Ericas3
10-02-2008, 10:12 AM
Sorry for the long post, but I need help! My baby is 3 1/2 weeks old and we have struggled with breastfeeding since day 1. I started out with extremely sore, cracked and bleeding nipples. After meeting with my hospitals LC at 1 week, her thoughts were that my baby's palette is very high and she is sucking really hard to get my nipple to the roof of her mouth. She thought the latch itself looked good. She suggested pumping briefly before feedings to draw my nipple out and using shells in between feedings for protection and to draw them out as well. After a few days of doing those things, the problem got better.
Now, at 3 1/2 weeks I'm sore again; toe curling sore on one side. From what I can tell these are our new problems:
1. She doesn't want to open her mouth wide enough to latch on good. I emailed Dr. Jack Newman and I have been following his advice of running my nipple along her upper lip, but she still just doesn't seem to open up as wide as all the illustrations and advice says she should. She also doesn't seem to be keeping her bottom lip down. When I do get her latched, often times I feel a pinching/burning discomfort. I've tried pulling on her chin to ensure her lower lip is flanged. Any other suggestions/advice???
2. The football position seems to be the only position in which she gets enough on her own without me doing breast compressions, but it also chokes her at times because it comes out so fast. I've tried all of Dr. Newmans tips on asymmetric latch, but just cannot seem to get it to work right.
3. If she's not sleeping, she wants to nurse. Sometimes it's only for 5 minutes, then she's asleep again. As soon as I put her down alot of times she wakes and is rarely satisfied without nursing again soon thereafter. This is making it very hard for me to spend time with my other two children.
I'm trying not to get to frustrated, but it seems we are plagued with problems. I have two other children, ages 6 & 3, whom I did not bf due to health problems and not wanting to deal with the pain. I want to make it work this time, but don't want it to be painful and so frustrating the entire time, as they need a happy, healthy mommy too!
Any help is much appreciated!
Now, at 3 1/2 weeks I'm sore again; toe curling sore on one side. From what I can tell these are our new problems:
1. She doesn't want to open her mouth wide enough to latch on good. I emailed Dr. Jack Newman and I have been following his advice of running my nipple along her upper lip, but she still just doesn't seem to open up as wide as all the illustrations and advice says she should. She also doesn't seem to be keeping her bottom lip down. When I do get her latched, often times I feel a pinching/burning discomfort. I've tried pulling on her chin to ensure her lower lip is flanged. Any other suggestions/advice???
2. The football position seems to be the only position in which she gets enough on her own without me doing breast compressions, but it also chokes her at times because it comes out so fast. I've tried all of Dr. Newmans tips on asymmetric latch, but just cannot seem to get it to work right.
3. If she's not sleeping, she wants to nurse. Sometimes it's only for 5 minutes, then she's asleep again. As soon as I put her down alot of times she wakes and is rarely satisfied without nursing again soon thereafter. This is making it very hard for me to spend time with my other two children.
I'm trying not to get to frustrated, but it seems we are plagued with problems. I have two other children, ages 6 & 3, whom I did not bf due to health problems and not wanting to deal with the pain. I want to make it work this time, but don't want it to be painful and so frustrating the entire time, as they need a happy, healthy mommy too!
Any help is much appreciated!