I visited my friend J and her two-week-old baby boy today. We'd only exchanged brief texts since his birth, so I didn't know she'd been having a horrible time breastfeeding. She's at the point of screaming in pain when he latches on and dreading every feed. 
She had to feed him while I was there and came close to crying at the thought of it--it was so sad to see.
She's tried nipple shields (helped for a day or two only); she's been to kellymom; she's going to see an LC tomorrow; she has lanolin cream and knows about letting her nipples air dry. He does open his mouth nice and wide, just footles around popping on and off for quite a while before he latches on properly. I held his hand while he fed to prevent him flailing and clutching the nipple (ow!); she does swaddle him sometimes. I suggested the football hold position and she tried it; she said that feed was actually a bit less painful than usual, but it might have been a coincidence.
Is there anything I can do or send her--anything you BFing mamas found soothing or inspirational, any advice? Any magic remedy or foolproof technique? I felt so helpless, and really guilty at the ease with which Rowan happily nursed away during the visit. I had a bad first week with her (cracked and bleeding nipples), but never to the point of screaming pain. I even offered to feed him myself while I was there to give her nipples a rest (don't flame me, I'm sure this isn't an ideal or long-term solution, but she was obviously dreading his feed and I remembered REALLY wanting a break during my first BFing week). She said she was very tempted, but that she probably shouldn't in case he didn't want to go back to her breast (she has large breasts, I have small--don't know if it would make a difference but I see her point, no use confusing the kid!). She does have a pump, but hasn't used it yet.
It's just so awful to see her suffering like this! Now I know why my mother was so glad I didn't have severe breastfeeding problems like she did. Please--anything I can do to help her? What helped you?
She had to feed him while I was there and came close to crying at the thought of it--it was so sad to see. She's tried nipple shields (helped for a day or two only); she's been to kellymom; she's going to see an LC tomorrow; she has lanolin cream and knows about letting her nipples air dry. He does open his mouth nice and wide, just footles around popping on and off for quite a while before he latches on properly. I held his hand while he fed to prevent him flailing and clutching the nipple (ow!); she does swaddle him sometimes. I suggested the football hold position and she tried it; she said that feed was actually a bit less painful than usual, but it might have been a coincidence.
Is there anything I can do or send her--anything you BFing mamas found soothing or inspirational, any advice? Any magic remedy or foolproof technique? I felt so helpless, and really guilty at the ease with which Rowan happily nursed away during the visit. I had a bad first week with her (cracked and bleeding nipples), but never to the point of screaming pain.
I even offered to feed him myself while I was there to give her nipples a rest (don't flame me, I'm sure this isn't an ideal or long-term solution, but she was obviously dreading his feed and I remembered REALLY wanting a break during my first BFing week). She said she was very tempted, but that she probably shouldn't in case he didn't want to go back to her breast (she has large breasts, I have small--don't know if it would make a difference but I see her point, no use confusing the kid!). She does have a pump, but hasn't used it yet.It's just so awful to see her suffering like this! Now I know why my mother was so glad I didn't have severe breastfeeding problems like she did. Please--anything I can do to help her? What helped you?
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