Anyone else had a baby that wouldn't open it's mouth very wide?

[Josie22]

Have been on here before as have struggled with bf since day 1 in terms of painful nipples - now over 3 weeks in am still experiencing problems. Baby has been checked for tongue tie and all ok. Saw health visitor earlier who basically watched latch and said that all is good (i.e. position we are both in etc) but that my baby just wasn't opening the mouth enough to get much more than the nipple in - no matter how many times I latch off/on again. She couldn't offer much advice but as lo had put on weight and due to a fast letdown and good milk supply from me she said it was ok that the latch isn't perfect (though obviously not from my nipples point of view!) as baby getting enough milk and that given time she thought it would improve.

So just wondered if anyone else had ever had this problem and if so did it go away and was there anything you did that helped?

Also, any ideas if cranial osteopathy could help?

I had a similar issue. Check out jack newman's website. I recall he says that breaking the latch and forcing baby on and off will just make nipples sore so not to correct latch unless it is agonizing. Lansinoh will help your nipples. Try putting your breast in his mouth rather than letting him latch. Letting him suck the nipple in will be more painful than placing it, ifyswim

I had this with DD2. It helped a bit to hold her neck in my hand (the hand on the opposite side to the breast I was using) so her head tipped back and to put my nipple in her mouth by aiming at the back top of her mouth.

My DD2 basically has a baby version of a weak chin which made it harder for her to get a good mouthful. The good news is babies grow and this problem resolves.

Not sure about cranial osteopathy. I am unaware of any objective evidence it does any good and personally would think twice before letting someone mess with my baby's head without being v sure of the benefits.

Had similar problems Josie. HV constantly told me 'she's on lovely there' - yeah, that's why my nipples are bleeding!

I second roary - have a look at Jack Newman's website. He suggests trying to adjust the latch during feeding. I used to gently pull DD's chin down with my finger iyswim.

When DD got a bit bigger and more alert, around 8 weeks I think, she started opening her mouth and tipping her head right back in anticipation!

hth

Could you get someone from the NCT or Laleche league to come and watch you? I got some good tips from a BF counsellor with my baby who took a while to get used to opening his mouth wide (tho he was a tiny bit early so different situation to you, I think).
Also I read a tip on here about offering the boob as tho it was a burger (makes sense when you do it though I know sounds strange when written down!), and really shoving his head onto the boob. Much more forceful than I would ever have imagined had I not been shown by the BF counsellor.

I had this problem early on and it took me 6 weeks to go and see someone and get it fixed.

I saw a bf councillor who was great, she encouraged me to tickle DS's cheek on one side to make him open wide, and not to try and latch him on until he was opening wide enough.

She also had a serious talk with DS, looked him right in the eye and said "you need to open your mouth wide, if you want mummy to keep on feeding you".

He stared right into her eyes!

Good luck;

I had this with all 3 of mine and cranial osteopathy helped with each off them. It only need to be millimetres more for it to be pain free.

I had this too.

I thought what solved it was learning to feed lying down - I could sort of lower the breast in while her mouth was open and gravity helped to get more in.

BUT - DD did have cranial osteopathy at 7 weeks too, so it could well have been that.

I had this too. I must have looked like such a loon muttering away "big mouth ds, not the little mouth, big wide mouth".

My supply sounds like yours is so he thrived and put on weight and I just put up with it, while trying every trick in the book and every remedy for sore nipples.

It sorted itself by ds growing I think, so his mouth grew too. That and we both got better at it. Keep trying though - every now and then we would have the perfect pain free feed and then the latch would go to pot again. I was just a bit useless at positioning I think.

Feeding lying down was good, yes.

My DS was always rubbish at opening very wide or I was rubbish at spotting it quickly enough and bring him to the breast, take your pick! I have quite big boobs with biggish nipples which didn't help either. Another mum at BF support group showed me how to hold my breast so my thumb and finger were in a "C" shape cupping underneath the nipple, which shaped my nipple a little bit, so the baby could still get a big mouthful.

This then gave a fab latch, and have had no problems since, wheras it was always really painful before. DS is now 10 weeks and I stopped having to shape the nipple at about 4 weeks IIRC because he had got the hang of what he was meant to do.

Hope it gets better for you!

I had plentiful supply too so dd was thriving along the 98th centile despite me being in agony if I tried to take her off each time she had a poor latch then she just refused to latch on again!

I think stuckperson and getthepartystarted have got the right idea. My ds never opened his mouth that wide. I think that NCT poster with that baby and it's gaping mouth are a fantasy . I found a DVD called Breastfeeding without the tears and the lady on their recommended the 'Shape and shove'. As described previously holding your breast from underneath and then clamping down just behind the nipple with your fingers. Thumb on one side fingers on the other. This should look like a doughnut sideways on or the right way to your baby. Then when you bring your baby near and you get even a slightly open mouth you shove it in. Works a treat!

