Breastfeeding Problem - Miami,FL

I can only give you my personal experience. My daughter is now four and a half months old. Nursing her in the beginning was very very painful. I felt she wasn't grabbing enough breast and i had immense soreness cracking etc. It got REALLY bad (I wanted to give up SO badly) and then it suddenly got better and now it's EXCELLENT. I know they suggest all kinds of things but really I think you have to tough it out a couple weeks. You can try a consultant to help but really for me it was just a matter of getting through it. I just felt my daughter couldn't FIT enough in her mouth to make it comfortable for me. I did do the thing where i'd apply breastmilk after nursing and let air dry. I bought the soothies. I shoved ice bags down my shirt. Warm compresses. All of it. The only thing I can tell you is try NOT to pump. It really does slow things down. Try to only pump when you just CAN'T take another nursing. And if you're dealing with engorgement you might want to pump just before you nurse because I found my breast was so engorged she couldn't latch on well. Good luck to you! This is SO hard but so worth it.

Myfiam when I ahd my first child, the hospital helped me out so...... I hope whatI am about to share will help you out. They brought me a breast feeding nipples from a bottle, they broke a hole in the nipple and the milk leaked out just fine. However you must make sure your milk ducks are all open. The way I would open my milk ducks wasm I'd put vaseline on my nipples and than I'd pump with the breast pump. That will cause your breast ducks to open up very well. When I put the nipple up to my breast the baby was fine,and if the baby is that young it's not to late to get him to adjust to this process.

As a breatfeeding mother of two, my advice would be to hang in there. You can always call the lactation nurse at the hospital & they can give you some advice or may even be willing to help you in person. There is also the le leche group. You can find their website online. I know the pain you are feeling in your breasts is awful, but it will pass. Try putting lanolin on them. It will help soothe them, & it is safe for babies mouth too. Just hang in there. Breastfeeding is so wonderful for them over formula. Neither one of my babies ever had ear infections & my pediatrician told me it is because they were breastfed. If it ends up not working out & you have to use formula, that is okay too. Breastfeeding is not for everyone. You will know that you tried though. Good Luck.

Hi M.,
Try using the "soothies". (I know Gerber makes them and they can be used hot or cool to make your breasts feel better.) I found that the Lansinoh cream helped too - keeps everything from drying up/cracking. I nursed both my kids (still nursing Kate) and it was about two weeks of feeling like your nipples were in a waffle iron before things got better! Hang in there :)

I think a La Leche person would tell you to break Joshua off when he's only on the nipple and keep re-latching so he takes more of your breast. However, Kate is 3 1/2 months and she barely has much of my breast in her mouth and things are going well. My milk production is better than it was with my first daughter and she is gaining weight just fine.

Also, not sure why you're supplementing, but I started pumping early on to help increase my milk production and with my first would let her pacify on me a little after she finished eating to help increase my milk production - both seemed to help.

Good Luck!

A.
Mom to Molly (almost 3) and Kate (3 1/2 months)

There is a great breastfeeding pillow out there called "My Brest Friend." It is the best pillow because the baby can rest on it at just the right height and let you keep your hands free to position his head and your breast. You may want to try the pillow to help with breastfeeding in general.

Also, please be aware that supplimenting your breastmilk can reduce your production and make it impossible to breastfeed. Please contact your local La Leche League if you need more help. They are always so great.

You should contact the Hospital that you delivered your son at and see if the have a LaLechey League group/luncheon that you can attend. These groups are great because you learn that your life is pretty much like everyone elses, you make new friends and you learn tons of info. If they do not have one, ask for their nurse educator on the labor and delivery floor and see who she would recomend in your area. When I breast fed both of my babies they said it was a big no-no to go back and forth between the nipple & bottle. The bottle is easier and they do not have to work as hard for it. Also, I never used a breast pump, I would just manually express and it worked out better because I could control the pressure/pain and if you pump incorrectly it causes even more tissue damage. Good luck, breast feeding is a wonderful thing. M.

