How Do I Get My Daughter to Open WIDE When Breastfeeding?

Molly gave the best advice and I only have to add to be patient with coaxing her to open wide.
The trick really is to pull her in, it almost feels like you are smashing her against your breast. Of course you are not, but it seems that way at first. It really does work.
If you can't figure it out call a La Leche League Leader in your area. They are free assistance for bf moms. Check out the website, www.llli.org.
good luck

Hello,

Both my girls had the same issue and our lactation consultant taught us to hold open their mouths as wide as possible and then quickly push them onto the breast. At the same time, you should be squeezing your breast like a sandwhich so the baby gets as much of the nipple as possible. If they did not get a good latch, we needed to take them off and keep trying until we finally got a good latch. Only then would they be allowed to eat. It is much easier to have your husband hold open the mouth while you squeeze your breast, but it is possible to do it by yourself. Eventually, after a few days of this, the baby figures it out and latches on wide by herself. Good luck and also, if you live in the East Bay, I understand Day One is opening a location in downtown Walnut Creek today. I went to their SF location with both my girls and their lactation consultants are wonderful. It may be worth one consultation, especially if this baby is your first.

A.,

When she is laying down in the position, take your breast and tickle her upper lip with it. When she opens wide how you want, bring her to your breast FAST. Don't bring the breast to her. Don't let her have it until she opens wide enough-otherwise you will have a big painful problem. Good luck!

Molly

if you are experiencing lots of pain, you should really see a lctation consultant, and know that ibuprofen is safe for breast-feeding. it really helped me when i was at my worst. i tried to do all of the things correct and valued the info from the consultant, but at the end of the day 2 things really helped. squeezing my aereola with my thumb and pointer finger to make it narrow as possible and really get it in there, while pushing the baby to the breast as quickly as possible. AND, knowing that by 3 months he baby will be big enough to do this so much better. but you do not need to deal with pain, so try to work it out and goodluck

I too had the same issue with both my kids and all the tickling in the world didn't do a thing. What I did to be successful was to sandwich my nipple and then use it as a lever on their lower lip to pry their mouths open. Think of coming into you babies mouth from an underhand scoop with you nipple(if that makes any sense) so that you are taking your nipple and pressing down on the lip and the once in the mouth PUSHING your nipple up into the palate.
You next best bet is to see a lactation councilor, they are great at Day One. It helps to have some watch your process and see what they can do to help.
Good Luck and keep trying it's worth it to give your baby the best!!!!
V.

try tickle lower lip and when she opens, use your finger to pry her lower lip down to open wide. that's what my lactactation consultant taught me.

She might have gotten used to not having to open very wide, so try not attaching her until she actually does open wide.

The incredible nurse who helped me deliver my now 14 year old daughter told me to tickle her under her chin and that really helped. If she still is just going for the nipple, try it again and again.
Hope this helps. Motherhood is GREAT! Enjoy it!
With love,
Patti b

Rub her cheek gently and she ought to turn her head towards you and open her mouth.

Like others have said, I learned to point my nipple towards her nose and brush her lips with it to encourage her to open up -- and break the latch if it wasn't a good one and try again. Another trick the consultant taught me was to make sure my daughter's lower arm (depending on which side she was laying on) was underneath my breast so that she was sort of "hugging" me. For some reason, it helped her focus.

Do check with your pediatrician's office, if you haven't already, to see if there's a lactation consultant on staff who can help you. Books and videos are great, but having someone actually watching me breastfeed and offering guidance was about a million times more helpful!

Good luck, and don't worry -- you'll both be pros before you know it. It was a struggle for me at first as well, but now my girl latches on with no problem.

Hi

I would suggest going to breastfeeding.com or to Lucille packards childrens hospitals "15 minutes of Breastfeeding help" site and watch some videos of breastfeeding. If those don't help (or even if tehy do) contact your local La Leche League, or the Nursing Mothers Counsel for some peer support. Both organizations will give you advise on how to get a better latch

T. Mclean
Student Midwife
Birth and Postpatutm Doula

Hi,
This website is WONDERFUL. It has videos of how to get the best latch. http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml
Hope it is helpful. It definitely helped me (and lots of patience, of course!)

A.,
Use your nipple with a little breastmilk on it to tickle her lower lip. This can help with her opening wider. Be sure she gets all the or most of the areola in her mouth.
Pull baby towards you, not your breast to baby.

hope this helps.trish

Hi,
the trick is to move the baby to the nipple, not the opposite. "Push" her head kind of towards the breast.
And her nose should be by the nipple so that she has to reach up towards the nipple. Then she opens wide. Also highly recommended: www.breastfeeding.com, they have great movies that show how to do it!
Also check with your lactation nurse if you can, they can show you! Hang in there and don't give up!

Yep...the responses below are good ones. I also used my index finger on the baby's chin. Once she opens her mouth, use your index finger to open it wider then with your other hand guide her head onto the bullseye.

I'd get into a lactation consultant as soon as you can too. They are extremely helpful.

Good luck!

yes, it seems like your smashing the poor baby's face into your breast, but that's the way. then if she didn't open wide enough, you unlatch and do it again until she's on there right. she will learn because they get SO hungry. but i just wanted to let you know that all of a sudden one day you realize that the baby has become very good a breast feeding and after that it becomes much easier. i think within a few weeks she'll be a pro.

My La Leche leader said to rub your nipple softly on the baby's lips until he opens up his mouth wider. It helped with my son. If that does not help, look up La Leche in the phone book, call, and find a free meeting. The meetings were really helpful, and lots of new moms to talk to.- J.