Question about BF with big norks!

[MamaG]

I BF my first two DC and could never master the art of feeding and having a hand/arm free to eat/drink/turn book pages etc.

I would hold the baby in one arm (one across body, other preferred a rugby ball type hold) and with my free arm, would have to press my nork level with baby's nose to avoid suffocating it!

Did I do it wrong?

I'm expecting DC3 and plan to BF again - is there a way to have a free hand?

Dont have big norks! But you could try using one of those shaped cushions and lie the baby on that?

Did you ever try rolling up a muslin square and popping that under your boobs to hold them up.

Leave the maltesers alone!

or if the problem is the nipple pointing down rather than out, you can stick a rolled up sock / muslin etc under the nork to improve the angle and keep nose clear

I would prop the baby on cushions, using rugby hold, not v pretty I must say.

When he was older I could get him across my lap, legs a-dangle though, in the coffee shops

You'll be fine

I'm going to look soooo attractive aren't I

Rolled up muslin/sock under nork, cushions galore...!
Thanks all, I'll let you know how I get on (in 30 weeks hehehe)

I used a muslin square or a hand towel to prop mine up - a friend of mine with generous norkage found that she fed her dd far easier by holding her the other way round, under her arm like a rugby ball

Will you be MamaJJ by the time you're done then? [awe]

Oh yes, just remembered [brain fog] I made a mini crescent shaped bean bag and used it to prop both baby and nork

ooh TigerFeet I have news on my norks - turns out I'm a G with a smaller back, not a J! I was so pleased

MamaG, I had the same dilemma as you. When I'm at home I use one of those V shaped cushions and lay DD in the rugby position but do not hold her. I find that I have both arms free to eat, read or play sudoku

When I am out of the house and DD wants feeding I generally lay her across my knees, I dont hold her up to the breast IYSWIM. I have really bigs norks so much so that I dont need to hold DD to the breast. My boobs just reach down to DD's level

Hurrah!

if I lay baby across my knees, my nork won't reach mouth unless I hold it up a bit (the baby, not the nork!)

Trust me, you need a beanbag! I copied it from one I saw online... hang on will find a link. I borrowed on at our BF support group and it was amazing, a revelation! Never looked back. Then, as dd was learning to sit ip, it sat behind her and caught her when she toppled over They are loads better than a cushion, honestly.

You could borrow mine, but BabiesEverywhere never gave it back to me and she's PG now so she gets to keep it for a while longer

It's like this

You don't have to hold the baby and gaze adoringly at it at all times as per the pic, in fact as dd and I got more comfortable with it I often found myself completely hands free. I would get comfy in a corner of the sofa, wedge her in, bung her on and I could drink a cup of tea and eat maltesers at the same time

My norks aren't currently too ginormous (for me, anyway) at a DD, but what I'm worrying about when breastfeeding commences in a couple of weeks, is my downward pointing nipples. Without a bra, they sit on my bump at the moment. I'm expecting to have to hold them up. Any ideas?

xx

sock or muslin as mentioned below

wastingmy.. a rolled up muslin under the breast helps things point in the right direction

Am v at all these people that can prop with a mere muslin or sock. I needed a hand towel.

All together now..

Do your norks hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie 'em in a knot?
Can you tie 'em in a bow?

I used a V shaped cushion at home - and also took it out and about to soft play centres etc. I used the changing bag if I didn't have my cushion handy!

When I went to a breast feeding help clinic, they said
"ladies with large breast are best with a sling or a cushion"
I then put ds on a cushion and never had a problem.

If my pregnancy makes it, I am def going to buy one of those cushions.

I swear my v shaped cushion was my best friend for about 6 months. Thinking back I must have looked a right nitwit carrying it around everywhere - but it was wonderful I was quite upset when I got rid of it - end of an era...

oblomov I didn't realise you were pg, congrats and fingers crossed

I used my long bean bag to prop dds on but also had to use both hands, am always a bit nervous about their head flailing about as it caused me problems

mamaG where did you get yourr bra fitting, I think its time I took the plunge and got proper direction for the norks rather than stuffing into my horrible bras - would like a chest rather than a shelf ontop of bump

I am on the big size and with all three babies I have found a pillow to be an essential item. I've never had one of the v shaped ones though - just used an ordinary pillow. Then baby was on that and I used one hand to prevent baby being overwhelmed and breast from slipping out of mouth and had one had free for cake!

This always worked fine for me - fed the others for 11 mths each and am at 11 mths + and counting with dd3, no latch problems, always fed well. But - because I needed the pillow - or my knee propped up or rolled up coat etc when out and about - I always thought I was doing it wrong somehow. Good job I was stubborn enough to persist - after dd3 was born I was looking at a website someone linked to from here - and it was there that I learnt for the first time that it can be harder to b/feed the bigger you are! Revelation!

mega cheap v-shaped pillow

also handy for sitting up reading in bed afterwards