For Sale....one slightly well used left boob. Prone to blocked ducts, milk blisters and mastitis but this is reflected in the price.

[LackaDAISYcal]

DS's latch is pretty bad on the LH side. He is clucky, pulls off constantly, twangs my nipple around his gums and nips on it frequently through feeds and at the end of a feed as well.

We've had thrush, mastitis, various blocked ducts, more mastitis, a nasty nipple blister, more blocked ducts and now another bout of mastitis....all in the space of 9.5 weeks.

I'm sure I have oversupply issues as he is very windy and have been taking steps to remedy that, but have woken up again with the telltale red lines and pain of mastitis. I've also done all I can to try and fix his latch but nothing works. He is better on the other side, but not perfect there either.

any ideas for correcting a stubborn bad latch? Aslo, I was prescribed ABs last time, but it cleared by itself. Should I take them now in the hope that it's a low level infection that keeps recurring and they fix the mastitis problem?

Hope I'm not stating the obvious but have you tried the "rugby ball" way of holding on that side?(ie you keep them lying on the same side as the RH side just move them round a bit to your nipple) I had the same problem - and had to tuck DD under my arm like a rugby ball on LH side and then it was a bit better - not brilliant but better than the normal way.
and IME yes take the ABs now before the mastitis gets any worse. HTH

Other position you could try is sitting him on your knee to feed - so he is upright, DD loved this position, and it kept her winded too.

Have you tried savoy cabbage leaves stright from the fridge placed over you boobs - works an absolute dream for blocked ducts and other soreness, would probably relieve mastitis too.

Probably preaching to the converted, but Lansinoh lanolin cream is fab for sore nipples.

LOL at thread title Daisy. Sorry, no helpful advice, but just a hug of support.
At my bf clinic they too said it was just very tricky to correct bad latch. NOthing more. no ideas of how to.

oh daisy

you made me lol with the title
My left is a bit rubbish too. One time I almost stopped using it completely in favour of the right. I'm told this can be done.

You'd be a bit lopsided for a while though

I wouldn't take the abs yet, not unless you start to feel systemically ill - temp, shivers etc.

I took them too soon last time and ended up with other problems caused by them - which have you been prescribed?

I would advise (works for me now)

lots of expressing by hand, make sure you get something out of each little duct if you can (one of mine was usually blocked, the same one)

hot hot water on flannels, while expressing, or a hot bath if you can grab half an hour

it will feel bruised for a day but then it goes.

Sorry, I only buy matching sets

Seriously Daisy, not much advice but just wanted to add my sympathies. I would hold off on the abs for now because of thrush, and see if you can clear it during today, then maybe rethink this evening.

Maybe this is happening not because there is low level infection but because you're (understandably) more reluctant to feed on that side.

Obolmov -I'm sorry to hear that your local clinic were so unhelpful. Do you know what level of training they have?

In my experience, often problems with latching are very easily resolved with proper help from someone well-trained in breastfeeding. Actually, the people on the helplines are often able to help over the phone by talking it through in detail, and in person it's very frequently one or 2 minor tweaks to what a mum is doing that make all the difference. Perhaps you might consider seeing if someone else is able to help you further? The national bf helpline is 0844 20 909 20.

Sorry, I've just realised what I wrote might not come out as I expected when I read it back . I didn't mean to belittle the problems anyone is experiencing. All I meant was that often women are told repeatedly either that things are fine or they receive lots of help from lots of different people to no avail, but when they see someone well trained, sometimes the problems are readily resolved. So if people aren't getting the help they need, then it might be worth shopping around so to speak .

Obviously some women do have ongoing problems that are difficult to resolve and to the Daisy it does sound like you are having a rough time. There's a lot going on there, and it's difficult to address it all through a board like this. Speaking to someone in person or by phone is likely to be more helpful.

Thanks for the replies and sorry I didn't come back sooner but I had an appointment.

Am doing all the usual (although have had a sales rep here for over an hour and a half and soooo wanted to free my poor bosom from the confines of my bra) and feeding more from that side.

I try to feed from that side as much as possible flight, but his habit of twanging is flipping painful so maybe I'm not feeding as often as I should. The left side has never been as productive as the other side though when I express so maybe that's the reason for recurrent problems? I've also had to start co-sleeping as it's the only way I can get some sleep, and obviosuly iof he is latching poorly in the night and I'm half asleep, I'm probably not correcting it.

grendle, funnily enough I'm a peer supporter and our training was done by the ABM, but I can't seem to troubleshoot my own problems. Do you think seeing a BFC will help, or at nearly 10 weeks is he too old to be reconditioned? I've only seen HV so far who just suggests relatching him until he gets it right. I do that, but it means a feed can take forever as he has a few gulps and then starts to slurp and twang. You helped me with another blockage a few weeks ago, thanks . Are you a BFC?

thinkingaboutdrinking, I usually do the cradle hold, but if I feel things getting bunged up then swap to rugby ball.

He is a big chubby lad and I get comments from the GP/HV along the lines of "well you must be doing something right or else he wouldn't be thriving", which makes me feel like I'm being paranoid about his latch and maybe it is OK after all.

thanks sputnik and obs . I'll hold off with the ABs......flucloxacillin I think they are.

Daisy -troubleshooting your own problems is the hardest thing to do. Often it needs someone else to be stood next to you with a different perspective to point out the small things that might make a difference. On here, I'm a mum, so please don't give my words any more weight than anyone elses. In RL I've been a peer supporter for 3 years and am almost finished training to BFC level. I was unable to troubleshoot my own (fairly minor) problems with dd, so sought help and things improved quickly.

10 weeks is not too late to change things. Sometimes it's something really small and obvious, other times it may take a little more work, but it's always worth getting it checked. Could you call the ABM helpline, or your tutor?

Has anyone looked to see if he might have a tongue tie?

No advice. Just popped in to say I love your thread title.

grendle, from what i can see there is no tongue tie, in fact looks like no frenulum at all. Also, the frenulum under his top lip is very tight but HV assured me this wouldn't affect his feeding! I should get it checked though.

You give very good, level headed advice . Good luck with the rest of your training.

Thanks .

Brian Palmer says that tight labial frenulums don't allow proper flanging of the lips and may have a detrimental impact on breastfeeding. However, I'm not aware of anyone in this country who treats tight labial frenulums. [I don't find his website the most user-friendly]

thanks for the link . I'll speak to the abm or nct and see if i can get some one to one help (or should that be one to two )

Sorry for late reply, hope things are improving for you. I had very similar problems with ds, took 10-12 weeks for us to get reliably good latch and cycle of blocked ducts etc to settle. Ibuprofen helped a lot when I had the red lines 'mastitis' symptoms, never resorted to antibiotics. A couple of 1 to 1 sessions with advisors from baby clinic / BF group really helped. Its great when it all falls into place which it will, good luck

Just wanted to offer you an unMN like hug, Daisy {{{{{hugs}}}}}

Hope you get sorted!!