Breastfeeding Help - Indianapolis, IN

I don't know how local you are, but there is a store called Motherhood Express in Florence, KY. It is on Houston Rd near 18. It is in a office complex across from the new Walmart. Not necessarily easy to find, but the women there are so willing to help with all breastfeeding questions. Sometimes let you try things out there, and then have the supplies in the store. You should give that a try. Don't give up breastfeeding is so worth it

I have had no experience with tongue-tied. But my son was a difficult breastfeeder. I have found that if I laid down when I fed he would relax and get less air while eating. He also had problems with vomiting. My doctor suggested that he could be over eating. As soon as I started timing how long he ate and how often he ate, he was great.

I am a SAHM of 4. Ages 6, 4 1/2, 2, 3 mo.

My grandson threw up a lot and we thought it was just the formula. We changed formula, but he was still throwing up after he ate. We found out that he has acid reflux disease. He is now on liquid Zantac. You might check into that or maybe you just have a lot of milk. My grandson was 6 lbs 3 oz. and got down to 5 lbs 12 ounces. I suggest taking him to a Gastroenterologist doctor or your family doctor. You might purchase a scale also to keep track of his weight.

It could be a strong letdown that causing him to gulp and get air. Try pumping just a bit first and see if that helps. Also, pull him in close so that he isn't pulling at the breast at all. My son was VERY gassy (still is) and needed lots of burping. You might also try cutting down on your own dairy intake and see if that helps.

Congrats on being a bfing mom! I am still nursing my 20 month old son (with ALL his teeth) on demand and it is a wonderful experience!!

Breast size shouldn't have anything to do with it. Your supply will, also your breast size has nothing to do with your supply. I agree that you should try and pump before hand and then burp more often. Keep with it, I am sure you are already doing an awesome job.
If the throwing up continues I might consider a food allergy and try to eliminate some things from your diet, milk is typically the culprit.
Good luck to you - hope you find something that works quickly for your sake : )

When my daughter had trouble latching on, the lactaction consultants gave me a nipple shield. You may have to express some milk into the shield first so he doesn't get any air.
Another thing you could try is just burping him more often. If he gets too much air in his stomach he releases it along with all the milk in his esophagus.
Good Luck

I also have large breasts and I had a lot of trouble nursing when my dd was little. I wound up having to pump before she'd eat otherwise she couldn't latch on. She'd try, but my breast was too engorged and large for her to get a proper latch. I would pump and ounce or two out of each side (I always had plenty of milk) and that made a world of difference. Also, try different positions and burping more often. You may find that holding him a different way will help with the latch. Other than that, you can always contact a lactation specialist. They may be able to give you some more suggestions.

Welcome to the wonderful world of breastfeeding..seriously..I have a four month old who is the opposite and is a very aggressive eater! Although i have no suggestions i really want to encourage you to join a support group! I love my group.. if you are able to come/ live around here I would be more than happy to have you come with myself and a few mommy freinds of mine...the group i attend is at community north hospital on wednesday nights 5-630pm..it is a very relaxed attmoshpere(spelling?) with anywhere from 6-18 mommies depending! there are usually at least two lactaion consultants there to help anyone who needs help.. it is free and you DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE delivered there ( i didnt!) Please let me know if you would like to come! other than that there is always the Le Leche League.. you can google them lol! good luck and keep up the great work!

Has he been spitting up all along or did it just start in the last week or so? If it's recent, it could be acid reflux that tends to start between 3 and 6 weeks. PM me for more info:)

Also, site back so that gravity is pulling the milk toward your body instead of straight down in to his mouth, that can help if your let down is too fast.

La Leche League is the BEST source of breastfeeding advice. They have trained leaders, but are there to facilitate mother-to-mother support. There are many groups in the area and the leaders are ALWAYS available for phone help and personal visits to help often as well. In person help is great, especially for latch issues, because seeing the positioning often makes all the difference in being able to give good help. (The leaders all have EXTENSIVE training to become a certified La Leche League leader.) There are many groups in the area. We attend the Carmel group and love it. It's also a great way to meet other breastfeeding moms! You can use the following link to find a group near you or to locate a leader to call for advice. These leaders are women who volunteer their time because they love to help women nurse their babies, so they are always happy to have someone call. Here's the La Leche League website for locating Indiana groups: http://www.llli.org/Web/Indiana.html

I gave birth to a twin girl and boy a year ago. My twins were almost 2 1/2 months early and very small, 3 lbs. I was worried about my breast size with such small babies but was assured by the hospitals lactation specialist that it was not an issue, I went up to a 40 DD and had very large nipples.