Im sure you ahve had many replys with the same advice as mine but I will tell you what I think just in case. I had horrififc problems with my son and breastfeeding. It took him about 3 weeks until we were both comfortable and I was sure he was getting enough milk just from me. Until then he was using a bottle. Are you pumping when he drinking formula or other beastmilk from a bottle? That was the #1 thing doctors told us. Pump as much as you can to keep the milk flow up.
And the greatest thing of all to use on you nipples is no doubt lanolin. 100% pure lanolin is SO soothing and totally safe for baby!!! It saved us!!! Sometimes my nipples would bleed and it was just a horrible experience but I was so determined that I never gave up and it owrked out great!! I breastfeed for a full year!!!
I have even considered becoming a lactation consultent beacuse of our problema and our nurses were such a help. DONT ever give up if you really want to beastfeed!!!
I wish you luck!!

Hang in there, your nipple and all has to get use to it. First of all use the tip of your nipple to stimulat him to open his mouth up real wide. slightly pinch your areola like a football shape. when his mouth is open wide which won't be for long put his mouth on your breast. make sure his lips are not curled under or it will hurt. I wouldnot say shuve it but try and get as much in there as possible. And coming from a mom that Breastfeed 3 kids the first couple of weeks are the hardest and the most painful for me. after that you are on a role and it will get better.

Hi... hope I am not too late... as a new mother of my third baby (27 days... ) I am barely reading all my mail... first 3 weeks are unbearable (almost) use lots of Lasinoh cream (after every feeding)and try opening or holding baby's mouth open until you put as much of your breast as you can inside his mouth. this should help. My second just never learned so it was hard until I guess either I got used to it or her mouth learned to grab on better. took about 2 to 3 weeks. Also remember you do not havve too much milk yet so baby might be sucking harder... if you supplement it will take longer.
Hope this helps.

M.,

I had the same problem with my now 22 month old when he was first born. I was at witts end on what to do. Finally a lactaction specialist advised me to use a Nuk brand pacifier and to hold it in his mouth for as long as I could...even if he tried to spit it out. I was waking up every two hours to pump to make sure that when he woke up I would have milk for him. After 4 days of making him take the Nuk, he finally learned how to properly latch on and it was smooth sailing from there! I always offered him the breast first before I would feed him a bottle, and then on day 4 he did it! I felt like I was on cloud nine!!
Good luck to you and your new addition.

M.

can't help too much but try calling your local WIC office or look online for a number for La Leche League. they will be able to helpand may be able to come to your home or you can go some where and they will help you

Hello!
I thought I would suggest pumping your milk (when it comes in) into bottles for your little one to suck on for a few days. It feels good to pump it out when you get engorged anyway, but you will probably be making more milk than you need, so you can put the extra ounces into the fridge and feed Joshua that way for a couple days to let your nipples heal. I have the electric medela pump and I really like it. It was expensive but it has really paid off.
Let me know if you have any questions. Leah and I have been through the ups and downs of breastfeeding in the last 7 weeks since she got here, and we are still struggling! Good luck!!
K. and Leah :)

Before you breast feed him, try expelling a little milk out of your breast first. Sometimes if the breast is really full it makes latching on more difficult. If the breast is less full and a little softer your baby is more likely to get a good latch. Hang in there!

Hello M.! I have 3 girls that I have breast fed until they were @ least 2yrs old. Actually, my youngest turned 2 in August & still nurses. Anyway....back when my 1st was born we had trouble also. She was doing the same thing. If I remember correctly it took a good 5wks before it stopped hurting when she would latch on. My problem was only on one side but I'll never forget the pain from the open wounds. So, I tried using a pump until I healed but I couldn't get anything out. I also tried this cream made by Johnson & Johnson that's supose to help heal you but it made me more tender. So I ended up just getting through the pain by digging my nails into a pillow for the sake of my baby's health. Then like magic @ around 5 wks. the pain went away & the cracks healed. I guess on top of her latching on wrong my nipples had to get use to having a wet mouth on them 24/7...lol!! Sorry I can't be of more help. :) Good luck!! And hang in there....

Everyone has great advice. I also agree that you need to get in touch with a lactation consultant quickly. HealthPark Hospital in Fort Myers has a breastfeeding moms store and several lactation consultants. on hand to help out. They sell everything (creams, bras, pillows, clothes, etc) that a breastfeeding mom needs. Make sure you are wearing cotton bras so that your nipples can breathe and heal better. Also, try expressing milk and letting it air dry on your nipples. It helps the pain and healing process. Good luck and stick with it! Breastfeeding takes awhile to get a hang of, but it is worth it.

S.

Mom of Ava, 4 1/2 months and still breastfeeding.

