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Originally Posted by mommabird  ... Needless to say, I don't put too much stock in LLL recommendations now.
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As grateful as I am to LLL for general moral support I'm not sure it's the best place for advice when you have difficult problems. Although I am a little surprised that the LC they referred you to was that poor. I would consider contacting the LC and/or the LLL leader you got the recommendation from and politely explain that for $250.00 you need a more "hands on" follow up to the hand out.
Has anyone at an LLL meeting taken a look at how your DC latches on and maintains the latch? Have you been to enough meetings to watch how other babies latch on?
I would go to the next meeting in your area and ask the moms themselves if they can recommend and LC or if there are any other resources. I've been to 4 different LLL locations for meetings over the years and frequently the BF'ing support group (I believe it's a daily clinic) out of a local hospital is mentioned. My impression is that you can get much better "hands on" advice in a clinic like this.
I would also suggest that you try posting on your "geographic" MDC "tribe" and see if anyone there can recommend someone. If you get lucky maybe they can recommend someone willing to meet with you for a reduced fee given the circumstances.
Have you tried asking your pediatrician for tips?
In the meanwhile, I'll try to summarize some of the key points to achieving a good latch ... at least the ones that were relevant for me.
The latch should be vertically asymmetrical. In other words, your DC should have more of the lower part of your aerola in his mouth. This is important since that's where the ducts that DC massages with his tongue are. A more symmetrical latch means less stimulation. One way to achieve this latch is to point your nipple towards the top of DC's mouth.
If DC has a tendency to close his mouth too quickly try the football hold A(aka pocketbook clutch) and wait until you get a yawn or scream and pull DC on as quickly as possible before the mouth closes. This is described as the Rapid Arm Movement (RAM) technique. If you don't get a timely yawn or scream you can try "tickling" his mouth open with your nipple. I have heard that with some babies you can try gently pushing on the chin with your forefinger as you are brushing the mouth open. I have also heard that some "contrarian" babies will open their mouths if you gently push up on the chin. (Kind of like the way some babies will close their eyes if you gently rub their forehead upwards.)
In any case the whole process takes experimentation, repetition and practice which can be somewhat tiring. For me it reached a point where once I had a half way decent latch I would gently shove more of the lower aereola into
DD1's mouth. In my experience --in the early days-- working for the perfect latch was an exercise in frustration. I needed to manufacture small successes to keep my spirits up and so DD1 wouldn't have to wait too long to get some milk.
It got easier as DD1 got bigger and her mouth got bigger.
Another issue I had with DD1 but not DD2, she was more lethargic. Kellymom has tips on how to try and make DC a little more alert. One of the more obvious tips is to remove a little clothing to cool DC down.
Of course with some babies the reverse is the problem, they are too agitated to achieve a good latch. In a case like that you want to watch for early signs of hunger so they aren't screaming are otherwise too upset to latch on. Co sleeping is a good way to give DC lots of opportunity to help himself and get some milk when your Prolactin levels are highest, even if the latch isn't perfect.
Early signs of hunger are "rooting" for the breast, "mouthing", putting things in their mouth, restlessness, etc. Those are the more obvious ones, Kellymom may have more.
One more thing, is it possible that your DC has a decent latch but is frustrated over the length of time to achieve letdown? If so, try the "Marmet" massage technique (kind of like a breast self-exam) to speed up letdown and maybe even express a drop of milk or two --leaving it on the nipple-- to capture DC's attention.
If you need more specific instructions on the Marmet technique please PM me and I'll try to dig up the link. You can try Kellymom but the link they have there is dead. You are more likely to find it using a Meta Search engine like "Dogpile". But, again, feel free to PM me.
Good luck and please keep us posted.
~Cath
s momma. I'm so sorry you're going through this.
the leader will be right there and able to help you.