Ouch! Yes, I'm having the same trouble - it's taken DD 11 weeks to crack my nipples, but she finally managed it today, nnnggg! Her latch is sometimes okay and sometimes rubbish - for the same reason as your LO, doesn't open her mouth wide enough. Not much to add to the previous posters except solidarity - I feel your pain...

More solidarity here. This is what I think my problem is with my 4 week old DS - as have now had 4 breastfeeding counsellors and various midwives & HVs tell me the latch looks fine and he's feeding well. But me still having sore/tender/cracked nipples.

I've tried the breast sandwich type technique people are describing on here, with varying degrees of success (as in a lot less success during night feeds when I just want him latched on quickly and quietly!).

It's getting easier as the days pass, so am kind of resigned to just waiting for him/his mouth to get bigger. In the meantime am perservering with shaping my boob to try and get as much of my areole into his mouth as I can.

Good luck! And let us know if you try cranial osteopathy - I have no clue about it but would be intrigued to hear of your experience.

I was told mine had tight temples and that was what the CO "released" - they were all huge girls and the actually delivery was very quick so I think they got very squashed on the way out.

The osteopathy def made a difference, cured it completely with the youngest 2, the other one was more complicated as she had tongue tie too. Bottle fed my eldest!

Yes, I had this problem.

At first (for the first 4 weeks) ds refused to latch on at all so he was cup fed ebm. He than latched on but it was absolute agone as he couldn't open his mouth wide enough.

The breast sandwich technique helped but not completely, my friend was an NCT bfc and I had several b/f experts stumped, then all of a sudden at about 6 weeks old he latched on and breastfed from then on until 15 months old.

Incidentally I did try cranial osteopathy, and whether it was co-incidence or not it was shortly afterwards that he first latched on.

www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/latch-resources.html

Just saw this, don't know if useful.

Slight hijack, for which apologies...
Caitni if your nipples aren't healing have they ruled out thrush? Have you seen Jenny as DG suggested? I've heard she knows all about that sort of thing...

('tis MrsH btw)

Hey Halib/MrsH . Like the name change! Think I should change my name too [bored of my name emoticon]

I'm off to see Jenny's colleague Alison tomorrow at the Crouch End breastfeeding support group. It's appointment only, so if I get there early enough I should get some good one-on-one time. I'm suspecting thrush, but DS has no visible symptoms - no white patches in his mouth, no nappy rash - so it's unlkely but not impossible I guess. On my left side, one crack has healed but one hasn't and the one on the right hasn't healed.

It's definitely getting easier as DS grows bigger but the cracks have me worried about both thrush and mastitis (you know me, I love things to worry about!). Fingers crossed I can rule out thrush after tomorrow morning

PS PnM has a thread in Conception if you fancy seeing how she's doing

PPS ds asleep in his close sling on me at the moment - twas one of the best purchases we made for him!

Caitni Glad you are getting some help. With DD2 I had thrush and the white patches in her mouth appeared after about a month or so, but I had been in pain from when she was born which was horrible given that DD1 was so easy to feed. Make sure you mention that you had an emcs as the antibiotics can cause thrush.

Name changes are great, btw. Like a holiday or something. I keep looking at threads and thinking "that Haliborange is brilliant; she writes exactly what I am thinking!".

Interesting about the thrush in your dd2 Hali. Perhaps thrush is part of my problem?

Tis caitni btw - decided a name holiday was in order! Love the idea of you thinking that about the posts under your new name

Yes. ds is now alot better at 7 weeks. I've had maritis twice, really sore nipples, blocked ducts once and thrush for 3 weeks (still trying to get over that). It will get better - keep getting experts to check your posiyioning and be as strict as you possibly can with the latch (ie taking off if really bad) -I totally understand the frustration of that though

Thanks for all your posts - it's always comforting to know that other people have/are having the same issues. I think I will try a cranial osteopath and it looks like there is quite a lot of people here who have had success with it and see how if that helps. In the meantime will keep trying to plug away at it.

Caitni - I know what you mean about the night feeds being worse as lo barely wakes up so it is impossible to get the mouth wide enough and I end up just wincing through the feed for an easy life (and means I get to go back to sleep quicker!!).

I'm going against the grain here. I had this with baby no 3 having fed the other two with no problems it was interesting (if not painfull) to see that sometimes it is the baby who dosent know what they are doing.
I used a nipple sield I was SO torn I couldn't have fed otherwise I used it for 3 weeks and tried once healed to latch him without it.. 3 weeks and he finally got it! quicker and much less expensive than an osteopath.. but not as 'natural'

In the early days I found I always had to adjust lips once they latched on. So would pull chin down gently and stroke top lip up. Once their lips were visible it would all be OK.