Bad Latch, Help!

[bmcneal]

DS was born on Friday. I have flat/inverted nipples, but the LC was able to get me nipple shields/shells, and that has made him able to latch on. Now the problem is, he can't/doesn't latch on well at.all. While we were still at the hospital, we paged the LC, but she never came. We haven't heard anything back from anyone, and we've been home for 5 hours. I've been nursing him the best that I can, and he's been getting milk, but it's *so* painful, and I can't nurse him very long. Is there anything I can do until I can try and get ahold of the LC in the morning, or a different LC? He's really hungry, I'm latching him the best/for as long as I can, but my nipples are starting to bleed, and he's having a harder and harder time latching on.

[StoriesInTheSoil]

You need to contact a different LC or call a LLL leader pronto. Here's Tennessee's LLL website: LLL Tennessee Call the leaders! They will help you or find someone who can!

GL and s mama. Stick with it, you're a star!

[binspired]

Latch issues are really frustrating, but can get better! My dd is nearly 6 weeks old and we're still working on hers. We've even had her tongue-tie and lip-tie clipped and are still waiting to see some improvement. (If things don't get better in the long-term, you should have baby evaluated for that.) We've had to supplement (not that I'm implying that you should or will have to), but we still have a wonderful bfing relationship! Check out these websites for help:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/bas...resources.html
www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T021000.asp
www.drjacknewman.com/video-clips.asp

and don't give up!!

[Thefrawg]

Hang in there Mama! And get someone over to help pronto! I also have flat nipples and waited too long the first time. Cracked and Bled for 6 weeks!

The best help I got, I will try to explain here, but is easier seen than described:

Pinch your nipple flat between two fingers (like scissors) with the nipple centered. Place in DS's mouth rolling the nipple toward the top/back of his mouth. Once he latches, start moving your fingers back and out of the way. Have someone else (dh?) place a finger in the divot of DS's chin, between the chin and lower lip, and gently help open his mouth a little wider. If you have a free hand, try to encourage more of the nipple into his mouth from the top. I did this with one finger, kinda pushing skin in.

Getting a deep latch is hard for baby when the nipple isn't well defined. You have to help a bit. And a deeper latch puts the pressure more on the areola where it belongs!

You aren't built like a textbook picture, so the traditional C-hold and advice may not apply to you! Don't be afraid to get creative!

My LC told me if I put my nipple between two fingers, the baby would never be able to grasp it. Every body is different. Once I did this, the pain backed way off and I started to heal. This worked for me. If this doesn't work for you, maybe it will give you an idea of what else to try for your shape.

Stay with it! It can get better fast!