Check out La Leche League.org.
There is a La Leche meeting in Boynton this Saturday. I know that this is probably a long time for you but just so you know, the meeting starts at 10 AM. You can go to the La Leche Website and find local groups and time/location of meetings. There may even be a few meeting before Saturday (i.e. Boca, Wellington, etc.) so depending where you live, you may want to check them out.
Also, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, there are breastfeeding support groups. One meets at Boca Raton Community Hospital, Tuesdays at noon (but check the website for exact time) and the other meets on Thursdays at Babies R Us on 441 in Boca. A lactation consultant is always on hand at these meetings and she can help you.
Best of luck!!

Hi, congratulations! Some hospitals give out nipple shields. They are a flexible material. Some lactation consultants are dead set against them but I would ask them anyway. You can get them online as well. I've heard they are WONDERFUL in a situation such as yours. Best of luck!

Definately try pumping. They will be sore for about a week anyways no matter how he is eating. They should have given you something at the hospital in a purple tube for your sore nipples. That works well. Keep trying and even try to shape your breast differently so it will fit better when you are feeding

I am currently breastfeeding a new born and I use the nipple shield (occasionally) and pad my bra with raw green cabbage leaves out of the fridge to alleviate the pain. Using the nipple shield all the time causes your milk supply to decrease.

Make sure that he has latched on properly and if you have to take him off and re-latch him then break the vacuum by inserting your little finger in his mouth in between his mouth and your breast - don't just pull him off if he has a firm hold- that will HURT!

If I have to re-latch him and he is cranky, I wait until he starts crying - mouth wide open - and then I shove the breast in his mouth "wumpfh" him on! He should end up with most of the areola in his mouth.

BF is not pain-free but you should be able to reach a point where it is "tolerable"... and feels psychologically great!

I feel your pain! My little girl was like this too. It takes them time to learn. Whenever he does this, pull him off and put him back on again. Keep doing this until he gets on there right. This can be very frustrating for both of you, but he will keep doing this if you don't teach him different. In the mean time, lanolin cream will help your nipples some. After a while your nipples will toughen up and it won't be so bad too.

I have been breastfeeding since we brought our baby home, he is now 15weeks. It hasn't been THEE easiest thing but we have worked thru all our problems and he is great at the breast. The first thing I will recommend is to find a lactation nurse in your area...call the hospital you delievered at, they can put you in touch with someone. I consult my nurse every now and them for questions and help. Second is to try soley the breast feeding, you shouldn't need to supplement, the more he BF's the more BM you will produce. You body works as a supply and demand.
In order to get him to latch on properly, wait till his mouth is open and push his head up to your breast. He should latch on to the areola also and not just the nipple. Figuring out the correct way will help, breast feeding should NOT hurt EVER! Good luck and feel free to email me if you have questions
____@____.com

Take care! :-)
Enjoy that little bundle of joy!!!

M

I agree you have to take him off and put him back on again, squeezing your breast in like a C shape to get the whole areola into his mouth. I bf all my girls and it always hurt every time the first few weeks, they looked like they had the whole areola in their mouths, but I got scabbed and it was painful anyway. I put lansinoh before and after every feeding and it helped a lot. It got better but took a few weeks, I just sucked it up b/c I knew it would get better and was good for them and they finally were latching on right but the pain was already there so I just had to wait for them to heal. It was better after the first 2 weeks and awesome after the first 4-6 weeks. Good luck, don't give up if you really want to bf, sometimes it is painful for some even if they are doing it right.

I had the same problem. The lactation consultant at Boca Community Hospital told me to get Ameda ComfortGel Hydrogel pads. They were amazing. I got them at the medical supply store across the street from the hospital. At the Babies RUs in west Boca the lactation consultant have a days were they offer a free support group. They can help you better positio your baby so that he does not hurt you.
I have a ten week old baby.

I had somewhat the same problem with my son, it was very painful breastfeeding at first. He wasn't latching on properly and it was very painful! Try rubbing the side of his cheek while your breastfeeeding it will get him to open his mouth a little wider. They do make nipple creams that will help with soreness/chapping (you can find it at a local drug store) warm showers can help with the discomfort also I know this sounds crazy but go buy a cabbage. The cool leafs from the cabbage can help ease the discomfort as well. You can also call Martin Memorial's lactation specialist- she helped me a lot with my son (even though I had my son at St Lucie Medical Center).

