Mothering Forum banner

Breastfeeding

10K views 126 replies 14 participants last post by  starsmagick 
#1 ·
How is breastfeeding going for the babies on this side of birth? DD2 has been having some latch issues, but I think we rounded a corner today in getting that all resolved. Right after she was born, she latched pretty well. But the next 2 days she was much more sleepy than my other kids, and didn't seem to want to nurse. I had to keep encouraging her to nurse. Then my milk cam in, and she would get so frustrated trying to latch. She would latch and unlatch about every 5 seconds, and would fuss and cry. I ended up pumping and feeding her from a bottle to make sure she was getting enough milk, because it didn't seem like she was. I have been trying to keep my breasts pumped enough that they are soft enough for her to latch without getting frustrated. The bonus is that I'm started to get a little stash of milk in the freezer.

Since getting up this morning, she has had only milk straight from the tap; which makes me very happy. And she seems to be enjoying nursing, more, too. I loved this evening when she just snuggled down to marathon nurse before bed. I was so relieved, and it reminded me why I love nursing my babies!
 
  • Like
Reactions: RonnaLeigh
#2 · (Edited)
Nursing has been ever-changing so far. I saw 4 different lactation consultants during my stay and all gave a little different advice. Right away he tried to nurse but the 1st LC gave me a nipple shield stating my nipples were a little flat and that the shield would bring them out. Then my milk started coming in really early and the next shift LC told me to use a pump to draw them out after every feed. The third taught me some different holds. The forth LC checked for lip and tongue ties and seemed concerned the shield would affect my supply. Meanwhile her solution was to smash my nipple flat to nurse. So I ended up leaving the hospital with a plan to offer nipple first, squeezing and massaging, then use shield, then pump after. I woke up terribly engorged the next day and now I'm feeding for 5 minutes then trying to finish the session without shield. It's worked 2-3 times so far. I dropped pumping for now because I got only about an ounce and baby is getting plenty from the breast. He marathon nursed yesterday and seems to be starting again tonight so far. I'm going on and on... overal I think we are doing well but I'll be going to a few LLL and hospital nursing meetings. I kind of don't care about using a shield as long as he eats but part of me thinks he'll be off the shield in a few days/weeks or the real problem is is mouth is just too small to get my nipple.
 
#4 ·
Ollie is having issues nursing. I have flat nipples and he's jaundiced making him super tired and a lazy nurser. We've been working on getting him to latch well, with and without a shield. I hate the shield, but sometimes he won't latch without it. For one feeding we couldn't get him to latch at all, so I pumped and we did finger feeding to get some colostrum into him. Thankfully no one has suggested supplementing. Right now they decided his bilirubin was borderline ok but decided not to discharge us and put him on the bili lights instead. Hopefully this will help him be more alert and up for feeding.
 
#5 ·
NautrallyKait
I'm going to attach some link from Dr.Newman about flat nipples. If Ollie can get latched on properly, he will draw out your nipple and it wont be an issue. You can also use breast compressions while your nursing so that you can maximize the amount he is getting and it can sometimes have an added bonus of triggering letdown. Your milk has probably not come in yet, but the colostrum is so great for flushing the system.
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-BC
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-BF
Jaundice:
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-B-J
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-WL
 
#6 ·
I've been using Dr. Jack Newman's breast compression suggestion to get Megan to stay latched and nursing until the first letdown. She wants milk instantly, or she unlatches and gets fussy. Also, it can help to draw out nipples, especially during engorgement, to use your first 2 fingers straight, but spread around the nipple, to press down on the base on the areola for about 10-15 seconds vertically, then horizontally before trying to latch. I wish I could remember what the technique is called, so I could post the step-by-step pics. Anyway, it's helped Megan.
 
#13 ·
Feeling discouraged here. I have never had a baby who doesn't seem to like to nurse, until now. Yesterday, we went all day without feeding her my pumped milk from a bottle; she nursed several times throughout the day. I was determined to make it through the night without a bottle, too. Well, we made it through the night without using a bottle, but it involved lots of latching and unlatching. I am not exaggerating when I say she probably latched and unlatched 30-50 times per feeding session. Even then, I had to pump the other side because the side she wasn't nursing on was getting painfully full. I thought I was doing the right thing by not "giving in" and giving her a bottle, but I think I made the wrong choice. I'm worried that I may have caused her to develop an aversion to breastfeeding. Today, she will not latch at all and keeps pushing away from the breast, so I've had to use a bottle. And she keeps sleeping. I have to wake her to feed. Hoping this passes.
 
#14 ·
Aw MtMtm, that's very hard.
I wouldn't worry about 'right' and 'wrong'. You're doing what you can. I'm wondering though why she isn't able to latch, or stay latched. Obviously hard for me to say, not being able to observe her at the breast.
One of the first things that comes to mind with a baby that can't stay latched, and is popping on and off, even with copious milk, is a tongue tie. Have you had this looked at? There are many different classes of tongue ties, and some take a real trained eye to pick up. I'm sure you know this but a baby with a compromised frenulum will have trouble cupping the breast and making the undulating motion with their tongue that ultimately draws the milk out of the breast.
Obviously none of this is an issue from the bottle, as its a fast, constant flow and baby is a passive participant.
I think it's great you are doing the breast compressions, and I would stick with that. I also think that maintaining your supply by pumping a good idea, until you get it sorted.
When she's pulling off and on, is she sputtering? Choking? Or just pulling off and on? Are you spraying milk everywhere when she's coming off? It could be an overactive letdown and position (or tt) could be making her unable to cope with the flow, hence the popping off.
 
