This is my third breastfed baby. This should not be hard.

My new DD is 12 days old today and we are having problems breastfeeding. Her mouth is small, but the nurses and both lactation consultants at the hospital said her latch looked great. One actually said she wanted to take a picture of it to show to other new moms as a perfect example. It may look perfect, but it hurts! I was getting the white tips and the dark red blistery-spots, and sobbing through nursing sessions. Plus, she's jaundiced, and was in a bili-blanket, and so I had to nurse a lot, even if she didn't want to, and I didn't want to either! By our second day home I was eyeing the free can of formula, but I did not want to go there. In desperation, I sent DH to buy a shield.

Now things seem a little better. I've tried to not use it a couple of times, and she seems to be able to go back and forth with no problem, but if I go without two or three times, it starts to hurt really bad again. Plus, the extra joke is that it hurts with the shield too. Not at first, but she likes to nurse a long, long time, and she starts drawing my flesh through the little holes at the end of the shield, and I think that's what's causing the pain. When she's done and I take off the sheild, I've got four little raised points on my nipple, where the holes were.

She never seems truly satisfied. She falls asleep on the breast, most times, but we can't lay her down to sleep. DH or I hold her while we sit or sleep in the recliner. I've tried to lay her down, but it's not working. I can't help but think that if she was really, really full then she would sleep better. DH gets upset with me because after I've given her both sides, and my breasts are sore and empty feeling and tired, I just want him to take her for a while. But when she still seems discontent, he wants me to keep nursing, and I can understand that, but I feel like I'm going to lose it!

Oh, and I can't nurse laying down very well. It gives me big backaches to lay like that for so long.

I did have pain with DD1 for a long, long time (we supplemented) and supply issues with both. I don't remember pain with DS - I do remember he seemed to nurse 24/7 to get enough with supplements.

She seems to have enough diaper output.

Should I do something for supply? I hate that fenugreek smell, but maybe oatmeal, or tea, or even fenugreek if it's necessary? Maybe if I had more supply she wouldn't be sucking the h*ll out of me and hurting me?

I can't believe I've nursed children for 4+ years...I feel like an absolute idiot about this. Please help me.

I tortured myself with a too-small shield for a while last time. This time, the LC immediately said "you need a 24mm!" They come in different sizes and using the larger size helped immensely (same problem with latch as I had a preemie). Also, I had to pump since I was not allowed to breastfeed baby for the first week, and pumping was killing me! Then, finally, a LC gave me larger flanges for the pump, which I so desperately needed! I'm only a 36B, but my nipples are wider and flatter than average. Could you try a larger shield?

I tortured myself with a too-small shield for a while last time. This time, the LC immediately said "you need a 24mm!" They come in different sizes and using the larger size helped immensely (same problem with latch as I had a preemie). Also, I had to pump since I was not allowed to breastfeed baby for the first week, and pumping was killing me! Then, finally, a LC gave me larger flanges for the pump, which I so desperately needed! I'm only a 36B, but my nipples are wider and flatter than average. Could you try a larger shield?

I looked, and that's the size I have. It's a 24mm contour. I think that's the biggest, isn't it?

I'm hoping when her mouth grows just a tiny bit we'll get through this problem. :(

My guy was technically full term at 37 weeks, but acted like a preemie (small mouth, weak muscles, recessed chin, etc.) and the LC said I was slightly inverted so we've been using the shields from the beginning. He's 2 1/2 months old now and for the past 3 weeks he's been really taking to eating without the shield, but it hurts.

Using the shield hurt after awhile too. I realized the four hole thing too. It just gets raw.

I've had to break down and use the shields every so often because just strait nipple feedings hurts and makes me so raw. And, it seems, he wants to eat all the time too. I think supply is fine though. Some days he just has to eat all day somedays he's cool with the 3 hour spacing. I just try to catch the right cues.

I think his latch is getting better but not always perfect.

I guess I don't have a lot of advice because we're doing the same things, but just a little support to offer. It sounds normal.

My DH also gets a little resentful about him being fussy and wanting me to just feed him.

As for the side lying thing. I use a body pillow (the one I used during my pregnancy to support my front) BEHIND my back to kind of keep me propped up/ slash lean into. I notice on nights when I don't use it my hips hurt so bad. Maybe you could try that for feeding in bed.

Have you tried to latch her on while making a "nipple sandwich?" I don't have the link right now but you can google it or find it on kellymom if you don't know what it looks like. Essentially, you cup your breast from the side and push back and squeeze down around you areola so that it creates a smaller area for her to latch onto yet still have a proper latch. This helped tremendously with my preemies and it didn't hurt. I know what you mean about having a good latch with a small mouth. If she can't get her mouth wide enough to get off the areola, it will definitely hurt!