OK, my best friend had a baby two days ago. I am going to share all the details, since I don't know what is relevant and what is not.
He weighed 8 lbs at birth. (4 pm Sunday)
He weighed 7 lbs 7 oz (4 pm Tuesday)
He passed his first mec (aside from when he was being born) at about 30 hours old. He had 5 wet diapers and 2 dirty diapers today.
He seems to be nursing well? He will latch on. They said they get spit up occasionally, but he never burps. That plus the diapers sounds like he's getting plenty to me - right?
Mom called me tonight, had just been sobbing for hours from just awful, awful pain. She was thinking his latch was bad, maybe he wasn't putting his tongue over his gums and was biting her. She knows I have special experience with this, as it's what mine did to me for 8 weeks.
I went over and latched him on me. He doesn't like to open his mouth. I had to wait until he screamed and pop it in. After that, his latch seemed fine to me - definitely not biting. It was getting a strange sensation across the top of his latch, like maybe he had a high palate (mine had one and it felt like that) but she said our midwife said he did not. He also has a crazy overbite and I wonder if that is causing it.
But I felt like 1) something a little funky (but not terrible or painful) is up with his jaw, 2) he has a very strong suck, 3) her poor nipples are just brand new at this.
She said he is flattening her nipples. She has a very dark, bruised line across both of them. I don't know what causes this, but he did not do it to me. I am guessing she is not getting enough areola in his mouth. I showed her what I was doing to get him to take more in.
She is beside herself with pain and frustration. I nursed him for her while I had her pump (she isn't getting anything but some wetness around the nip yet - I think it is still transitional milk and not easy to get out). He let out a huge burp - she said he had never done that for her. I left her with enough milk for about 3 feedings. I told her to do what she had to do with regard to taking a break, but that it is important to get the baby back on the breast as soon as she can possibly stand it because the first few days are so important for supply and that baby needs her colostrum/transitional milk. I also told her not to use a bottle yet and to make sure she pumps every time she feeds him not at the breast.
She is very committed to breastfeeding and I am sure she will pull through this. She'll be seeing a great IBCLC in a day or so, but I want to help her in the meantime.
Any thoughts? Am I right in guessing the flat nipple is from not deep enough latch?
He weighed 8 lbs at birth. (4 pm Sunday)
He weighed 7 lbs 7 oz (4 pm Tuesday)
He passed his first mec (aside from when he was being born) at about 30 hours old. He had 5 wet diapers and 2 dirty diapers today.
He seems to be nursing well? He will latch on. They said they get spit up occasionally, but he never burps. That plus the diapers sounds like he's getting plenty to me - right?
Mom called me tonight, had just been sobbing for hours from just awful, awful pain. She was thinking his latch was bad, maybe he wasn't putting his tongue over his gums and was biting her. She knows I have special experience with this, as it's what mine did to me for 8 weeks.
I went over and latched him on me. He doesn't like to open his mouth. I had to wait until he screamed and pop it in. After that, his latch seemed fine to me - definitely not biting. It was getting a strange sensation across the top of his latch, like maybe he had a high palate (mine had one and it felt like that) but she said our midwife said he did not. He also has a crazy overbite and I wonder if that is causing it.
But I felt like 1) something a little funky (but not terrible or painful) is up with his jaw, 2) he has a very strong suck, 3) her poor nipples are just brand new at this.
She said he is flattening her nipples. She has a very dark, bruised line across both of them. I don't know what causes this, but he did not do it to me. I am guessing she is not getting enough areola in his mouth. I showed her what I was doing to get him to take more in.
She is beside herself with pain and frustration. I nursed him for her while I had her pump (she isn't getting anything but some wetness around the nip yet - I think it is still transitional milk and not easy to get out). He let out a huge burp - she said he had never done that for her. I left her with enough milk for about 3 feedings. I told her to do what she had to do with regard to taking a break, but that it is important to get the baby back on the breast as soon as she can possibly stand it because the first few days are so important for supply and that baby needs her colostrum/transitional milk. I also told her not to use a bottle yet and to make sure she pumps every time she feeds him not at the breast.
She is very committed to breastfeeding and I am sure she will pull through this. She'll be seeing a great IBCLC in a day or so, but I want to help her in the meantime.
Any thoughts? Am I right in guessing the flat nipple is from not deep enough latch?
to your friend!
