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.
Hope the LC goes well today.
The worst case scenario is that you have to get a really good pump and express from that side and bottle feed her until:
1) the nipple heals and
2) she stops mangling it (which will most probably happen when she gets a bit bigger and her mouth grows. There are a couple of very determined women here who are expressing long term because their bubs never got the hang of not mangling, but since Grace is doing OK on the other side I think she should get the hang of it pretty well).
And then in a month or so everything hopefully ought to be painless and effective...
Well, maybe I just have to put up with pain and a cracked nipple forever
Saw the LC again. She said technique is good and everything, what a surprise. She just said to make sure she gets lots of the bottom in. We took her off 3 times and my nipple was still ridged every time but getting better each time. I just can't seem to get it. Couldn't work the nipple shields, she really doesn't like them!!
So basically again told to keep doing what I'm doing and persisting and it will get better Whatever. Losing hope now. I will keep trying though.
Jesse didn't like the sheilds at first, it took a few feeds for him to get used to them, but once he realised he still got the good stuff he was ok with them.
Don't loose hope! You and bub are doing brilliantly!! Remember it takes 3 weeks for bf to be considered "established" so you're miles ahead of so many people.
We all believe in you! You can do it! There is hope and there is a solution to this problem.
I think maybe expressing from the sore side and just feeding from the right for a few days will give you a breather and let the nipple heal.
It does get better. Like I said before I was in so much pain and it was for no apparent reason. I blame Ashton having a hard suck. By the 6 week mark it was better. I used to cry thinking about feeding him. The water from the shower hurt. I was so sore and cranky. But it DID get better just like they said it would.
Please, please hang in there, we all believe in you and it really DOES get better. You are in so much pain and feel so hopeless right now that you can't see it. I was exactly the same with DD and then, again at that magic 6 week mark, things just got better. My nipples healed and it didn't hurt anymore.
Sometimes Ava STILL comes off and my nipple is pinched or ridged... left one (flat one!!) seems to often have a pinch in it but it doesnt hurt when she's on so i dont know shes doing it and my R nipple often has a ridge in it like its raised a bit.... i dont know what we're still doing wrong but it doesnt hurt as much anymore.
My Right nipple (badly damaged one) still hurts when she attaches but no way near the horrific pain it once was. (as its healing)
I think some people might just have one "bad" nipple i know someone who is BFing and has been for 6mths and still has a 'sore' nipple side. but I think with time it gets better and toughens up.
You can do this.... keep persisting if this is what you really want you can do it.
I've been persisting and I'm still BFing and now enjoying it more..... much more.
You CAN do this...... I know you can because I've been where you are (and still am there kinda).....
I think as Ava has gotten older, she is feeding more effectively and latches on better as she now knows what to do.... babies are learning to. They get better with it too.
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