I'm compiling tips from other threads to help those of us who are having nursing challenges. Feel free to add other items, or other sections, or make suggestions, and we can try to get a complete list stickied. I will try to maintain this thread as I have a break from baby care.
An additional note... I'm basing this mainly on tips that we contribute to each other. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of places to go for detailed information on nursing and I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel. This is a Cliff's Notes/sample platter of helpful information.
Help for Sore Nipples
Latching Tips
A bad latch is the most likely cause of soreness.
Keeping Baby Awake to Feed
Position: The Football Hold
The football hold helps when you're having trouble with latching. Situate baby at your side, tucked under your arm like a football with their body curved around you, under your arm. Then, line up baby's nose with the tip of your nipple which should naturally put baby's bottom lip at the edge of your areola. Your hand should be at the base of his head. When your baby opens his mouth really wide, "pull" him over the nipple, trying to get his upper lip to reach the edge of the areola (opposite the lower lip).
Position: Side-lying
Great for nighttime feeding, but can be challenging to get a good latch until baby is 4 weeks old or so and has better neck control. WARNING: it's very easy to fall asleep in this position and you cannot always trust baby to maintain a good latch.
Engorgement
It Might Not Be Hunger…
Other things that make baby cry and want to nurse besides hunger:
OTHER RESOURCES
Books:
The Nursing Mother's Companion, by Kathleen Huggins
The Breastfeeding Book, by Martha Sears
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, by the La Leche League
The Ultimate Book of Breastfeeding Answers, by Jack Newman
Websites:
Kellymom
Breast Feeding Made Simple
Breast-Feeding Online (features articles by Jack Newman, and videos)
An additional note... I'm basing this mainly on tips that we contribute to each other. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of places to go for detailed information on nursing and I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel. This is a Cliff's Notes/sample platter of helpful information.
Help for Sore Nipples
- Try to get more of your nipple in his mouth and make sure baby is latching well
- You shouldn't need to hold your boob away from his face, babies noses are specially designed so that they can still breathe when they are nursing
- A little lanolin on a breast pad after every feeding can help with tenderness and prevent chapping/cracking.
- Hydrogel pads are great for broken skin. Soothies are the ones that I (Curlita) like the most – they are a life saver.
- Let nipples air dry after a feeding.
- Express a little breast milk onto the nipple and allow it to dry
Latching Tips
A bad latch is the most likely cause of soreness.
- Get as much nipple in the mouth as possible. Babies draw milk from the breast by compressing the milk sinuses around the nipple, not by actually sucking the milk out through the nipple.
- Try compressing the nipple slightly like a sandwich in order to fit as much as possible into baby's mouth. Especially helpful if the breast is engorged and would otherwise not be easy to compress. ASIDE: This used to be called the cigarette hold, according to an LPN I know, because of the way you might hold your fingers. I find that funny.
- Baby’s mouth should open wide; try to aim your nipple towards the roof of baby’s mouth.
- Try a football hold instead of the traditional cross body hold
- Make sure you and baby are tummy to tummy, that baby’s head is not turned at an angle, and that baby’s neck is stretched in a “sniffing” pose, instead of chin tucked down.
- Hold babies chin down when latching to make sure their mouth is open wide enough.
- Make sure baby's lower lip is rolled out and not in over their bottom gum. Gently pull baby's chin down with your thumb while he nurses.
- Bad news for those of us with stitches: the side lying position can be the hardest one to get right.
- Latch training is hard work! If the latch isn’t right, break the latch and start over again. You have to be militant for baby to learn and nipples to heal.
Keeping Baby Awake to Feed
- Take off baby’s clothes so they aren’t too comfortable. You can even use a wet washcloth to keep him awake (sounds harsh, but I did this with Dylan).
- The grasping instinct and the sucking instinct are linked. Hold baby’s fingers and as s/he grasps your finger, s/he will also suck.
- Pull baby’s hand and arm up and away from their side. They will feel like they are being pulled away from the breast and instinctively start sucking again (courtesy of University of WA lactation consultants).
- Compress the breast while baby is sucking. Squeeze gently to express milk into their mouth, then release. This keeps the milk flow going and keeps them more interested in the project. (courtesy of University of WA lactation consultants).
- Is baby actually eating or comfort nursing? Watch his jaw and throat. You should be able to see a series of sucks and then a swallow. If baby is just comfort nursing, there will be a series of fluttering sucks, but no swallow.
Position: The Football Hold
The football hold helps when you're having trouble with latching. Situate baby at your side, tucked under your arm like a football with their body curved around you, under your arm. Then, line up baby's nose with the tip of your nipple which should naturally put baby's bottom lip at the edge of your areola. Your hand should be at the base of his head. When your baby opens his mouth really wide, "pull" him over the nipple, trying to get his upper lip to reach the edge of the areola (opposite the lower lip).
Position: Side-lying
Great for nighttime feeding, but can be challenging to get a good latch until baby is 4 weeks old or so and has better neck control. WARNING: it's very easy to fall asleep in this position and you cannot always trust baby to maintain a good latch.
Engorgement
- Cabbage leaves can help relieve the pain of engorgement. One DDC member noted that overuse can actually impact milk supply, so be careful.
- If you need to pump to relieve engorgement slightly, do so only once per 24 hour period. Otherwise you give your body the message that you actually need all that milk, and it will create an oversupply.
It Might Not Be Hunger…
Other things that make baby cry and want to nurse besides hunger:
- Gas
- Wet or poopy diaper
- Flailing limbs: some babies sleep better when swaddled, and swaddling with arms up by the face may let them self-soothe without waking themselves up.
- Worried about global warming
- ??
OTHER RESOURCES
Books:
The Nursing Mother's Companion, by Kathleen Huggins
The Breastfeeding Book, by Martha Sears
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, by the La Leche League
The Ultimate Book of Breastfeeding Answers, by Jack Newman
Websites:
Kellymom
Breast Feeding Made Simple
Breast-Feeding Online (features articles by Jack Newman, and videos)
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