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[newmommy23]

my daughter is 11days old and we're doing well except she is really really hurting my left nipple. shes like pulling it?? Its sort of flat..she latches perfectly to the other one =/

 

[TigerLady]

my daughter is 11days old and we're doing well except she is really really hurting my left nipple. shes like pulling it?? Its sort of flat..she latches perfectly to the other one =/

Have you tried a different hold on your left side, like the football/rugby? That might help her.

 

[MissMamma]

I have a huge gash on my right nipple i have mastitus but we're feeding through it but i just wondered if the cut will ever heal!?

 

[TigerLady]

Is it an actual cut? If so, what cut it??

Or is it just cracked and bleeding from the friction of nursing a new baby? I had cracked/bleeding/blistered nipples in the first few weeks with both kids. Yes, it does heal. It will scab over and the scab might even flake off at some point. Use lots of lanisnoh cream to help in the meantime. Give it a couple of weeks. Seems like a long time now, but it will go fast!

 

[Piperette]

I was wondering if someone can please help. I am breast feeding, but have noticed that recently LO started to fuss a bit at the breast. He drinks for a few minutes (maybe 5 max) and then starts pushing the nipple out with his tongue. I wind him inbetween, but he doesn't gp back on the breast again after, maybe only for 2-3 more sucks.

I have given him a bottle of EBM earlier (140ml), which he drank. It took him about 10 minutes to empty it without any fussing. When I feed him during the night, he seems to feed easier and with less resistance (approx 10 minutes).

Having done some reading up recently, I believe that I have a forceful let-down, which I suppose would explain his behaviour.

What can I do to make daytime feeds easier?

How many times a day (and night) and how long for is "normal" for a baby to feed at his age? I know all babies are different, but if I can get a rough idea.

Thanks for your help. I would happily accept the help of a BF Champion.

Piperette - has he always been this way, or is it a recent thing? Because it's unlikely that you would have developed a forceful letdown after feeding for a couple of weeks. But you can try feeding lying down or lean back when feeding - this slows the flow of the milk a bit (as it has to travel against gravity)

It could just be that he's gotton quicker at taking your milk (my LO went from 10 min feeds to 4-5 min feeds around 3-4 months), or he could be entering the distractible phase, or....... It could be the 12 week growth spurt. How long has he been doing it?

Length of feeds are totally random. My LO fed (and still does) for 5 mins, but iknow others that still feed for 20 mins at 8 months. Frequency- my LO usually goes 2.5-3 hours and was probably feeding every 2-2.5 hours at 3 months.

X

CocoaOne, he has always been a bit fussy at the breast, but would drink. I think he drinks more when he gets a bottle of EBM than from the breast though, always has.

I have been thinking about the 12 week growth spurt or he might be entering the distractable phase as he keeps looking around. It has probably been a week or two now where he fusses that much.

Also, when we went to a class today, there was a baby that was getting unsettled and needed a feed. She was BF'ed without any problem. I usually struggle to get him to latch on or even pay an interest in the boob when he is like this. He will even fight the bottle of EBM for a short time in that state, but will eventually take it, whereas with the boob, he just refuses point blank. The only time he easily latches on and drinks is at night and when he has just woken up. I would really appreciate any suggestions on how to make this a bit easier for both of us.

Anyone?

 

[TigerLady]

Can you wait longer between feeds so he is more hungry and more serious about his feeds?

Have you tried swaddling him so he is bound up tight and can only concentrate on eating?

Does he play with toys at all yet? Put something in his hands to keep them busy. That usually comes later (around 5-6 months) but it may be helpful for you now.

Have you tried different positions and holds? Maybe he would like one better than another.

Try feeding in a quiet, darkened room and see if he is less distractable.

What kind of bottles are you using? How often does he get EBM? It sounds like this could be a bit of nipple confusion, TBH. Is it possible for you to cut out all bottles of EBM for a few weeks and see if things improve?

 

[Piperette]

Can you wait longer between feeds so he is more hungry and more serious about his feeds?

I haven't tried that yet.

Have you tried swaddling him so he is bound up tight and can only concentrate on eating?

Does he play with toys at all yet? Put something in his hands to keep them busy. That usually comes later (around 5-6 months) but it may be helpful for you now.?

Swaddling is a bit of an issue for him. He has hated it since day two. He doesn't really play with toys yet, but I will give it a go.

Have you tried different positions and holds? Maybe he would like one better than another.

Try feeding in a quiet, darkened room and see if he is less distractable.

What kind of bottles are you using? How often does he get EBM? It sounds like this could be a bit of nipple confusion, TBH. Is it possible for you to cut out all bottles of EBM for a few weeks and see if things improve?

Will definitely try to feed in a quiet, darkened room as much as possible now and also try to avoid bottles completely for a few weeks.

I have noticed over the last few days that he is fine on the boob when he has just woken up from a nap and at nighttime.

I will give your suggestions a go. Thanks.

 

[TigerLady]

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

[zozo123]

Hi,

I can't figure out how to PM on here but I just wanted to thank TigerLAdy and CocoaOne for their support last. The advice has been taken on board and things are showing signs of improvement.

We had LO weighed on wed and she's gained 300g in 2 weeks. It's a little less than OH hoped but a much greater proportion of the gain has come from bf which is a real boost for us all!

Thanks again!

