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Original poster

breastfeeding advice needed!!

10 replies

LadyStitt · 15/03/2011 17:19

My baby is 12 days old - i am finally starting to get the hang of this breastfeeding lark, except she still takes up to 20 minutes to latch on properly!!

when will i be able to just get my boob out and stick her on without any hassle?

the reason i ask is because at the mo i am too scared to leave the house incase she needs a feed whilst i am out, at the minute it looks like i am force feeding her or trying to suffocate her with my boob!!!

i know at only 12 days old we are both still learning but i am getting cabin fever, i want to be able to invite friends over without having to hide upstairs whilst i get her latched on, or be able to look around the shops or go out for a walk without worrying about the next feed.

thanks in advance!!

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mamsnet · 15/03/2011 17:40

Congrats on your new baby!!

do you know there's a whole BF thread?

Could you start by having close friends around when you're feeding? Then maybe go to a close friend's house? Then a cafe with a close friend at a quiet time etc.. Just building up your confidence slowly.

Getting out is very important for everybody.. Even without feeding, stick her in the pram the minute she falls asleep and go!!

In any case her latch will probably get better before you know it, but in my experience, I think it's a good idea to get out and feed out and about pretty quickly before you start to talk yourself out of itmand your baby gets fussy about peace and quiet..

Good luck!!!

Falsley · 15/03/2011 18:33

Hi there,
I echo the suggestion to invite close friends over that you feel able to feedin front of.
Also see if there isa baby cafe near you - the one near me is very friendly and is a good place to try feeding in public as everyone is doing it.
I think it took me a couple of weeks before I was confident to feed in front of anyone other than close friends and family but still went out - just not very far!

TheLemur · 16/03/2011 10:19

Have you tried putting your hand under your boob and squeezing either side of your nipple? It's just that DS was a bit like this and I read somewhere it's like expecting them to take a bite out of an apple - a very big round thing that's hard to get a grip on. If you squeeze to make it less round and more sticky outy then she may latch a little better?

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abenstille · 16/03/2011 10:46

I think i remember watching some videos on youtube re latching on which helped. It gets easier honestly

KaraStarbuckThrace · 16/03/2011 11:09

some really good videos here that may help

Good luck!

AdiVic · 16/03/2011 14:06

hello

Well done for sticking with it so far:) I had real trouble with one boob! Goodness knows why but it was difficult and v sore. I was quite persistant with my midwife to show me how to do it properly and she explained it well. She suggested I join the lcoal BF workshop, which is more a tea/coffee oppurtunity where I got some great advice and support. I made myself go out and went to my local Costa where BF is welcomed. I then had a good pal round who sat there whilst i winced and struggled - I gave up being concious quite quickly. I know it sounds hard, but everyone I spoke to at the time said 8 weeks is roughly when it all clicks 100%! I thought to myself, NO WAY am I waiting that long, but 8 weeks came and suddenly I could do it anywhere like a pro and did! It is worth it, you will be fine :)

Cosmosis · 17/03/2011 11:37

There will come a day when suddenly it clicks, I promise!

Re feeding out and about, if you head for an emptyish cafe and sit facing a wall, that will help :)

crazycarol · 17/03/2011 22:16

It is still very early days, but they are the hardest! You will get to the stage when it is all second nature. It is so much easier taking a breastfed baby out - no sterilised bottles and milk to worry about. We went on holiday for a week when dd was 8 weeks. I became expert at feeding in all sorts of places including the back of the car. Baggy teashirts and a shawl covered my modesty. Well done for getting so far. Don't forget to ask for help if you need it. There are lots of people who can help

zipzap · 18/03/2011 00:26

have you tried lots of different positions for holding your baby whilst trying to feed?

I really struggled with ds1 and ending up expressing for him for several months as he never really latched on despite trying so hard.

with ds2 I had a fab midwife who showed me lots of different positions to hold him - whereas in nct class had only really been told about the rugby ball hold as if it would be the magic one that worked for everyone.

The best one for me was to be lying on my bed propped up on pillows and to put ds across me, with his chin resting on my boob such that when gravity helped his head to fall forward his mouth was over my nipple IYSWIM. Squeezing my boob a bit helped too.

Other one was also lying on the bed but this time I was on my side and ds was lying next to me, sort of tummy to tummy. If he opened his mouth I could pop nipple in so that it just went in. he was supported by the bed, boob also supported by the bed.

Once you and baby get the hang of it, it then becomes much easier to do the other positions or to get him latched on and then to move to where you want to be and adjust him to where is then comfy.

Lying on the bed also has its advantages when you want to escape from downstairs chaos (which I did from time to time when having energetic ds1 around, or to save on boring conversations with MIL, could escape to be just me and baby and my choice of what's on tv with no interruptions

Another thing I was told about that was quite good to start with was to express a little milk first before starting so your boob was not bursting full and round - again to make it easier and softer for the baby to latch on, if you are too full it can make it difficult, think of trying to get your teeth into a balloon...

good luck! It will get easier!

dikkertjedap · 18/03/2011 11:19

Initially I used a large pashmina with which I covered dd and my breast when breastfeeding which worked well initally (a few weeks later dd flung it off in a cafe as she was clearly fed up with it). Also, some places like John Lewis and other MN may know others have special areas where you can breastfeed. Also, when baby is very small, there are even some slings in which you can hold him and he can actually breastfeed whilst in the sling with you walking around if you wish and nobody would notice a thing.

In all likelihood latching on will get easier and easier, but no idea how long it would take for you and your child as all children are different. It could sometimes be that latching on is difficult because breast is so full, so then expressing a little before latching on may help.

Good luck.

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