New Mommy Breastfeeding - Help

Hi @soulful ~ Lots of hugs, new mum!
I can understand your troubles - I had quite a bit of the same issues you are having. Baby found it so difficult to latch. Even if he did, it was super painful. We were dependent on nipple shield for a while - which meant - the baby has to work harder because there is a usually a small gap between shield and skin and baby wasn't getting enough milk (and first thing everyone including family and pediatrician will say is not enough milk supply) For the first few weeks - the body is very flexible - it can produce as much or as little as your baby will take.

My suggestions:
1. First thing join Breasfeeding Support for Indian Mothers - BSIM group in FB. Just like another responder said it was my life saver too.

2. If you're in US - try to get appointment with a Lactation Consultant - surprisingly they are truly "pro-breast-feeding" than your pediatrician or even immediate family will ever be - mostly because everyone's else's focus will be on baby to get "enough nutrition" for *this* meal. But making BFing work well - is better in the long run for baby and mom - but in the first few months no-one seems to have the energy to think of the future. The Lactation consultant will spend 2 hours to 3 hours at your home or at a hospital and watch you and baby closely - will give lots of things to try.

3. Practise baby latching BEFORE they get hungry. Babies like sucking even they are not hungry - and when coaxed will get back.

4. Increase skin-on-skin - a few hours every day. No clothes on baby. No clothes on your top. Keep baby sleeping on you. Use blanket over both of you. They will try to latch because they can smell the milk and will be comforted by your body sounds and heart rhythm. This is difficult in many-a-Indian households - since *everyone* expects you to be fully covered. But please try it - it helped me tremendously

5. Try Lasinoh Latch Assist - it is tiny suction pump like device that helps bring the nipple out. Helped me.

6. Try dreamfeeding - when baby is fully asleep at night - keep opening baby's mouth and make her/him latch. My LO after 4 weeks of nursing strike - finally got back gradually at night and then during the day. It was hard work to not lose hope during those tough weeks - but it was worth trying everything.

7. For a short period - I also tried a very small tube like device at the breast connected to Formula bottle in my hand - this is to ensure baby doesn't have nipple confusion when one has to supplement.

Also my LO had something called a tongue-tie and lip-tie which needed a 10 minutes "cutting" procedure at the doctor's office and then 2 weeks to heal - after that me and my LO have had a wonderful BF journey. So it turned out the latching issue we had initially wasn't because of my flat-nipple or short nipple.
After a few weeks of lots of pumping and supplementation with Formula - we could get back to exclusive feeding at the breast.

This tongue tie wasn't ever caught by Pediatrician (who is otherwise a WONDERFUL doctor) - it was spotted by the second Lactation Consultant I tried. (I had sessions with 3 different one tills I got one who helped zero in on the issue) The problem is pediatricians aren't trained/don't value the mother's emotional needs in BFing and physical strain of pumping. When I almost cried to her on how it was so difficult to keep pumping so many times a day - she said it works, baby weight is fine - so keep doing it. Doctor's don't realize that this difficulty will make a mom give up on breast milk sooner.

Pumping is extremely hard work and I hated it till my last session when little one was ~12 months (after maternity leave pumping was only when I was away from baby).

Keep trying out lots of things - that are available. My best wishes that one of these strategies will work out for you! All the very best Mummy - you can do it!

Will write more as I think of anything else.

 

@startinganew @BeingSoulful is the OP, you addressed me, just @soulful

2 different people

 

Hi dear, Sorry you are still working hard at this with others not being so supportive.

Ideally it will take two weeks after tongue tie procedure to heal. My baby took 4 weeks to start nursing though - so it is very baby dependent. During the healing there is something called "stretching" we need to do - put our finger into babies mouth and do a few strokes in a special way - baby will scream (and people around you who weren't supportive of the procedure may not be happy) - as the mom it is very difficult to touch the soft and wounded tongue and press against babies wishes - but needs to be done.

But every day I thank the LC who recommended this.

Also we had to do the procedure twice! Once when baby was a few weeks old and once few months old. The first specialist missed the posterior tongue tie and lip tie and only relieved the anterior one.
Even Learning about this error and doing it again was very Painful for us.
I have many details to share, will do in a few hours...