Ineffiective feeding (B/F) by baby. Any advice to solve problem?

[Leo35]

Hi,

forgive me for not searching the archives, but I'm dog-tired and rather over emotional. My problem is that my 3 wk old DS won't open his mouth wide enough to get a really good latch in order to feed effectively. I managed to get the magic recipe once and realised how it should work.

Has any one else coped with this problem and got any answers?

My HV is contacting the specialist lactiation consultant with a view to getting her to do a home visit this week. So I'm not entirely on my own with this, but would appreciate any insights.

I'm very down about the whole B/f thing. I'm feeding regularly, on demand, and checking all the things that I can do about it (positioning etc), but feeling defeated about the major sticking point.

Off to get a shower prior to doing skin to skin to see if that helps matters.
TIA.

I'm sure someone more knowledgable will be along in a minute, but in the meantime, have you tried the usual things:

Tickling his cheeks to encourage him to open his mouth wider?

Latching him on mid-yawn or mid-yell when his mouth is at its widest?

Taking him off the breast if the latch isn't ideal and re-positioning (so that your nipples don't get too sore)?

Other things to possibly think about could be making an appointment with a cranial osteopath to ensure everything is aligned nicely and that it isn't hurting your DS to open his mouth widely.

Skin-to-skin sounds good! Hang in there!

Hi,

got drawn into Mumsnet, so still around! Always looking for a yawn or a yell - not always poss. I'll try tickling his cheeks. Constantly re-latching as it just isn't right.

DS has had a nasty cold - could that have anything to do with it? Will check out a cranial osteo, a couple of friends have used a local one, so I've got a recommendation to go on.

Thanks for your support RockinSocks...

Leo - look up biological nurturing and self-attachment.

Are you sure your baby is not feeding effectively? What makes you think that?

No...'mid-yell' and 'mid-yawn' are not good moments to try - not with a baby who has yet to learn what to do. Reason is the tongue is 'humped' at those moments and may not allow a good latch.

With my DS the thing that finally worked was me literally poking his nose with my nipple. His mouth opened like I'd pushed a button.

Hi,

thanks for the messages.

Tiktok - he lost a lot of weight following birth (c. 12% from 10lbs 2oz to 8.15), and then gained 3ozs in first weekend then 1.5oz over a week, past few days has dropped an oz or so. Also my nipples are sore where he feeds from (he doesn't take in a lot (any?) of tissue from the aureola - even taking into account that he is 3 wks old), and he takes so long to feed. Take your point re. yawn or yell - will try other methods of getting him to open his mouth wider.

Starlight: Will try a b/feedng helpline also tom.

Had probs feeding DS1, and really, really wanted this to work....

I'll try poking his nose with nipple also!!

I used to shove my nipple into DD's mouth using a finger - not sure if it's a recommended approach but it worked for us

Cranial osteopath was also good for us though not for mouth opening (DD preferred one side, turned out that her jaw was slightly lopsided) - would second that recommendation as it may help.

Not his cheeks - that'll get him looking to the side!

If you look at his top lip there's that groove between his nose and the lip? If you put your nipple on his nose and move it down that groove towards his lip that might get him to do the baby bird thing and open wide?

Saline drops from chemist good for clearing nose if he is struggling to breathe.
Put his tummy against you, level with nipple, stick nipple on his nose and run it down over top lip in hope he tips head back and opens mouth for it?
Support him on a cushion level with boob, with other hand squash boob and nipple flat so can shove more in?
Sorry if you have tried all this, as others have said as they get bigger it gets much easier

Try Thr rugby ball hold (under the arm) they usually open their mouths wider in this position.

Kellymom is also a good website for breastfeeding info.

It is definately more difficult when they have a cold

Hopefully the lactation specialist will help but try and find details of local support groups too.

