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[too_scared]

Oh my gosh! I could have written that post word for word. I hate that darn shield. I will definitely be checking back for answers.

 

[MrsChezek]

Sevenofnine - I have the same problem with my almost 4 week old but without nipple shields! I stopped using them about a week ago and she was doing fine, but in the last few days she gets SO riled up when she's hungry that it makes latching a nightmare. I try to soothe her and once she calms I bring her to my breast, but then she makes these fishy faces rather than opening wide. I wait and wait and then she started wailing again!!! Sometimes this goes on for 15 or so minutes. I was told to try to feed her before she's overly hungry but she goes from sleeping to starving and screaming bloody murder. Also, her timing of waking up is inconsistent so it's not like I can wake her up after a set number of hours to get a jump start! It's hard - nipple shield or without! So I'm curious to know what soothing techniques we can use...

Oh one thing an LC suggested to me was to give her my finger first and let her suck on that for a bit before offering the nipple. It didn't work for me as she starts crying after sucking for just a tiny bit when no milk comes out...but maybe it will work for you!

 

[sevenofnine]

Update:

So for the past few days I have started feeding with the shield, then I would take it off after a few minutes. She fussed about 50% of the time, and I would put it back on. The other 50% she would latch (not well) but she would try. Over the past few days, she has gotten better and better. I even got her to latch today without using the shield first! I still have to squish my boob so she can get enough of it in her mouth, though.

She still needs to do better untucking her bottom lip, but she's starting to understand that she has to open up WIDE! And when she does, she gets more milk, so I think she's getting it.

I found that the second her mouth was wide open, I had to bring her in FAST. I basically would just "shove" her on. She'd latch immediately that way (even if it's not exactly right, and we have to try again) and then it keeps her from being frustrated.

Her mouth was SOOO tiny when she was born, so now that she's 6+ weeks old, it seems like it's getting easier for her.

Hopefully during the next couple weeks, we can ditch the shield completely! I still used it during her feeds last night because I didn't want to chance her getting frustrated when I was so sleepy... but I will definitely try without it tonight.

 

[KatVM]

I don't know how many times I have posted on this in the past! You Ladies definitely helped me get through the tough beginnings.

Problem now - My son is 7 months old and is a great breast feeder, usually has two milk sessions during the night and up to 3-4 during the day. However he has two bottom sharp teeth. He started biting about a month ago just small bites and then he stopped for about two weeks. Last week he bit my boob hard enough for it to puncture and the skin and bleed ( I rolled over instantly in tears and could not breast feed on that side for days) I don't want to stop breast feeding but I am terrified of it happening again. He has continued to do small bites at least 3 -4 times a day and it hurts but not extremely badly.

So I guess my question is what do i do? How can I get him to stop biting and me not to fear it so badly or is it just time to stop?

 

[staceyj83]

Hello all im hoping one of yall can help i have a 10 day who has a stuffed up nose and not wanting to eat he has only put on 2oz and not yet back to his birth weight im having to pump should i give him the breast first to see if he will eat or just give him the EBM he has only had about 2oz to eat so far this morning the first time i put him to breast first then bottle he was so tired from crying he didnt eat much and im worried about him losing more weight we had a hard start to bfing due to low blood sugars TIA

 

[MrsChezek]

Hello all im hoping one of yall can help i have a 10 day who has a stuffed up nose and not wanting to eat he has only put on 2oz and not yet back to his birth weight im having to pump should i give him the breast first to see if he will eat or just give him the EBM he has only had about 2oz to eat so far this morning the first time i put him to breast first then bottle he was so tired from crying he didnt eat much and im worried about him losing more weight we had a hard start to bfing due to low blood sugars TIA

Right now I'd focus on whatever order he's going to drink more in as putting on weight is the priority so your docs don't start pushing formula. Personally, I always give expressed first because she downs it and acts like she hasn't eaten at all! She is hungry 15 minutes later...no idea why! So I always let her latch on afterwards to drain the hind milk (she's much more efficient than the pump) and to soothe and get the satisfaction of sucking.

Is he not eating because of the stuffed up nose? Have you tried clearing his nose with one of those aspirator thingies before a feed? Poor little guy! Hope he feels better soon.

 

[staceyj83]

He has always been a bit of a lazy eater due to low blood sugars at birth yes i use that on him poor guy hates it

 

[too_scared]

My doctor said that if baby gets a stuffed up nose and can't nurse easily because of it to put a drop of saline solution in each nostril. He said baby will hate it but it will clear his nose.

A stuffy nose that is not runny won't clear with the aspirator because it is stuffy from swollen nasal passages, not from anything that can be sucked out. The saline solution will help with the swelling.

I hope your LO feels better very soon.

 

[staceyj83]

His doctor has me using both ill try using just the drops thank you

 

[too_scared]

If your Dr has you using both then you should stick with your drs advice.

 

[staceyj83]

I will if he needs them i did just the drops this morning and he has been eatting better and taking the breast again like my little pro my two girls never had stuffy noses at such a young age so this was a first for me thanks for the help

 

[too_scared]

So glad to hear he is doing better

 

[Mizzy]

wish i found this a week ago!!
has anyone gone from ebm bottle fed to breast fed?? i keep trying and sometimes he does great but then i go back to square one and he will only take the bottle

 

[staceyj83]

Just keep working with him remember eatting from the breast is more work for him have you tried a nipple shield?

 

[Mizzy]

when he latches hes great!!! its just getting him to latch
ive got the medella ones but its like hes suckin on air?? im going to a local bf group on monday so going to take them along to check im useing them right
will it get to a point where there is no turning back?? like the bottle will be all he will take? hes 15 days old now and its just been a constant struggle

 

[staceyj83]

you might need a smaller one that happen to me with my 2nd dd no he will get it he is still young it will take time just keep working with him

 

[MrsChezek]

The nurses in the hospital suggested putting a couple drops of glucose water on the nipple or into the nipple shield to get the baby to latch. I never tried it as she's always been over-eager to latch but you can try it! Or at lest research the idea

 

[too_scared]

You just reminded me that the nurses at the hospital suggested to me that I express a little milk out to get my little guy to latch. Unfortunately it didn't work for me because his jaundice was making him so sleepy but it is worth a shot too if the glucose water doesn't work.

 

[Mizzy]

when he does latch its because ive expressed it into his mouth and hes gone from there, no latch from him today, only tried on one feed though as ive been at the MIL's with a house full most the day

 

[TacoTime]

How do I get advice/help from a bf champion?