Lipstick nipple??

[xQuinnx]

I've just had my second baby she's 6 days old. I've had real difficulty getting her to latch onto the breast so she has been having expressed breast milk and forma top ups. I wanted to persevere and keep trying to put her on the breast but wasn't too hopeful however the last 2 days she's actually latching! It doesn't hurt except for maybe the first 20 seconds if she's latched poorly a couple of times and had to be taken off, she seems to have fun cheeks, I can see/hear swallowing, she's co tent at the boob and when she comes off too.
However, here is my worry...she feeds for around 15 mins but probably less then 30 mins later wants feeding again. She can do this a couple of times before being full regardless of whether it's purely breast or breast and formula. Is this normal?
Also someone told me about lipstick nipple...after nursing my nipples seem slightly elongated for seconds afterwards and at times have had a slant...is this lipstick nipple?

I only breastfed my first baby for 3 days before expressing because I ended up with cracked bleeding nipples and putting her on the breast made me too anxious so I feel like a complete newbie with this stuff!

 

[thexfadingpat]

I would highly suggest getting her looked at for tongue ties.

 

[noon_child]

The nipple will come out elongated - that's normal, but the slight lipstick shape of your nipple suggests she hasn't quite got enough breast tissue in her mouth but that is very common in the early days and is usually only a problem if combined with continuing pain, slow weight gain, bleeding or cracked nipples etc or if it keeps happening with every feed or baby comes off the nipple unhappy and still hungry but unable to stay latched. Obviously it would be best to never have an angled nipple, or any pain on latching, but just because you do have these things doesn't mean you are necessarily doing anything wrong, just that it takes time for both of you to get the hang of things. It is something to keep an eye on.

In terms of the frequent feeding - that could be perfectly normal as at this age she will only take small amounts and need to refill quickly, plus nursing will make her sleepy so it might help to think of her as having a rest mid-feed, rather than thinking that she wants another feed after only 30 minutes - maybe its the same feed! In the early days there is no distinction really between feeds, especially at the growth spurts on around 3 days, 1 week, 3 weeks etc when she will be building your supply. Breast milk and babies bodies are designed for little and often feeding.

Obviously if your pain increases, persists, leads to damage, or LO isn't pooing and weeing frequently, or gaining weight after the first week, then it might need further investigating, but for now it sounds like a very common experienced in these early days nothing stays the same from one day to the next it seems.

From a practical point of view, laid back breastfeeding can often improve a latch and make it deeper but it can sometimes be tricky to master getting comfortably supported and positioned at first. La Leche League or other lactations specialists are a good source of support for learning how to do these things or seeking information if you become concerned about any aspect of feeding.

 

[xQuinnx]

Thank you so much for all the advice that's brilliant.
Hadn't thought that actually she might just be resting between feeds, makes sense.

Is there anything I can specifically look for with tongue tie?

 

[ktod]

I get lipstick nipple but I don't get any pain. I'd read it meant the latch was too shallow but I can't get my LO to latch any deeper so I'm just going along with it.

 

[minties]

My nipples are lipsticked after nursing Emma, but there is no pain and she's happy and gaining well (already beyond doubling her birth weight).

Had the same with my other kids too, so who knows what it is for me.

 

[xQuinnx]

Just a little update if anyone's interested.
My daughter is 3 weeks old today and we went to see a breastfeeding co-ordinator as her latch was so hit and miss snd I've been feeding by expressing/formula top up.

Was advised that she has a tounge tie and hopefully this will be sorted next week. Think when she had been latching it was quite shallow which might explain the slightly odd shaped nipples after feeding in my case anyway

 

[laura11111]

"Lipstick nipple"...haha. I've never heard of that term, but it makes sense. I see it's been a couple weeks since you posted. I'm sure you've figured out that it's normal. It takes a while for mom and baby to figure things out when it comes to feeding. Stick her on as much as she wants. Some babies cluster feed here and there. Good luck

 

[xQuinnx]

Another update...

Went to our tongue tie appointment to be told by theactation consultant there that it isn't a tongue tie but the poor/shallow latch is caused by little one having a tight jaw caused by a speedy delivery :-/ she suggested going to see a cranial osteopath, lactation consultant or chiropractor privately at about £100.

Feeling like we're just being passed around a bit here and I'm wondering if it is something that can be foxed, whether little one will grow out of it or what

 

[noon_child]

Another update...

Went to our tongue tie appointment to be told by theactation consultant there that it isn't a tongue tie but the poor/shallow latch is caused by little one having a tight jaw caused by a speedy delivery :-/ she suggested going to see a cranial osteopath, lactation consultant or chiropractor privately at about £100.

Feeling like we're just being passed around a bit here and I'm wondering if it is something that can be foxed, whether little one will grow out of it or what

This is a real thing and can cause a lot of feeding problems. I know people who swear by cranial Osteopathy for their baby.

I myself never quite worked out what was going on with my LO. ENT said no tongue tie but she had lots of the symptoms. In the end when she was about 10 weeks old the latch started to be less painful and by 11 weeks it was pain free. By 15 weeks she touched the lower line on the weight graphs and a few weeks later I stopped regularly expressing milk because it was't getting drunk!

Cant say this happens for everyone, it really depends what is going on and how severe it is, but just to say there is hope!

 

[xQuinnx]

Thank you noon_child that's good to know!