TikTok or anyone - suggestions for improving a lazy latch??

[BoffinMum]

I am currently bf DC4, who is 9 days old and had codeine withdrawal symptoms on Saturday (I had to take a fair bit of it during pg for SPD). I fed the others without problems. DC4 tries to latch on up to 50 times in one session, but all too often keeps coming off, and just doesn't get going enough to get the milk letting down properly. He is pretty hungry most of the time IMO, although not obviously dehydrated.

I have tried:

1. Range of positions, including rugby ball and dangling boob into his mouth (slightly higher success rate doing dangling manoeuvre, but still not great and it hurts my back).
2. Biological nurturing (one good feed achieved this way)
3. Stripping him off (improves success rate a bit but big faff in the middle of the night)
4. Breast compression. (no joy)
5. Pushing as much nipple into his mouth as humanely possible. (no joy)
6. Experimenting with cushions and rolled up towels to get mouth and nipple at compatible heights. (no joy)
7. Expressing with a fancy pump and giving him a bottle (excellent results).

If anyone has any other tips or suggestions, I would be very grateful.

Have you tried hand expressing a little before latching him on to get let down happening?
I also had some success with cup or spoon-feeding DS a few mls right before a feed just to get him into the right frame of mind so to speak. Once he got a bit bigger and stronger then he would persevere until let down.

Feed lying down? DS is one for bobbing on and off still at 9 months, he always has been. I wish I had mastered feeding lying down sooner because he just lies there and gulps away with much less fussing.

Hope you find something that works for you, hang in there

I'm still struggling with that problem. I pinch above my nipple and push it in as quickly as possible so she gets as much in as I can fit then I hold her close so that she can't let go (sounds horrible! ) after a few seconds she settles down and gets on with a feed.

I let Mum take her out one day because I was ill and the next day it took me five hours to get her to latch

I am glad it is not just me.
I have just spent an hour getting a latch. but I will try starting him off with a cup and then being firmer when I do get him on.

Boffinmum - sounds like you have been through a few challenging days.

Seems sensible to me for you to continue with the biological nurturing and skin to skin - it's the one form of direct bf that has proved successful for you, so continuing with this every time as far as you can should improve things. Trying everything under the sun and battling with different ideas is not usually the way to go - calm persistence with a non-invasive, easy-to-do 'connection' like BN and s-to-s is better.

Hope you are getting real life help, too.

Oh - please don't call this a 'lazy' latch It's a bit judgemental for a little baby ...

Thanks for advice, everyone. OK, some progress. I have discovered that if I sit on the sofa with the little chap between my legs, as bolt upright as it is humanely possible for a tiny baby to be, he is much happier, and latches on and stays there.

It's not great for my back, as I have to sort of lean forward at the same time to get the nipple in, but at least he feeds efficiently this way. Might be a bit odd to replicate outside the home though. And it can't really be done hands free.

We had a big boost yesterday when the mw weighed him and announced he had regained his birth weight already, so has clearly been getting enough milk despite all these problems. That cheered me up a bit.

That's good news, BoffinMum

A friend of mine had exactly the same problem and found exactly the same solution.
They suspect silent reflux in their case and that the upright position is helping to keep the milk down and preventing the associated discomfort.

Aha, Ditsy!! Veeeeeery interesting. I did wonder if it was something like that. My theory is that as he develops it may well improve. But aren't babies clever, basically knowing what they need like that??

Actually, that could explain it with Fifi, she has had a cold since she was 3 weeks old and upright does make a difference to her, could be because her nose doesn't get blocked up.