bouncing on the breast/shallow latch in newborn

[saritajoy]

So, we definitely have a bf problem... I am probably more frustrated and have less patience with this since I had such a successful bf relationship with DS (now 2 years, 9 months, weaned at 2 years, 2 months) and I guess I expected to just be able to flawlessly pick up with my newborn DD. Not the case.

(Sorry in advance for the TMI about my breast anatomy!

She takes my right breast great. It seems to me that DS formed that nipple more and it's long and sticks out - very easy for DD to get a good latch right away. The first couple days it gagged her, but she's over that now. However, my left breast is a constant struggle to get her latched on - at all. To be honest, I have practically stopped trying to get a good latch and will settle for anything. The nipple is softer - if I try to pinch it and make it like the other one sometimes that works. But most of the time she does this thing that would be cute if it wasn't painful for me. She bounces with her mouth and chin against the nipple up - towards and away, usually grunting and fussing. She sometimes grasps the nipple but usually lets go after munching enough to be painful. If I try to bring her in closer she pulls away and really resists and starts crying. I might try to get a video of it to illustrate better.

I have toe curling pain when she does finally latch on to the left breast - nearly every single time. I know that means she has a shallow latch, but since I NEED her to nurse on that breast I will take what I can get. I have taken to putting her on the right breast, nursing a while (until I'm sure the let down reflex has been activated) and then switch her to the left breast. This works maybe half the time and usually when she's swaddled so her hands can't interfere and push her away.

I don't understand why she's having so much aversion to the left breast... especially at 3am when my patience is thin and I just want to be asleep myself. Last night was pretty bad and I was crying and super frustrated. I had DP shushing her for a while so I could collect myself and get a shower to wash off all the milk that had leaked from my multiple attempts to feed her on my engorged left breast.

 

DD also is not a huge fan of side-lying nursing... sometimes she will, sometimes she won't.  That's probably another thing that's making me crazy... I was so accustomed to barely waking with DS and going right back to sleep when he asked for milk in the night.
Has anyone else experienced this and successfully overcome it?  Any thoughts or ideas are welcome!!!

[kathrineg]

I had to block feed on the other side and pump on that side just enough to reduce discomfort. That lowered the supply on that side so it's not too engorged for db to latch. Sometimes he still refuses that breast and I have to pump it.

I think in his case it was originally due to a bruise on that ear from delivery, which led to engorgement which led to a harder time latching, forceful letdown, and further refusal. Super frustrating.

Good luck.

[Gracecody]

I have a newborn who is 3 weeks + 3 days old and he does the bouncing thing sometimes too, when my nipple is soft.  It's really frustrating and it's always at night when I want to sleep desperately like you do!  In our case this usually follows an episode of cluster nursing where he is unable to settle.  As you mentioned, iswaddling does help as he gets really worked up with hands and feet going like crazy. In our case I think there is a link between these episodes of cluster nursing and not settling with my occasional desire for dark chocolate in the late afternoon...but it's such a guessing game to figure out what causes these things!!

Anyway, two things that have helped me when he doesn't want to nurse side lying (or I want him to get a better latch) are starting out sitting up with him and positioning him well using the crossover or cross cradle hold, then once that is established I carefully move him into the side lying position.  Also I have found that I can get a better latch and he is happier with the softer nipple when I latch him on in the side lying position with me propped up on my elbow.  This may not be a good idea though if there is going to be a big let down from an engorged breast, to have gravity as another factor.  Just letting you know what has worked here, although I know all babies are different and yours may be doing this for much different reasons that mine has.  Latching has been something I have paid a great deal of attention to as I have big nipples and latching was a real issue for mine when he was brand new, so much so that he had a pretty drastic weight loss and I had to nurse/pump/bottle feed him expressed milk every few hours for a week and a half until he was strong enough to get the calories directly from me.

Also when I am really engorged and milk is leaking everywhere I grab a big flat cloth diaper (have a whole stack of them I go through in about 3 days!) and press it to my chest on the other side before we even start, and I have one underneath the other side and his head. If I am feeling engorged I will hand express briefly into a cloth just so it isn't as intense for him when he latches on.

[Asiago]

My son latched much better in the early months if he had motion/movement, so I'd stand and sway or bounce, sometimes he did better upright, others in a cradle hold.

 I then read in Dr. Sear's book that it helps some babies to 'organize' their sucking muscles. It may be difficult to do at night but may be worth a try for daytime feedings. I'm glad your daughter is latching well on your one nipple, that's very good news. Hang in there.

[saritajoy]

THANK YOU!!!  You mamas are so very wonderful! 

katherineg - that sounds super frustrating... I hope it evens out for you so you don't have to keep dealing with engorgement!

Gracecody, your trick with the flat diaper to sop up leaking breastmilk has been a lifesaver... I was so frustrated with my breast pads and sleeping clothes getting cold and soggy overnight!  The cross-cradle hold is what one of my midwives suggested on her postpartum visit last week and it sometimes helps too.

Asiago, yes!  Your idea of swaying or bouncing is definitely something that works!  Two nights ago I also had a vague memory that DS did something similar initially... and what I did (back then) was move the rest of his body in a Dr. Harvey Karp "jiggling" motion and that distracted him enough to latch on without all the bouncing.  Seems to work for DD as well!

Last night and today have been minimally problematic. She still does the "bouncing"... I guess it is a type of rooting, but dramatic, like a woodpecker! This morning the "bad" breast was a bit sore, like it had bruising, I guess because she didn't drain it fully in the middle of the night? But that went away midday.

Overall between swaddling and movement for the latch-on moment, we seem to have mostly overcome the problem... but I'll keep you posted if she starts to refuse again.