Not sure if I had good advice or not (it was at breastfeeding clinic at the hospital) but I expressed and gave my son some of his feeds by bottle until he was about 6 weeks when he was able to feed properly. The breastfeeding counsellor said sometimes they just werent good feeders until then (he was quite little - 6 lb). Others might say this is bad advice and it may be but it did work for me (I had 2 others under 3 so maybe it was also due to not having time to feed for hours as an alternative and this was a quick fix). Good luck that you can get help with this.

If you want to talk to a RL expert right now go on the breast feeding network website. 24 / 7 number.

Can't link because i'm useless

My dd1 had similar probs made worse by her very petite mouth and my enormous norks. It does get better. I had help from BFN. B/fed for 13 months in the end. It will work out!!!

please people - don't phone a volunteer helpline at unsocial hours unless you really have to! Some lines actually close anyway, but the ones that don't, rely on callers recognising that the calls go to breastfeeding counsellors' homes. Most calls can wait until the next day....

Leo, it would be good for you to call (tomorrow). It may be that increasing the no. of times your baby feeds, ensuring he takes at least two of not three or four 'sides' each time, plus breast compression, will be as important to his weight gain than amending his attachment (though that is important anyway for your comfort).

Hi all,

thanks again for all the messages and ideas.

Tiktok - I have been regularly feeding from both sides (roughly 40 mins per side, so often over 1.5 hrs sat on the sofa). Hosp infant feeding people seemed quite keen on 40 mins being the upper limit on one side, and for th sake of my nipples I've been working with that marker, alhough sometimes going more. How long is a minimum feed and is there such a thing as a maximum duration?

Skin to skin went well last night, and I've been letting him self-attach, which is much more comfortable for me, and he seems to be getting what he needs.

He has been terribly snotty again in the night and this morning. So I think that the cold is still in play as well.

Will persevere and make that call also.

Yes - I agree with Starlight. The clock is a poor guide. Your baby's behaviour is what you need to be watching.

I have no idea where the feeding people have got 40 mins from - ask them

Hi,

called NCT helpline and got to talk to someone who gave me a lot of reassurance and advice. She thinks I'm feeding regularly enough, just he needs to be more effective at feeding not just comfort sucking/nibbling in order to get his weight up. got some ideas from her.

HV on her way with info from specialist lactation bod re. breast compression. Sounds horrendous - see someone else mentioned it on this thread. Off to search out what this might entail.... I'd hazard a wild guess at squeezing your boobs tho'!

DS contentedly asleep after glugging away for 35 mins or so. Sorry couldn't quite ditch the clock yet!!

Sorry, I haven't read the thread, but has the midwife checked for tongue-tie? My DD had tongue-tie and getting it snipped at 9 days old made a huge difference to breastfeeding.

Hi,

DS seemed to be getting worse with the cold, so I got a GP appnt. She checked him over and thought that he was in good shape even with a rotten cold and the lack of weight gain.

Following talks with HV and GP, I have given DS a bottle of formula once a day, the last few days. It has bought me some space and I am, so far, still keeping the supply up. He gained 3oz btw Mon and Fri this week. Plan is to ultimately ditch formula once weight is on track. GP has b/f herself and was a good person to talk to about all ramifications of actions.

Tomorrow is "learning to express day", so as not to loose ground to formula long term. Have got myself a wheezy manual pump, and will find a quiet space tomorrow to have a go.

Saw cranial osteopath today, which was comforting, but we'll have to monitor for improvements. She thought that he was in good shape.

LO is getting better from his cold, so the latch is so much better and feeds feeling better all round. Think that this was the root cause of the problems. I was finding it hard to trust that this was so as we were in the early stages of getting b/f established and I didn't have an overly successful time with DS1.

Breast compression worked - although it takes some juggling with baby and hands, and correct angles!

Thanks to all for tips and advice- it really helped with coping with the last few days. Last night DS I fed DS 3 hrly and it was calm and and actually lovley to do - something that had been missing from the picture for a couple of weeks.