I had a hard time getting my twins to stay latched on and I know it can be very frustrating and dishartaning. At one point I was sure I must be doing things wrong and I did not think I would ever get it. I'm glad to say I kept at it and by about 3 months It became easy. My twins were in NICU for just under 2 months so it took me a bit longer then it would if they had been home. Now they are chubby happy one year olds and I believe some of that is due to breastfeeding.

My daughter spit up a lot during and after feedings, mostly due to reflux not breastfeeding but the docs kept reassuring me that her weight gain was fine. I also found that avoiding some foods in my diet helped. I did not drink milk, soy was ok, eat broccoli or onions, and cut out most other cows milk products, there may be some other foods that my also be a problem, I found different lists on different web sites. The dr. also put her on meds for the reflux. all this helped a bit but mostly she just out grew it at about 9 - 10 months old.

My advice would be to keep at it and hire a lactation specialist if you can, my friend did that and it helped her.

Keep those burp cloths close and good luck!

Hi A.,

I had 3 children whom I breastfed and want to encourage you to hang in there. All of my children had trouble getting started but my youngest had the greatest deal of difficulty.

Perseverance is the key. You are doing the very best thing for your baby and it will have huge health benefits down the road and thougout his life. Whatever you do - don't give up.

With that said, I must also share that the people who gave me the most help was La Leche League. They are the most knowledable people when it comes to breasfeeding.

If you google La Leche League you will come to the website. It is an international organization. You can put in your zip code and it will give you the name of the local leader.

You are fortunate that there is a local group that meets in New Carlisle. The trust is that I am a former LLL Leader myself but retired when the handicaps of my youngest child took precedence.

I cannot recommend them enough.
C. Russ

Don't worry, the little one will figure it out. my daughter had latch on problems too and we were put in touch with a speech pathologist who gave us exercises to strengthen her cheeks. We also had the priveledge of working with a lactation consultant from the health department. La Leche league also has wonderful people willing to help and support you. I would check into those two places first. Your size is not a problem - don't worry about that. Also, try sitting him up a little more to help him digest a little better? just a thought. Be encouraged and of good cheer.

Hi A.!

Good for you for breastfeeding! It can be difficult, but it is well worth it!

It sounds like two possible things. First, it may be that you have an overactive letdown, which just means your milk comes into his mouth so fast that he has a hard time dealing with that. Possibly he could be swallowing air along with the milk, which makes babies gassy and uncomfortable. It is also possible that he has gastroesophogael reflux. I would recommend seeing a lactation consultant. Do you live in Columbus? If so, Thursday afternoons at 1:00 at the elizabeth blackwell center is a b reastfeeding support group that is run by lactation consultants. I found it very helpful. If you are somewhere else I'd see if you can find a La leche leage group. The leader could either help you with the latch or give you the name of a good lactation consultant!

God bless!

Have you tried the Le Leache League? Also, there is a wonderful lactation consultant in our area, Ann Marie Neeley-Burkhart. She will do home visits.

It sounds like you might have an oversupply issue. Usually your baby will adjust before long. You might try using just one side for 3-4 hours before switching. You may also want to hand express a little before nursing. Breast size has nothing to do with breastfeeding, believe it or not. You may want to check out a La Leche League meeting, they are wonderfully supportive and can answer your specific questions. By the way, I love your passion, I would love to teach some kind of attachment parenting class at my church as well. It seems that Ezzo has ruined the idea for most.

it could be a strong let down. if you can just let down into a burp cloth before giving him your breast again, he may not feel like he has to keep coming off. when it comes out too quickly it causes them to gulp and swallow a lot of air. i had the same problem with my children. congratulations on not giving up!

