Did your baby start latching on much later??

[kindmuis]

Can anyone tell me if their babies started latching on later eg. from 3 months onwards? Or would you say after the first 3 weeks it just won't happen?
Thanks

really?? how?? i have tried expressing etc

You really need Tiktok to come along and advise but if you put your baby to the breast and encourage him to suckle often enough your milk will come back. It will mean doing it many times during the day and probably night too. But again, I am not an expert - if you are really serious about it I suggest you start a new thread asking for advice - you will get loads of replies.

ok thanks a lot i will see if he is interested before i waste every bodys time.

thank you very mush

OK! The key is getting baby to keep suckling, expressing won't do it.

I think you need to do lots of skin to skin contact and expressing especially at night time. Lots of hatd work and determination needed.

My 3rd daughter was born at 34weeks and very ill and couldn't have any breastmilk for 4 and ahalf months. she couldn't even be put to the breast for all this time and had to have a special formula in a bottle. at 4 and a half months i started breastfeeding her and by six months she wouldn't even take a bottle even if i wanted her to. so it can be done, it just takes time and patience. I had to express every four hours for all that time!

jodie, you need to search relactation on the mumsnet archives - you certainly can bring your milk back, but you need a baby who co-operates and plenty of determination and motivation on your part...lots of skin to skin contact so your baby remembers what a nice place to be, in addition to very frequent expressing,

If you want to, give some more details of your story, maybe on a new thread as you will get more responses that way.

Is feeding still going well JennyWren?

How are you going Kindmuis. My ds did not latch properly until about 8 weeks. We just kept on giving him the chance. Interestingly enough, bf in the bath seemed to be the most effective (both of us relaxed, and of course the skin to skin contact).

Kindmuis, how are you getting along? My DD took about 8-10 weeks to latch properly - she had a short tongue and kept pulling back and closing her jaw after I'd put her on. I just hope you can hang on in there. You are already doing an amazing job with all that expressing, I'm sure lots of mums would have given up by now. Keep posting and let us know how you're doing.

Hi - I'm hoping my son will learn to latch on. I'm currently using nipple shields as he was 5lb 12oz at birth and after a la leche lady came to do a home visit, she advised to keep using the shields but to keep trying the breast. I like the tip about trying in the bath, I'll try that one. It's a 50/50 skill, he's got to put the effort in aswell. DS is currently 6 weeks old and I'm hoping (as he is now approx 8lbs) he will learn to latch on when he's good and ready. Can't say it isn't frustrating in the meantime (as I have breastfed my other two from a week old without nipple shields - I do have one flat nipple) because it is and having to make sure that I have a nipple shield handy and sterilised of course is more hassle. Can't wait until he latches on. Hope it's soon as it is distressing. Your messages here do give me hope that it will happen although I have friends who have breastfed on nipple shields until 5 months and even more. Still firmly believe that using shields is better than formula . I do express extra inbetween feeds though if I feel my supply is dropping (although I do have big full breasts of milk so that hasn't happened often!). Kezzie

My DS1 was 5 weeks premmie and it took till he was about 5 weeks old to establish bfing with nipple shields. I stopped using them altogether when he was 4.5mo. I probably could have stopped earlier if I really pushed it. I also had flattish nipples which didn't help.

Hi AussieSim - thanks for your support - very much appreciated. I did express for the first 4 weeks inbetween pretty much every feed to make sure I had enough milk for him (and after some feeds to empty the breast aswell) I have suffered mastitis 4 times since having him but because I have caught it early every time and have dealt with it accordingly, it has never become a problem. Apart from that - I'm trying to stop beating myself up about using N/S, after all he is still getting the breastmilk and we still have our bonding time both of which is important to me. He is consistently putting on weight, sleeping very well and overall is very content. (he sleeps between 2 hours and up to 7 hours at night - we had our first sleepthough!). Tonight I even had chance to get the older two children showered and in bed, stories, teeth cleaned everything and he slept through the lot. So, finally, I think I'm content and happy. I'll keep trying with weaning him off but at the end of the day, it's not so important to me anymore and I'd rather he didn't get distressed. Kezzie

Hi Everyone! HE'S OFF THE SHIELDS AT LAST!!! It started last Wednesday/Thursday when I got mastitis (for the sixth time!) in BOTH breasts and also got an infection as well in the left breast. GOD I was in agony. Anyway following a trip to the doctors where I got some anti-biotics and a trip to my mums (she looked after my elder two children) I finally got some much needed rest and she brought him up to me when he was hungry but not starving. He latched onto the left side with the help of the shield (as it was rock hard) but when I offered the right hand side WITHOUT the shield, he just latched on! It was as if he just "got it" and since then (today is the seventh day) he's not needed the shields for either side at all! So, the light at the end of my tunnel is finally here! At last. So for anyone else out there - there is hope. DON'T GIVE UP, KEEP PERSERVERING! Oh, and he is a much more settled peaceful feeder now! Thanks for your support . Kerry xxx