breast feeding advice pretty please :)

[Jones]

ok so im 8 weeks into breast feeding....ive shocked ,myself, wanted to give up so many times...and this feeling has come again as my baby keeps chewing/playing on my boob now..and sometimes i think shes using me as a dummy but then shes demanding more milk im sure! she only does it on one breast and now its become really sore and painful when she latches on this is my good breast- the other breast i had cracked nipples...now looks deformed nipple i think :s urgh and had mastitis- this breast has improved however. seems like one thing after another. plus on the boob shes playing with now...she doesnt open her mouth very wide to latch on...another adding problem ....please can u provide any advice thanks xx

 

[Esoames]

Well done for getting this far! Could she be having a growth spurt? Have you been drinking enough water so there is plenty of milk, as if it's hard work for her it might be why she is playing up. If the latch is wrong do it again, to avoid any pain and that she gets the most milk out of you.

Emma xx

 

[Jones]

thank you... i dont know, i dont think she is......and im producing loads of milk :s breasts get really full.....im worried im going to get cracked nipples again. i try not to detach her as its so painful latching her on again :s not good .....xx

 

[Maria1977]

Well done for perservering, it's hard work, I've found the whole breast feeding experience really emotional. Oz always latched onto my left better than my right, and the right would always start to burn after about 5 minutes, he's now a pro though and it doesn't hurt hardly ever now. Have you tried holding her differently? Do you use a nursing pillow to see if you can get her into a different position? Also, when my right boob got so sore and I was screaming when he latched on, I stopped feeding him on it and just expressed til it was healed (would only be 24 hours til I could latch him on again)

Sorry can't be much help xxxxx

 

[Jones]

thank you. ive tried rugby style and the normal err belly to belly position....hmmm :s not sure what to do....thank goodness for lasinoh cream...it soothes it a lil.

how often should i expect her to breast feed now? shes gone nearly 5 hours and i woke her for a feed :s thank you x

 

[Maria1977]

Not sure re: gaps between feeds, it's so hard when bf'ing to know what they get, but if she's gaining weight ok over the weeks I'd let her set the pace. She'll soon shout if she's hungry or thirsty.

Re the latching on badly, I think it's common for babies to prefer one side to the other, Oz never latched onto the right properly until the last couple of weeks... and he's almost 5 months old lol

 

[Loulabelle]

Well done for getting this far! Could she be having a growth spurt? Have you been drinking enough water so there is plenty of milk, as if it's hard work for her it might be why she is playing up. If the latch is wrong do it again, to avoid any pain and that she gets the most milk out of you.

Emma xx

Does the amount of water you drink affect your supply?? Seems obvious now but I hadn't even thought about it!!

 

[Elfs Mummy]

Oh Hun well done for perservering i had similar problems with Maisie but thankfully we've come out the other end . First i would suggest getting a breadt feeding advisor out to see you or heading to a group metting these can help no end, for the first few weeks i had the latch slightly wrong and as you said i didnt want to take her of as it was so painful to put her back on again but after 2 hours of absoulte agony i managed to get a good latch and within a week my boobs were fine and i barely notice her feeding. Maisie used me for a dummy and I actually tried her on a dummy which she took for 2 weeks and then she found her fist thank goodness !!!
Hope you keep perservering it is the most amazing thing once all the pain stops xx

 

[frankie707]

When G wasn't latching properly I went back to skin to skin and for almost an hour latched him on and off and everytime it hurt I took him off and put him back on. It seemed to reset him and we turned a corner and haven't looked back.

 

[Esoames]

Well done for getting this far! Could she be having a growth spurt? Have you been drinking enough water so there is plenty of milk, as if it's hard work for her it might be why she is playing up. If the latch is wrong do it again, to avoid any pain and that she gets the most milk out of you.

Emma xx

Does the amount of water you drink affect your supply?? Seems obvious now but I hadn't even thought about it!!

Oh yes water is a must also you need to rest. I'm one to talk I hardly drink but I get breaks during the day as she's on three solid meals and water. X

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

try putting your nipple on her nose so that she has to open her mouth wide and look up to get it in, Try and squeeze either side of the boob a bit (like your trying to eat a sandwich too big for your mouth) and thrust more in than usual, If shes just playing with your boob unlatch her... I made sure J was well aware that food came from boobies and they were NOT for chewing on!!

 

[GemmGirl]

Hi. I just want to echo what the others are saying. Firstly well done for persevering with bf. It really is so convenient once it's well established but it takes a while for you and baby to get it right. I was told that it was actually because I am right handed that G fed really well on my left and didn't latch on so well to my right. Something to do with the way I held him so lots of pillows should help. Also, do not continue to feed if it is painful. Always take baby off and try again til it works. I used lots of lansinoh cream but also wore nipple shields between feeds for a little while (stopped cracks sticking to bra/pad -ouch!). I even fed him through the shield for a day or two until cracks had healed but not sure if others would recommend this. Anyway, I've rambled on long enough but hope some of this helps. Good luck. X