3 day old newborn, need help re breastfeeding and poor latch

[Afrodizzywonders]

This is my second, breastfed my DS for 2 years but I'm back to square one again here and today I have cracked nipples :(.

My milk came in really quick, end of first day and she's been feeding well, 8 merconium nappies in first 24 hours and this has continued, slowing today, she is a little jaundiced, not feeding every 2 hours like I made sure my previous child was( he was extremely jaundiced, 6 hours of pushing and he was full of mucous so didn't want to feed). She fed on and off for 2 hours in the night and a big feed this morning.

To ease the bloody nipple situation I'm pumping on the really sore breast and my husband is giving her that milk with a syringe.

I just wanted to know if you have any advice, I'll speak to the midwife today, we did work on the shallow latch yesterday but it's not improved even though I did a feed in front of the midwife and all seemed fine, got a lovely bloody crack on my right nipple ouch and it comes out of her mouth that lipstick shape.

I'm anxious because I went through hell with DS getting breastfeeding established, he was almost in under the lamps for his jaundice, just don't want to go through that again. Midwife thinks she's getting loads of milk already but I won't know till tomorrow when she is weighed.....

Thanks

[ChunkyTurkeywiththetrimmings]

Just a few suggestions, as I'm on #2 & have struggled a bit due to tongue tie.

1. Google 'exaggerated latch' or flipple, or look up Dr Jack Newman to help with the latch.
   
2. could you use a nipple shield to feed her just until the worst of the crack has healed?
   
3. do you have a breastfeeding support group or cafe you could go to? An expert review of your latch might help.

[aprilrain]

When I had a poor latch with DD1, the thing that made the most difference was changing how I positioned her. If I pulled her tummy much closer to my tummy, she had to put her head back to get near my nipple. Then I brushed her nose and top lip with the nipple but didn't put her on it until she opened her mouth really wide. It's also important to bring the baby to the breast rather than the breast to the baby - so when the mouth opens you need to kind of 'throw' the baby on as close as you can to get the nipple far into the mouth.

When I had DD2 I managed to avoid cracked nipples by doing the same things from the very beginning this time.

Sorry if this is old news to you as a seasoned bf-er.

[cazbo16]

Hi I have 5 children. Tried to bf first 2 but suffered really bad cracked nipples. 2nd 2 to they were 2 yrs. Currently feeding 8 week old who had his tongue tie snipped last week. Has tour little one been checked for tongue tie? For sore nipples this time I used Lansinoh, it's pure lanolin and was like magic, healed my cracks in a few days. wish I'd known about it earlier.

[Afrodizzywonders]

Hi, midwife checked her and no tongue tie. My left breast latch seems better its just the right. Feel really weepy today as well, think its the blues. Feeling a bit overwhelmed wondering how I'm going to juggle a toddler and newborn! Bit late now lol.

I'll check out that exaggerated latch now, been using the Lanisoh cream.....think I'll give the really sore nipple a break for 24 hours before I try again and just keep expressing on that side. I'll perservere, I got there in the end with DS it's just a bit confusing again, not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Breast feeding support group is on Weds so I'll try and go to that, midwife who has been visiting me is the one who runs it as well.

Thank you

[DreamyDreaminOfAWhiteChristmas]

Sounds very similar to my experience with Ds2. I've suffered 13 weeks of cracks, vasospasms, mastitis etc. A Lactation consultant at a breastfeeding cafe checked him for tongue tie at 3 weeks old and said he was fine. I struggled on in agony until 2 weeks ago, when I got him checked again for tongue tie by a different lactation consultant, who said he has a very tight tie, and a lip tie. :( This has been confirmed again by a dentist. I'm quite cross that I've suffered so much because the first LC missed his tongue tie, so I would advise you to get a second opinion!

[Mummyof3tobe]

I just came on looking for advice for same problem. DD is 7 days old. Not opening mouth very wide to feed and so latch not great. Nipples sore already!

I had same problem with my first two. I think I breed children with small mouths (and big heads ). We persevered both times and it improved as they grew, though not much fun getting there.

Anyway no advice really, but you aren't alone. I'm also sitting here feeding and wincing.

Don't panic about coping with two. Baby will get into a routine faster as you already have some structure in place and before you know it they'll be entertaining each other!

[cazbo16]

It is worth getting a second opinion on tongue tie. I had a few people look at my son before someone said for definite he had it. They usually do it quite early and were surprised my son hadn't had it done before being 7 weeks. Apart from that it is only perservence that will get you through. The HV I saw said you have to retrain yourself to bf a newborn cos you tend to try and feed how you fed your last one at 2yrs of age and they feed totally differently. Good luck.

