Latching on problems

[gingerpig]

First of all apologies for hardly being around and not keeping up with everyone. Also, I'm sure this will have been covered in the breast-feeding support thread, but I'm being really lazy.

Although Debs is usually quite good at staying latched on, and her latch is now really good, sometimes she can be terrible to latch on in the first place. It's really upsetting as she starts crying, and twists her head around, so any latch she did have is broken, she's not getting any milk and obviously she's really hungry. I'm checking and there's definitely milk in my boobies, but it seems to be really difficult to get it into her sometimes. Because of the hemorrhage after my c-section my colustrum did dry up and then I wasn't producing much milk with the vomiting when I went back into hospital so we had to supplement with the occasional bottle, but she hasn't had one for over a week now. We bought a nasal decongester to see if a blocked nose was causing her problems, but it doesn't seem to be that. She does seem to be a windy baby (possibly because we were both on anti-biotics for so long so she's on infacol, which is helping. Sometimes it seems she's so excited that she starts waving her arms around like crazy, gets too engrossed in that to latch on and then starts crying when she's hungry. Does this make any sense? Sorry for the length of post.

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Not sure what to suggest other than, have you tried different positions? Also don't be afraid to go back to the breast feeding support groups. I can't remember where abouts you live, but if you are the southern side of Reading, then the breast feeding support group in Finchampstead was nice and quiet, in a lovely setting, if you would rather go to a quieter group than the one up at the RBH.

 

[SarahB]

Hi Gingerpig, it sounds like she might be too hungry to latch on. Emma used to do this and I found that if I fed her half an hour before she would normally ask for milk, it was much easier and she seemed to be much happier, and fed for a lot longer.
Might be worth a try? Hope this helps, good luck

 

[gingerpig]

Thanks for that! I'm def going back to the RBH Nicky, they are really helpful. Of course today Debs has been latching on much better, but then we're having a quieter day today as well. I dont have the details of the Finchhampstead group, could you PM them to me? Sorry I didn't reply to your last PM either, I am crap atm lol.

Good point about the hunger Sarah - I've been sort of trying to feed her before she get's too hungry but its obviously something to stick with. I think she might have a touch of colic too - she often sleeps with her legs curled up, and needs burping a couple of times before she will settle. She posset's a little bit, but nothing major though, so I'm not convinced she has really bad problems like that, plus she doesn't really cry that much.

Thanks again

 

[Minime]

MW in hossie suggested I give LO a bottle to calm him down enough to be able to latch on. MW at home thought that was bizarre and shouldnt have been told that and now LO wont latch on at all so I have to express all the time.

I asked for help in hossie to get him latched on and was told "You have to calm your baby down first" before being abandonned. Err like HOW do you calm them down when theyre that hungry?

I'm going to wait till I'm off antibiotics and try him again on the breast as Sarah suggested before he's hungry