A.,

I am not sure about the procedure your son went through. But I do know that anytime my breasts were engorged or just too full my kids had a hard time staying on. They needed softer tissue. If your breasts are large they may need to be pumped a little before feeding. I know this could end up in a viscious cycle because the more milk taken, the more produced. When you say he vomits due to not being aggressive, do you mean because he relaxes and loses suction and chokes on milk still flowing into his mouth? Or just because he pauses and air gets in? He may not be able to keep a tight suction because of the tightness. This may sound totally wierd, but I nursed all 3 of my kids and by the 3rd one I didn't even burp him. I felt that even though he may have swallowed some air when I'd bring him upward I'd cause more gas
than what he really had. My 2 daughters before him I would try and burp and always gave them the hiccups and they'd spit up more. So I thought I'd experiment and not really burp him. He hardly ever spit up or had gas issues.

Are your breasts getting engorged before you are feeding him? You can tell if your nipple is pulled tight. I had that problem. I got a little manuel breast pump, and just pumped for about 60 seconds on each breast before I fed my little girl and it made a world of difference.

My gut says too much air too.

I don't have experience with spit-up at every meal - my son too was tongue-tied, but after being clipped he was good to go.

Have you tried the football hold? Sometimes that position gives a better latch.

I'd suggest calling a lactation consultant. The hospital where your son was born will likely have one and they may even do a free evaluation. They have "seen it all" basically and can really give you good ideas as to how to limit the amount of air.

As long as he is gaining weight, there is a chance he may just need to grow out of this. Sorry if that is the case... but if spit-up is all you are dealing with, feel blessed!

Hi A.,
My son also had trouble latching on. My sister told me about the nipple sheild and it was the greatest purchase of my life! It is used for inverted nipples or latching diffiulties. They are made by Medela. I found mine at Target, it was only about 5 bucks

Have you tried nipple shields? They are thin, silicone things you put over your nipple. You can buy them at the Babies R Us or Target or I'm sure other places as well. They cost around $5 and are made by Medela. I started using them when my son was 3 weeks and they worked wonders with his latch. However, I will say that once baby gets used to them, he'll want to continue using them. I still use them at four months and plan to use them the entire time he breastfeeds. It just adds a little to your day. You have to clean them after every feeding. I just use dish liquid and occasionally sterilize them.

A.,

Don't give up! It's not your breast size. I am 5'1" and a JJK and what really helped me was the football hold. Have you tried this hold? You may have a book that will help to describe this better than I can, but essentially you lay your son with his head on your lap (I used the side of a boppie) and his body is tucked under your arm/to your side. I was better able to use a C hold on my breast to pull back some of the breast tissue so my son could get a better latch. Have you spoken to a lactation consultant? We had a La Leche group in town and one of the leaders was so wonderful. I couldn't have done it without her. God bless your family!!

is he positioned right? make sure he is completely sideways and pressed up against you. or perhaps you could try a different hold (football). maybe you've tried that. also, maybe you have a really hard and fast let down. that may be what's causing the vomiting. my let down was full force and my girls would always gag and choke when they were really little. and plus the tongue tie probably doesn't help even though you got him clipped. i would say since he's only four weeks, he probably is just taking a little longer because of the tongue issue. whatever you need to do, just don't give up! also, la leche league will help tremendously.

The size of your breasts shouldn't matter much. He may be having some Reflux issues which is pretty common in kiddos his age. Reflux can be caused by food allergies (something in your milk that you're eating) or other things.
Have you talked to a lactation specialist?

My son (whom I nursed for 16 months) had trouble latching on one side the first several weeks. I consulted with the lactation nurse at my hospital and found it was a free service, included in the whole prenatal/childbirth care. Also, I found a Medela dealer/lactation consultant in my area through Medela's website and she offered a weekly free breastfeeding support group where she gave free help. Call your local hospitals to find some free help. My husband and I were prepared to pay for lactation services because it would have been far cheaper than formula! They may suggest pumping for a minute before he nurses to ge the milk going so he'll be more into it or trying different positions. Good luck...you can do it together.
A little about me: Mom to big baby boy who nursed for 16 months and is now a toddler. It goes so fast!

A.,
Have you tried a different position (i.e. the football hold) while nursing? I would contact a lactation consultant as well. They know things that the rest of us don't! Two of my sons were also tongue tied and had their frenulums clipped. I had the best luck w/the lactation consultant.