Well, if he is sucking on just the nipple and not the whole areola, then his latch isn't fine and that is what is causing your problem. Once you fix that, your nipples will get better. My daughter was tongue tied (short frenulum) and I had major damage to my nipples. Once I got it fixed, the damage got better. I used a lot of lansinoh lanolin to help the sores. Gerber also puts out some gel pads that are very cooling. Also, dipping them in saltwater and then letting them dry (and putting some expressed breastmilk on them) helps a lot. I also found a really great doctor who was also a lactation consultant that prescribed me All Purpose Nipple Ointment (a mixture of an antifungal, antibiotic, and steroid) that really helped in the healing.
I suggest you go to a La Leche League meeting if you haven't already, they have really helped me. You can find a meeting at: http://www.lllusa.org/FL/web/DadeCountyFL.html
If you can go back to the lactation consultants at your hospital they might be able to help as well.
Also some other good websites:
www.kellymom.com
http://www.lllusa.org/FL/index.html
http://www.drjacknewman.com/

good luck!

i dont know if maybe u r nipple is too big but sometimes if it is sometimes its harder to latch on to the whole thing. just keep tryin to adjust it and sometimes u can use udder cream its in any wal mart or walgreens or u can use bag balm also just make sure it is cleaned off really good before u try to nurse. sometimes u can use ice to shrink it to get the whole thing in the mouth.

Please, please, please I beg of you CALL A LLL LEADER!!! Go to Lalecheleague.org and find your closest leader. You absolutly need face to face help. You should not be supplementing at 2 days old, your milk has likely not even come in yet. Please work to fix this quickly!

I used lanolin and breast pads. Worked great and is fine for baby. Also try a different feeding position. I also was too full when it was time to nurse, so I had to pump before a feeding. It hurt, too, but helped the baby to have more to latch on to. It only took a couple of days of pumping about 30 min before a feeding and it started getting less painful.

Hello,

I have a three and a half month old and I have only breast fed him. I think you should call a lactation specialist. I have a great one if you're interested call Faith 305-446-baby she is in Mercy hospital and she is AWESOME. I could never have done it with out her. Don't take any advice because chances are someone might give advice without really knowing. You will be surprised how much you will learn with her. There is also mommy classes 0-3 months for breast feeding moms...

____@____.com

Not sure where you live but this is a great group to ask questions...and meet with if you want. There are several lactation consultants that are readily available!

T.

Hello M., You can try the NATURAL NIPPLE BUTTER made by Earth Mama Angel Baby. I loved the product when I used it myself and I have a friend who really like it too. It helps with the pain. You can buy it at www.lunababyproducts.com.

Hope this helps,

Thanks,

K.

Hi M.,
I had a similar issue with my daughter, so I know how painful "nipple slurping" can be. What you want to do is compress your breast with your opposite hand, then slide it forward toward the areola. Then, tease your little one's lower lip with your nipple. Immediately when he opens his mouth, jam your nipple and areola in. It might take a few tries and you might have to pop him off and start over, but getting it right is worth the effort. Also, try contacting a lactation consultant with the midwife/hospital you delivered with. And, finally, if you continue to have issues, contact Beckman and Associates, ###-###-####. They specialize in newborn sucking issues and have helped many women that I know.

One last thing... Any specific reason for the supplementing? Your baby is missing out on all the wonderful colostrum your body has worked so hard to make for him. Not only that, but the colostrum is full of antibodies and is made specifically for a newborn's sensitive tummy and intestines.

Hope this all helps! Feel free to contact me personally if you need someone to talk to!

A.

Go straight to Wal-mart or Target to the section that has baby bottles and breast pads and get a tube of Lansinoh cream it is in a purple box. It is pure lanolin and will make your nipples feel sooooo much better. You can have it on while your baby nurses, won't harm the baby. In the meantime, call the hospital where you gave birth and tell them you need an appointment with the hospital's lactation consultant ASAP. She should have come to see you before you checked out of the hospital and made sure that the baby was latching on correctly. If they're not available, please contact LeLecheLeague asap and have them hook you up with a local lactation consultant. They are a gods-send for a breast-feeding mama! Good luck!

I had the same problem with my second baby and although everyone had suggestions for me the only thing that worked was pure old fahioned olive oil. Just rub a dab on your nipples - works wonders and non harmful to baby.