Tidypidy that’s exactly how mine are! I’ll try lifting too, thank you.

Ok so sounds like I can carry on with pressing away from his little nose, that’s good to know! I’ve been getting so hacked off watching the latching videos - just doesn’t take into account anything like this 🤦‍♀️

I’ll carry on as we are and offering a few times a day and we shall see how he/we go.

I also really like bottle feeding and wouldn’t want to give that up and just direct feed so if it works out great, if not all is well 😊

A rolled up muslin under your boob can help lift a bigger boob into a good position. The issue is pushing your boob down is you can cause blocked ducts so use the flat of your palm or fingers flat rather than poking and that should help. Also, pull baby down towards his feet direction once latched on to see if that helps unblock the boob from his nose. Hope that makes sense. My boobs are also a 36g but bigger right after birth but my babies were nearly twice the size of yours so that probably helped a great deal. It sounds like your wee guy is a boob monster already though and getting on well so try not to worry too much as you’re already doing great.

Just remembered I was told to be careful not to press too hard on your boob whilst lifting it as it can cause mastitis. Must have been ok for me as I fed him until he was 4!

Just wanted to say hats off to you, OP. I was a K cup when DD was born, and all manner of birth trauma (both of us) plus nipple issues meant I ended up exclusively expressing (for a year 😳). I never did get her to latch. Couldn’t find any nursing bras big enough (10 or so years ago). I was so jealous of my friends who could just drop their bra cups and boob their babies anywhere. 😫.

Have you tried squishing the boob with 2 hands as though it's a Big Mac? That is supposed to help some people although it does sound v bizarre :o

I had relatively small boobs and still had to press away from nose (I was a mere 34DD), it sounds like you are doing great so do what works for you.

rolled up muslin under the breast helped me loads, DS had a tongue tie cut at about 2 weeks old so feeding before that was a hell of a struggle for me. the person who did the procedure showed me and it worked well for my giant boobs. you’re doing so well 💕

I had to press my boob away from DDs nose at first and she was 7lb7oz and I was 'only' a 34E.

Everyone said her latch was fine, she thrived and we carried on until she was nearly two.

So don't let that one thing undermine you, it sounds like you're doing really well.

I found laying her down and dangling my boob over her helped when she was struggling to latch (suggested by the bf lady, not just a random mad idea). You feel like a fool but I've known it work for a few people.

I have large boobs and had small babies and know exactly the issue you are having. I luckily had a great HV who told me to use a rolled up teatowel under the feeding boob and this helped enormously. Muslins will also work in a pinch but tbh, I needed the greater lift from a thicker material! I think I did still have to press a bit to avoid suffocating them but don't remember doing that for long. It's not at all glamorous but it's worth a try! Good luck, for something so natural, it really isn't always easy!

Also I seriously admire anyone that expresses, I couldn't get anything out with a pump so hand expressed at 4 am every morning to get a bottle full. That lasted about 2 months before I realised that a formula top up would do no harm and enjoyed more sleep once more!!

You’re all amazing, thank you so much for all the advice and tips - I shall give them all a go!

The trying to get him on is at least helping with my pumping supply too!

@BertieBotts I haven’t, but I shall give it a go! I haven’t heard of that one but can visualise it!

@TitsOot4Xmas that’s so amazing you expressed for a year! I haven’t set a time frame, just to try and give him my milk for as long as I can hack the pumping schedule

You are pretty awesome!

36FF in normal days here so it was interesting getting my babies to latch. All of them used nipple shields at time which helped, and also I did the thing where I sort of pinched my nipple and aerola in a v shape with my second and third fingers. But none of my babies were squished and they grow very fast.