Issues....help!

[spicyorange]

My lo is nearly a month old, bf was going really well but recently not so much.
She dribbles milk everywhere and I know she isn't making a proper seal, she also constantly let's my nipple slip out her mouth (kinda almost spitting it out) then sucks really hard to get it back, like every third or fourth suck is really hard and it's making my nipples really sore.
She attaches ok although sometimes she doesn't open her mouth wide enough and it's a real struggle to get a good attachment but when we do she still does this on/off thing

 

[noon_child]

It is really hard without being there to know what might be going on. It definitely sounds like she's not happy with the latch so she's trying to reposition it (by spitting out and sucking back in), or she might be feeling a bit overloaded with milk so she releases the seal to let some of the milk flow out of the sides.

Things to think about:

1)Has she suddenly grown a lot? - sometimes when they get bigger we forget to check that the position we hold them in is still keeping them "sniffing the nipple"/nose to nipple. They end up being nose to armpit before we notice it!

2)Is she happier feeding "on top" of you, like in reclined feeding or laid back nursing, or side lying - this can help with both overload from a fast letdown, and shallow latchers.

3)If you have ever used a bottle, does she dribble from those too (this could indicate tongue tie).

I think your best bet is to try to get decent Lactation Consultant support. Depending on where you live, organisations such as La Leche League have LCs who can visit for free.

 

[spicyorange]

She's never has a bottle, but I do wonder if it's fast or forceful flow overwhelming her a bit, how would I know and us there anything I can do about it?
I'm going to go to the feeding clinic soon and see what they say.