will i be able to breast feed??

[crazybubbasmummy]

when i had my first baby i tried hard to breast feed but found it difficult, and have a feeling it is something to do with my nipples they are quite flat (except when cold). now im pregnant again and really want to make sure it works for us this time, am i being silly about nipples or is there anything i can do? x

Flat or inverted nipples should make no difference, ask my mum, she didn't get me totally off the boob 'til I was almost 3 and they're still flat as pancakes!! But she was a midwife and then a health visitor so she knew the technique.

What might be required is a different latch and lots of support. Also, bear in mind that it takes time for the milk to come in and your milk supply is related to demand (so as baby demands more your body produces more, with a delay of about 24 hours or so). This means that when baby has a grown spurt (every six weeks or so) he or she may feed a lot and seem not to be getting enough milk. Keep feeding and it will be fine, your milk supply will catch up.

Your local NCT should help (you don't have to join, they will help for free). Your MW should have the times and locations of local breastfeeding support groups (there's one 4 days out 5 in the 3 villages surrounding me). I've also heard La Leche is very good.

Like riding a bike or a horse, it's a skill that takes time to learn. Don't panic, no baby ever starved in the meaintime and it is normal for them to lose a bit of weight in the first week or so.

Sorry if any of the above seems patronising, I don't mean it that way and realise it isn't your first. It's just that I've spoken to a number of mum's and their reasons for giving up seem to be more about not understanding the process than that there was anything actually wrong. A lot of mums also don't get enough support, although there's a lot out there now you do have to reach out for it, I think.

I hope that helps.

There is a nipplette thing from avent which trains your them to stick out. Mothercare sell them

My left nipple was flat and DS struggled with it at first, the midwives recommended expressing a tiny bit of milk using a breast pump before feeding to try to make it stick out a bit more and it worked a treat. Sounds like that nipplette thing would do the trick too! Good luck x

In hospital first time I was given a kind of syringe for my nipples to draw them out before feeding which helped. So def look into the gadget mentioned above.

I would also recommend seeing a BF consultant preferably someone who will come to your home to advise you.

Thank you everyone that has been very helpful, and happycamel that was not at all patronising thank you so much x

I posted the same thing the other day, have a look at the breast feeding board as well. What has been highly recommended is Medela contact nipple shields. The pulling out nipple things aren't to be used in the last 2 months or when you start leaking. I made myself ill trying to bf my eldest and had to give up eventually, but am going to try these shields and see if they help with this one. You can get them in mothercare. I was told that anyone can bf and baby doesn't need nipples, which they don't but its not always as easy as finding the right technique unfortunately.