Hugs heaven! I'm so sad to hear you're in so much pain.
I think you've been given the best advice already, but I just wanted to tell you again that I always had the lipstick shape on the left, even after the pain had gone...it only started disappearing after 6 weeks. Sometimes its bub's technique and actually has nothing to do with the way you're positioning her.
Also, Saram's advice about lining up bub's mouth with your nipple is something that rang true for me. My left nipple seems to point out a bit more than my right, so while I was trying to make a mirror image of my right hand positioning, I actually needed to bring her around a bit more (my midwife said to me only porn stars have perfectly symmetrical nipples...lol)
I also couldn't feed lying down until baby could self attach (after a few weeks), so don't beat yourself up about that.
Good luck with the LC tomorrow. BF is hard work, but you're doing such a great job already!!!!!
The ridge comes from not stuffing enough nipple (especially the lower part) far enough in to her mouth. It does improve as mouths get bigger and nipples get softer - but in the meantime, make sure she has as much nipple as you can get in there.
Is a lactation day stay an option for you?? It sounds as though the problems can be different in different feeds, so evaluation of a few feeds might help to really work out what is going on.
Spring- Thankyou, I will try that idea of sitting on the kitchen chair. I don't have a comfy chair to sit in so that could be part of it!!
Skye- Thankyou AGAIN!! Your support means alot!! I can't get the hang of lying down! I will ask the LC about it.
Ren- Thankyou!! I forgot to take the name of that ointment when I went to see the GP last time!! Bugger!! Yep, I think she's definately getting enough, we are going through SO many nappies!! lol. So that's one good thing I guess. Terrible to be having all this pain and no gain!!
Janie- Thankyou so much, I have to spread the love! I am writing those 3 things down on a notepad now. I am going to be foreceful with telling them it hurts and that something is wrong and not let them just say it looks right and will get better because I know it's not right! And I'm going to try standing up too. I can stand up and walk around while feeding on the right nipple, it's completely healed and I hardly have to do anything to attach her she basically gets it right herself. I can't believe there's so much difference.
Sarah- Thankyou! No, I don't think I have flat nipples. And no one's ever said anything about it either?? BUT at the last feed I moved her around more and it didn't hurt as much so maybe like you said my nipple is a bit further that way on that breast and I wasn't bringing her around far enough. Will see if it's still the same with the next feed! I think I have already been feeding her more on the R. I just can't wait to get her off the L and whenever she even looks like she might be finished she's off and onto the next one, lol.
anna- Thankyou again for your advice and support!! It might be I wasn't bringing her far enough around, I hope so, then I will have an answer. We shall see what she has in store for me at the next feed!
kmn- That's the thing, I shove as much as I can in there! lol. And sometimes I can barely see any nipple, and i think I have fairly big nipples, well the areola. So I don't get it!!
But you can't see the underside of your nipple - my problem was that i was carefully stuffing what i could see in, but that made the bottom half come out. Can someone look and see if you have the bottom part in properly?
Yep, it's all in there!! So confusing!! I get DH to push my boob back a bit and check, and you can't see any nipple below! The LC told me to check for that so I have been. That's why I can't work out what the hell is going on!
Oh my I'm having flashbacks reading this thread!
Super huge hugs to you - it's such a hard time. I don't know if it's helpful at all, but there seem to be lots of us with similar issues early on who made it - I hope it can give you a little strength to go on.
Please do try and get help with the nipple shield. I know they're kinda frowned upon, but I dont' know that I would have made it very far without it. Like you I had perfect technique but was in serious pain. but it all came good once he was bigger. There is a knack to using the shields. I found that I had to work very hard to line them up with the nipple just so or else they didn't go on right. Also, there are different kinds. I tried 2 and one worked a lot better for me than the other, so if 1 is no good might be worth trying another.
good luck!
Hunny, do use a pillow?
I just thought if you have a pillow you could use it to help hold her level with your nipple. Maybe even 2 pillows.
Laying down is hard. It did take a bit to get the hang of it. The one thing to remember is to make sure her feet & bottom are right in as close to you as possible.
I can't be right on my side or flat on my back. Sort of in between iykwim. Unless I am on a pillow with DS on the bed. Silly side ways boobs! Lol!!
I only started feeding laying down out of sleep deprivation & desperation!
I've seen those sheild things that Saram(?) was talking about. They are like plastic booby shells that have a hole on the inside layer that your nipple sits in. They looked interesting. I didn't try them though. They weren't what I wanted at the time.
I'm trying hard to think of more ideas to help. Having her higher up on the pillows might bring her chin up so you can actually see the full attachment. You should be able to see the bottom lip & the 'special K' seal.
Has anyone checked that her bottom lip is curling out properly?
I was holding DS's bottom lip down to make sure it curled out. & to hold his mouth open a bit wider to try helping with the attachment.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks