I'm struggling

mrsd2006 · Mar 23, 2011 6:50PM

My gorgeous little boy is 7 weeks on Monday, and we've had issues from day 1 with feeding. I shan't go into all the ins and outs, but cutting a long story short, he is currently feeding beautifully from the right side, but the left has me weeping in agony and I'm currently expressing to protect my supply.

I have seen a breastfeeding expert twice, last time was yesterday, and both times our latch has been corrected and his tongue tie snipped (it had regrown a little yesterday). When we were with her, it was perfect, but since I just can't do it, despite following her guidelines to the letter. I go to a breastfeeding support group and the leaders there, trained by the woman I saw, said today his latch/position were perfect, but my nipple is still getting mashed into a thin pulp.

I so, SO want to try to exclusively bf, but I'm in tears most days with my utter incompetence.

Can someone please help? Would this lady I've seen think I'm a total idiot if I phoned her only 2 days after seeing her to say I'm still crap?

I feel so alone. Both our families are over 200miles away and we've not long since moved. I've no one to turn to

Thanks for reading x

Tizwaz · Mar 18, 2011 12:08AM

Didn't want to read and run!!

I would definitely ring the breast feeding councillor again. It is much better you get it sorted now as you will have more chance of continuing with BF if you get it so it's not painful.

Have you tried lansinoh to help repair?

Good luck!!

earwig1971 · Mar 18, 2011 1:43AM

please don't think of it as your 'incompetence'....it's just a circumstance...it's not your fault, and there's not much you can do that you're not already trying. I had the same issue in the early days...my lo would feed happily off the right but hated the left for some reason and would chew rather than suckle...I too have been in floods of tears with the pain and the knowledge that there's nothing I could do about it - the child still needed to be fed

Get back to the counsellors....have they actually looked at your boob and the nipple to make sure everything's ok? I'm sure they won't mind how many times you get back to them....even if it's for a bit of 'you' time....breastfeeding can be so lonely sometimes, especially in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping nicely and you've got to be the one awake and in pain....keep asking for the help.

In the end, though, if it's too too painful, don't persevere....get the bottles out! It's really not worth denting your relationship with your son...you will be tense when it comes round to feeding time, and I know I had a really bad patch a few weeks ago when I started to really resent the baby, resent my oh as it was all MY responsibility, and was ready to walk out the door and never come back. I didn't want to resent my baby, so I gave the boob a rest for a while, simply expressed like you're doing, and went back to it after a few days.

Keep asking for the help....do what's right for you AND you're son....happy mummy = happy baby xx

Gail1977 · Mar 18, 2011 6:51AM

I had the same problem from day one till my baby was 5 weeks. I am sure the feeding expert would rather you keep ringing than give up. That is her job! Only thing I had problems with was because I was so so sore I sometimes flinched and I think unless you are totally relaxed the baby can get tense and struggle to latch on. That is easier said than done though as it is so painful. Even once he is latched on your sore side will still hurt like hell until it has healed. Mine took 2 weeks after I had learnt how to latch her on not to be painful as it was so damaged. Are you using cream? I swear by Lanisoh for myself and other woman who come to my breast feeding group (I am a feeding counsellor)

I used to feed from my good side, express from my bad and feed only on the bad side once every three feeds so I had about 6-8 hours between the painful feeds. Never fed from that side over night either till it healed as I think you have less tolerance to pain when you are alone in the dark, tired and baby is also tired so less likely to feed effectively.

Remember when you put him on, it will hurt as you are cracked but if it doesnt settle after a few seconds he may not be on correct and will do further damage so as awful as it is, take him off and try again.

I have known woman to feed off one breast and that is a possibility to do that if you want to feed and all else fails. Thing is you cant be latching him on wrong every time as your other side would be sore. It could all be down to now you are in so much pain that it is affecting how you put him on.

No feeding co ordinator would care how many times you ring for help. Also find out if there are more groups. We have three in my area at different health centres so you may be able to go more than once a week. What about baby clinics where you go to get the baby weighed? They will have health visitors there who can help.

I would visit your GP too incase the damage to your nipple is more than cracks and you have an infection from it being open. Get as much help as you can, thats what the health care professionals are there for

Good luck xx

mummy2izzy · Mar 22, 2011 3:30PM

Hiya

I havent read all the replies because im just about to get my girlie off to sleep. I've exclusively BF izzy since birth and she is now 33 weeks (7 months.)

I could of written your post myself when izzy was younger. I hit a very painful stage around the same time. I dont know why it happened but i suppose it was izzy not latching on correctly. It didnt matter what i did, whether i held her differently,took her off and put her back on.I took advice from the HV but izzy just fed how she wanted too.

Just keep going, you are doing really well and you should be extremely proud of yourself. You have given your baby the best start in life.

I read a post on here a few weeks ago but i cant remember who wrote saying that her baby was around 17 weeks and finds breast feeding so easy now. I would honestly say that after 10-15 weeks BF gets easier and easier and easier.

Once your baby goes onto solids they feed a bit less so you arent as sore. Im coping on one breast and i have no problems at all.

xx

mrsd2006 · Mar 23, 2011 6:50PM

Hi all,

Thank you all for your advice, thought I'd pop on to update you all. Things are definitely going better we saw the breastfeeding counsellor on Monday and she told me we're not a bother, thank goodness, and to phone her as much as we need! The sore boob is a mystery as latch is good, but there is residual damage from when it wasn't so great so it may fade when that heals. However, one thing she did notice is that I lift him onto the boob instead of just whapping him on when his chin is on there. Not quite sure how to do this, we're trying, and seeing her again next week to check on his Tongue tie.

Any tips for getting him on ladies?

and thanks again! Xx

I'm struggling

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