8 day old will latch, won't nurse

[palmella]

I think I have created my own monster here, but he will only take breast milk from a bottle. He's got a great latch, but starts to suck once or twice and then pulls himself off. I know the latch isn't the issue. This was an issue in the hospital, he wouldn't actually nurse. By the time we came home he still wasn't nursing. I've done shields, tried doing just finger feedings/cup feedings/sms system- anything to avoid a bottle but he'd spit it out and get hysterical. I pumped, put it in a bottle, and he downed 6oz the first night.

I have done nursing vacation, attempted kanagroo nursing, laid back nursing, he's constantly in a wrap next to my breasts- if I can keep the leakage down I stay topless so he has easy access. Every feeding I latch him on several ways, at different points- start of, middle of, end of. He just won't nurse. I've tried to nurse him when he's hungery, then other times before he's due for another feeding. I've hours reading on kellymom, talked w/my Doula, talked w/multiple lactation specialist, talked with a midwife I know, I am trying to get ahold of someone from La Leche League Leader.

I know introducing the bottle caused major nipple confusion for him, and I feel aweful about it, but I'm kind of at a loss. Many people told me it could be because he was a c-section baby, others say because he was a little early and he may eventually learn it. Oy.

I have a great pump, and his latching is helping keep milk supply up. So I don't think running low on milk is going to be an issue anytime soon, but I know it will be in the long run if I can't get him to nurse.

Any insight you can give would be great.
Thanks, Pamela

[goodygumdrops]

Can you pump for a minute to start your let down and then latch the baby? That can sometimes help because normally babes with nipple confusion have gotten used to getting milk fast from the nipple, At the breast they often get frustrated because they don't liked that they have to work at it.

Also, you might try spending a lot of time skin to skin with babe on chest just hanging out. I would stop the bottle feeding asap and use an SNS or finger feed. There has been some success with bathing in warm water with a newborn doing skin to skin and them re-imprinting the instinct to nurse. You would need a deeper tub though.

Another suggestion would be to get your breast to let down and then try and introduce the nipple to the babe when they are in a REM sleep state....side lying in bed would be excellent hold for this.

I hope that helps. Let us know your progress. Congrads...Your doing a great job!!!! Keep it up

[Llyra]

It really does sound like classic nipple confusion.

I've fought nipple confusion twice. Once I won, and the other time, I didn't, and wound up pumping for months until I lost my supply, and went to formula, and then relactated twice, and it was awful. The difference was that the second time, I knew what to do.

I really would like to be of help, but I can't post a long post now-- my kids are waiting for me to put them to bed. So I found this for you... It's an old thread that has some great advice on it, including the program we used to overcome a nasty case of nipple confusion and breast refusal.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ra#post8644133

Good luck! Don't give up-- it can be done!

[mama81]

It sounds like you've gotten some great tips already so I just wanted to share my experience with DD#2 since you mentioned your little one was early. She was 3 weeks early (induced) and wouldn't nurse at all, so we wound up giving her EBM from a bottle. It took her a little more than 3 weeks to get the hang of nursing... she finally got a good latch a few days after her due date. Hang in there!

[CoBabyMaker]

Keep offering just like you are. DD refused to latch for a while (though she finally would with the shield, also a c/s)
We found cranial sacral therapy to be very helpful. I will admit that after the first session I saw no improvement. I am so glad we went back though because after two sessions I felt like I was nursing a different baby-one who was NOT screaming hysterically at me!