 

[TigerLady]

Hi,

I can't figure out how to PM on here but I just wanted to thank TigerLAdy and CocoaOne for their support last. The advice has been taken on board and things are showing signs of improvement.

We had LO weighed on wed and she's gained 300g in 2 weeks. It's a little less than OH hoped but a much greater proportion of the gain has come from bf which is a real boost for us all!

Thanks again!

I think you have to have like 10 posts or something before you can PM.

I'm SO glad the advice has helped!!! I also think that is a great weight gain considering you are in the midst of trying to drop formula. And remember: Most BFed babies gain slower than formula fed babies in the first 6 months, so don't be surprised if she only puts weight on slowly for a while.

Please tell your wife "Job well done!" for her hard work and dedication. And I can't say how much I admire your effort in seeking help and supporting her. Seriously! My OH would never have done so much for me. You are truly a wonderful, dedicated Dad to go to such lengths and provide such support when your wife and baby needed it!

 

[Sue Dunhym]

I have a quick q - I can hear my baby making a clicking tch tch tch noise now when she's sucking on the breast, as if she's sucking/clicking her tongue or not latched on properly and possibly sucking in air. However, I have big boobs and she gets an absolute faceful of boob when she's on and I can't see how she could be getting air in too. Is it possible that everything's ok, this is just a normal noise? I'm paranoid as we had such trouble in the beginning with her latch and I don't want it to be wrong now.

She is healthy, plenty of wet nappies and putting on weight.

I could go to my local BF support group on Tuesday if there might be something wrong with the latch.

 

[Sue Dunhym]

Another quick q - my baby's breathing gets quite wheezy while she's feeding, is that normal? As if she's a bit congested. It goes away once she stops feeding.

 

[MissMamma]

I've been told that clicking is a sign of thrush?

 

[PreggyEggy]

I get that clicking occasionally too, but I don't have thrush? When she does it, I can feel my nipple move into the front of her mouth. Bloody hurts, but my nipple normally pops back into place on the next suck. If she keeps doing it, try repositioning her?

I just wanted to post and say thanks for the advice I got here. I don't know what happened, but a few days ago, it seemed like she started sucking differently, and taking more of the nipple into her mouth. Feeds no longer hurt, and I'm beginning to enjoy feeding her...so I'm tentatively going to say that I think I've cracked it! She only takes 15 mins tops to feed each time, and she's gulping the whole time! It's easier at night too, because I no longer have to spend ages making sure I get her on exactly right (which is difficult when you can barely open your eyes). I can just shove her on my boob and she gets right it every time!

I think if it wasn't for all the support I got on this forum, and from breastfeeding support groups, I wouldn't have stuck with it until she got it. For everyone having problems and reading this post, stick with it! Your babies will get it eventually, and it's so worth it!

 

[CocoaOne]

PreggyEggy - so glad that things have improved for you

Sue - M went through a phase of clicking and I worried about latch and thrush (the click comes from a poor suck because it hurts their mouth) but everything was fine. If it doesn't hurt and she seems well - carry on. If it does start to hurt then definitely get seen - but go to your support group anyway! It's great to meet other mums and babies. I go to mine every week and never go for BF support - just a chin wag!

Zozo - so glad that things have improved! Massive Congrats to you, wife and LO

Piperette - I agree with tigerlady. Nipple confusion and he's used to the faster flow from the bottles. My LO can get really impatient as it takes about 1 minute of sucking before my let down comes.... That's a lot of sucking to a hungry baby! Just keep trying in darkened rooms and before he gets too hungry. (sorry for not replying sooner )

 

[greenlady]

Sue - I used to get the clicking too and I went to a BF support group when Flora was about 9 weeks old. They told me that it was to do with a fast letdown, so basically the milk was rushing out so fast that she would drop her latch and recollect it, on and off, until the flow slowed down. She said LO didn't seemed distressed about it so it was fine (although it did hurt a bit for a while). One thing she suggested was to sort of recline a bit while feeding so gravity stops the milk shooting out so quick iyswim.

Not sure but the wheeziness could be to do with the fast letdown as well if there's a tonne of milk she's trying to swallow really quickly.

 

[TigerLady]

DK did/does the clicking sound. I have a fast let down.... BUT I also figured out that she has thrush. I didn't catch it until it got bad enough that I started to feel it. Bad mommy. Anyway, I've had her on thrush meds for about a week now and the clicking is much less than it was.

 

[Sue Dunhym]

We definitely don't have thrush, there's no rash, no white residue (other than normal milk residue) in her mouth and she does not fuss when feeding. I went to the BF support group and it looks like it is a slightly imperfect latch but as it doesn't hurt me and she is feeding fine there's not a lot we can do. Thank you for the advice.

 

[snailien]

Can I be a champion please? Had mastitis twice in each breast during the first 6 weeks so feel i can give advise on that for sure

 

[emmi26]

Hello my baby harry is a week old he is mainly bf but has a bit of formula to top him up. He had problems latching so had formula for the first 2 days now nipple shields are brilliant hes really getting it. However im worried about my supply it seems fine but harry actually sleeps quite well at night only waking once about 4 ish im worried this will affect my supply. Ive bought a medala mini electric breast pump but am struggling to use it. I also struggle to keep the nipple shields on during feeds. Harry was 11lb 5oz at birth im terrified of him being hungry just need some help please x x