Have you checked with a lactation consultant? They have always given me great advice and have worked with other people until mama AND baby were satisfied. As far as large breasts go, I cup my hand around the breast and pull back on it to make the nipple more accessible. I hope that makes sense - it's kinda hard to describe :)

I am a lactatation consultant. It sounds like you are doing an awesome job working with your little one! You probably just need some tweeking to get this issue fixed. I can assure you tht breast size is rarely an issue. Every baby has a differnt "style" at nursing, as the moms who have responded can attest to - and all present some challenges. I highly encourage you to seek the assistance of a lactation consultant or LaLeche League leader. One of the moms mentioned the breast feeding support group at Community North on Tuesday mornings - which is excellent. There is also one at Community South on Thursday mornings (10:30-noon). Both are informal and have 2-3 lactation consultants present to help with any issues. It doesn't matter if you delivered at Community or not. LaLeche League groups meet all over the area on different days and times (check their website) and offer excellent assistance/support, also.

Inititally, without benefit of knowing your whole history, I would suspect your baby has reflux. Most pediatricians are quicker to diagnose and treat reflux than in years past. I am sure you burp your baby plenty. Keep a spit up diary of number of times a day and when in the feeding this occurs and if the baby seems at all uncomfortable/fussy after eating - just for a couple of days and then make an appointment with your physician or nurse practioner. This is not something you should have to wait to bring up at a check-up. Again, please consultant a lactation consultant or LaLeche League leader for a feeding evaluation/support and your physician. Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy and good luck~

The Elizabeth Blackwell Center at Riverside Hospital has a free Breastfeeding Support Phone Line at ###-###-####. They also have excellent lactation consultants. Call them, then, if necessary, go get some hands on help. It's sooo worth it.
I didn't read the other responses, but two things come to mind. I had enough milk for my child and 3 others, I just didn't know it and was overfeeding him. Honestly, I could feed him within 5 to 10 minutes, but was following the 'rules' of a minimum of 10 minutes each side and nearly drowning him. He spit up EVERY time I fed him till I realized I had super flow (I could pump, on a B grade pump, 5 oz in less than 5 minutes).
Second thought, if it is too much milk at once, try laying down, laying him on your stomach and let him nurse this way, so he controls the flow better.
Good luck!

I as well had problems with my daughter latching on, due to the size of my breast (36-38F). My lactation specialist told me to just grasp it closer to the nipple (sandwich it) to make it easier for my daughter, now 8 months, could get most of the nipple and surrounding area into her mouth. She as well vomitted a lot and found myself cleaning it up numerous times a day and going through many spit clothes and towels it was so bad. I found that it was not her latch but what I was consuming. I had to cut out all dairy and CHOCOLATE. She is allergic to both and was getting the smallest amount through my milk. You might want to keep a log of what you are eating especially dairy and then try cutting it out. It takes up to one week to make a difference, but it is worth it to not see your precious be sick and to keep the cleaning to a minial. Good luck!!

Hey, A.. My son could nurse just fine, but for some reason, he would projectile vomit when he was done. Looking back, maybe I should have discontinued breastfeeding in his best interest; however, it was such a bonding, special time that I couldn't let go of it easily. I, too, have large breasts. I'm not sure, but maybe we just produce too much milk for our little ones. Ask your pediatrician what he/she advises. It could also be that something in the breast milk is disagreeing with his digestive system. ???

My little guy had trouble at first also. He is now almost six months old and is doing great. We do formula during the day and nurse when I get home from work. He also spit up during and after feedings. He was sent for an upper GI and diagnoised with acid reflux and received medicine which was given three times a day. He is now doing much better and is off the medicine.

Hi A.,
A good craniosacral therapy session might be a big help for your baby.He needs help in relaxing and oftentimes tis will help.
Good Luck!
S.

Congratulations on your little boy and good for you for being so committed to giving him a good start. I am thinking he probably needs to be burped more often than other babies if he keeps coming off. He might be sucking in more air than breast babies typically do. I would try to burp him each time he lets go, pulls back, or starts squirming or kicking (as if he's uncomfortable). Also make sure you keep him pulled in close enough that his nose can touch the breast. Don't let him slip down. You can probably use a pillow or something to keep your arm propped while you hold him. Also, it might be helpful to slow the flow of your breastmilk by nursing on your side and only doing one side per feeding. You may want to call a Lactation Consultant or get help from a La Leche League leader. Good luck!