#15 ·
I've looked into tongue-tie, but I don't think it's that. I've done every evaluation for it I can find, and her tongue seems fine in every way. I've seen her lift her tongue to the roof of her mouth. She can stick it out well past her lower gum line. When I stick a finger under her tongue, it doesn't twist or dimple at all. When she sucks on my finger, I can feel her tongue well over the gumline, and you can see a bit of her tongue just above her lower lip. Also, sometimes, she latches very well. It feels comfortable, looks right, and she stimulates plenty of letdowns. Other times, I don't know what's going on.
 
#16 ·
This thread is so so so great!! I TOTALLY and completely get now why people say breastfeeding is so hard. It's the most amazing thing and the hardest thing. When Cody first latched and started feeding, I said out loud "this is the coolest thing I've ever done!" and I still think that at pretty much every feeding. But we've already had some hiccups...

Our first three days were just discovering each other, and I was so impressed with his latching/feeding abilities. Then on Friday we got the news that his bilirubin levels were approaching the "high risk"/dangerous category, and our doctor urged us to admit him to the hospital so he could go under the bili lights. We looked back at his newborn and 24 hour notes, and his color was described as pink for both, so we think that jaundice must have appeared on the third day (which is fairly common, it seems). ANYWAY the bili lights were totally awful - he had barely been out of our arms for any length of time his first few days, then we had to put this little scratchy eye covering thing on, strip him down, and leave him in the little crib thing under the lights. He howled and wailed and got dehydrated, we got zero sleep and did NOT enjoy being in the hospital (taking our newborn TO the hospital instead of coming home with him :() So all this is to say that our breastfeeding rhythm got completely screwed. At the same time, my milk was starting to come in, I was super engorged, which flattened out my nipples and made him SO frustrated trying to latch. on Saturday afternoon while we were negotiating issues around his levels and discharge from the hospital, trying to advocate for them to send us home with a bili blanket, on the phone with our midwife, our doctor, dealing with nursing shift changes, etc., he missed a feeding, then I had trouble getting him to eat and started to panic. Finally I just pumped a little and we finger fed him, which was the biggest relief of my life. From now on, I vow to always have at least a little supply of milk in the fridge/freezer, because it was the absolute worst feeling not to be able to give him what he needed and wanted, and of course also being in a setting where other options could have easily been pushed on us. @NaturallyKait I'm curious - how did Oliver do with the bili lights?? I'm wondering whether babies tend to react negatively to them, or whether Cody just really didn't like them...

The first 24 hours after coming home from the hospital were rough, but starting early Monday morning, I think my milk is coming in in earnest, making it easier for him to get food right away despite engorgement/nipple issues. We are also side-lying again, which I love :love - so relaxing and snuggly.
@MnMtm 30-50 latches! Sounds super frustrating and painful. I hope you're able to find some answers soon.
 
#17 ·
incase youre still struggling with engorgement, which you probably aren't - you can always hand express a little, like you're doing or even do a technique called reverse pressure softening. Engorgement isn't always just milk, its when there is stasis, milk is in there, a lot of it, but because it isn't going anywhere your lymphatic fluid builds up as well and that's a big portion of engorgement as well. Reverse Pressure Softening is a way to release the lymphatic fluids...
 
#18 ·
@FyerFly he hated the lights. Ours wasn't the big one, the lights came from below but it was not a bili blanket that I could move around. He also hated not being held and it was a miserable 24 hours.

We're struggling nursing still at home. He gets completely hysterical latching. Once he's latched (usually with that damn shield) he's fine but he hates latching and I don't think he's latching well. Milk is starting to come in though so we're obviously getting somewhere. I just wish he'd latch without screeching and hysterics, because he's still losing weight and that is not helping.
 
#19 ·
@NaturallyKait- That sounds like DD. She's actually latching better now that I stop and feed her with my pumped milk in a bottle when she gets frustrated. She doesn't feel panicked when she gets hungry and has a hard time latching. And now that she gaining weight again, I feel a lot less pressure and frustration, too. I'm pretty sure DD doesn't have a tongue-tie, but I'm going to take her in to be checked out anyway. We have a pediatric dentist nearby who is apparently one of the leading state experts in tongue-tie.
 
#20 ·
@NaturallyKait - I'd really recommend calling a lactation consultant (Board Certified, IBCLC). They do house calls and are so so so worth it. You can also call local Le Leche League Leaders, and they will offer support over the phone. Invaluable at times like this. I wish I had known about them with DD1, we struggled a lot.
 
#26 ·
Ollie was weighed again today, and since his last weigh in two days ago he gained 5.5 oz! Finally gaining, I am so relieved. I knew we would get there and never doubted it but I was so happy to see it, and 5.5 oz in two days is darn good!
 
  • Like
Reactions: FyerFly
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top