trying to help sis stick it out

[aprilv]

my sister had a baby a week ago and i am trying to help her stick it out throught he rough weeks with breastfeeding.
her main complaint is that her right breast has a sore on it that has bled at least once and hurts a lot when she nurses. her left is fine and does not hurt at all when she nurses the baby.
i don't have personal experience with this so i am not sure what to advise. continue to try and nurse on the right? only pump on the right until it heals?

thanks!

[PatioGardener]

That could be a latch issue. Sometimes babies are tight in the neck muscles and this causes them to pull to one side. If this is the case, often craniosacral work helps (http://www.llli.org//llleaderweb/LV/LVAugSep01p82.html). A lactation consultant (IBCLC) would be able to help to figure out if this is the case. If no IBCLC is available, the La Lech League leader in your area may have some experience with it.

Until she can get someone to help her figure out the latch, nursing on the sore side in the football hold may help. It means that the baby doesn't have to turn his or her head in the uncomfortable way on that side.

Also, a deep latch on the sore side is crucial. Here are some great latch videos that may help your sister to see a deep latch: http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.ph...d=18&Itemid=42

Best of luck and to your sister!

[aprilv]

thanks for the videos! that might help. she said the baby seems to be latching the same way on both the sore and not sore sides, but obviously there must be some issue if there's pain.

she isn't very comfortable with talking to a lac consultant or lll leader (or me doing it for her) but i will keep offering that too!

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by aprilv

thanks for the videos! that might help. she said the baby seems to be latching the same way on both the sore and not sore sides, but obviously there must be some issue if there's pain.

I agree with you here. Do you know if she has tried the football hold on the sore side? That may change the latch enough that it helps.

Also, let her know that the sore side make take a while to heal, but she should feel less pain on that side with a deep latch, which will make it easier for her. Some moms find that taking advil (ibuprofen) helps with the pain of the traumatised nipples.

I hope it gets easier for her soon. for your for helping her!

[chemer]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener

I agree with you here. Do you know if she has tried the football hold on the sore side? That may change the latch enough that it helps.

That really hold helped me with my sore side. It was still sore while nursing but I wasn't whimpering anymore and it helped it to heal.