[Honkyponk]

I would also recommend a second opinion on tongue tie. I've had real problems with feeding my little girl, and she was eventually diagnosed with a tongue tie after three people checked and said no. There is a posterior type tie which can't be seen just by looking, someone who knows what they are doing needs to prod at the base of the tongue. Excellent resource is milk matters.

[Honkyponk]

That is milkmatters.org.uk

[Afrodizzywonders]

Who should I speak to to get another opinion on the tounge tie? Midwife is coming round today but it's the same one...I live in the middle of nowhere, very rural and hour and a half from nearest proper civilisation!

Last night was tough, her nappies are now mustard and curdy, lots of poops but from 6pm till midnight she fussed, gnawing fists, yelling.......wind??? She did 8 poos before finally dropping off at midnight, then she woke every 2 hours to feed, I'm bushed. She was frantic wanting to feed, made getting the latch right nigh on impossible, I'm really suffering today now, blood blisters.

Wil look at milk matters now.

Mummy & Dreamy, hope things improve for you guys today, arghhhh the pain!

[DreamyDreaminOfAWhiteChristmas]

I contacted Milk Matters, and luckily they are local so a Lactation Consultant called Charlotte came to visit us. She diagnosed the tongue tie, and recommended Osteopathy as he had a traumatic birth. We've had one Osteopathy session so far, and the Osteopath said his tongue tie is very tight, and got the dentist who works in the same building to confirm it. Hopefully we'll get it lasered in January and then breastfeeding problems will be a distant memory!

Milk matters do a virtual tongue tie diagnosis service for £26 - you send photos from specific angles so they can see what they need to. You could try this, or contact La Leche League who should have trained advisers local to you.

Sorry you had a rough night, I hope you get some answers soon.

[ChunkyTurkeywiththetrimmings]

Just to say that a tongue tie doesn't necessarily need to cause trauma to your nipples or result in a terrible latch. My 2nd DC (DS) had (until last Friday) a severe tongue tie (the Lactation consultant estimated it at 90% tie) with little lateral/side-to-side mobility. He had gained weight well since birth (1kg by 26do) and I was sore but not horrendously so. He had the tie cut on Friday and the latch has improved marginally, but its still a challenge to get him to open wide enough & take a big enough mouthful. It's early days though...

Just wanted to add that, because a latch can 'look' right but if its painful, it clearly isn't right, and one cause of that could be a tongue tie but it might not be. Jack Newman's site is a good resource for looking at good positioning etc.

[Afrodizzywonders]

Just thought I'd update you all as you were all really kind posting with advice.

Things are improving, I think we've almost got the latch there as my nipples are almost healed and she is feeding lots.....

Now I've just got to try and tackle the non stop screaming from 6pm-1pm with tonnes of fussing, she was weighed and the midwife says she's thriving...knackered today, 2.5 hours broken sleep!

[Christmaspudding0312]

Hi im a bit worried had my babe on the 3rd dec.she seems to be feeding but not having more than 3 wet nappies in 24 hours.her poo has changed to the right colour to suggest she is taking milk.shall i top her up with a bottle to get extra fluids in to her?

[ChunkyTurkeywiththetrimmings]

You'd be better off starting your own thread for further advice & other opinions but imo, absolutely not. Breastfeeding is still being established and the best was to get the fluids into her is to feed. Feed, feed & feed some more. If her poos are changing, then that suggests things are going in the right direction. My LO tends to poo a lot, so we rarely change just a wet nappy, so its hard to say how many wees he's doing. Do you have the nappies with the "wee indicator" lines? Pampers & huggies have them. That might reassure you she's peeing. Talk to your HV if you're concerned.

[Mummyof3tobe]

Can I just say thanks to Aprilrain for the single most useful piece of advice (for me) that I've read about BFing. By my third baby I thought I'd have no problem feeding. But within days I had sore nipples and struggling to teach my "new to BFing" newborn.

Changing her angle to kind of 46 degrees across my tummy (instead of having her horizontal across my other breast) has made such a difference to us. It still isn't perfect (darn newborn rosebud mouth) but its better, much better.

Thank you, thank you, thank you....

[Mummyof3tobe]

45 degrees even, doesn't need to be that precise!

[Afrodizzywonders]

Mummyof3tobe, I have been doing that! Things have vastly improved, the latch is a million times better. I've also been using breast compression, i think she was finishing before getting all the hind milk, made her really gassy....then a vicious cycle of her fussing and feeding more getting more windy happened. I've had 3 nights where it's been amazing, she sleeps, she feeds and goes straight down into her Moses basket.....fingers crossed this may continue.......it's been a real blessing as I was exhausted.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Christmas did you manage to start your own thread? Have things improved at all?

Afro, so glad things are improving. Just wondered if you'd seen this video on latch