So we're on the boob but...

Mel you are doing beautifully. I had all these issues too. The mouth opening especially with Immy as she was so tiny & I had big breasts too... Remember to take Eden to the breast not the breast to Eden. And hold your breast pinching down on the nipple so it fits in & bring her quickly to the breast. hold your breast but let go of the pinching whilst she feeds...

It's hard to describe when I am not there. Bigger breasts are difficult to manage with BF in those first weeks sometimes. But you are doing an ace job my love. :hug:

Your midwife should be able to help you??? Can she come out to you? Surely there would be a LC in the whole of Lonny??? A LC can be really helpful.

Yay! Go milky Mumma!

love to you
xoxo

Wow Mel. I'm so proud of you. Your issues seem very common (unfortunately!!). I agree with seeing an LC so they can help get attachment right. Cracked nipples are not fun at all.

To try and get her to open her mouth I used to squeeze a bit of milk out so she could smell it then brush my nipple down her nose and top lip until she opened up. Have you googled pics of what correct attachment should look like and where to have your hands etc? I found that really helped me. I also wasn't holding DD close enough. I had to hold her a lot tighter than I thought, then dig her chin in so her chin was the first part to touch the breast then when she opened her mouth slip the nipple in pointing to the roof of her mouth.

Don't know if any of that was useful but you're doing awesomely!! And it really does get easier and easier as they grow. :)

Mel, you might find that she attaches better if you don't have your hand behind her head. If you able to move it down to her neck instead that might help. Mums often find that having their hand on the baby's head pushes the wrong part of the mouth to the breast first. Hopefully you might see a difference just from that.

How's it going?? Hoping it has been better for you both?

MR - I thought with the football hold you do hold the back of bub's head? Thats what I got from the demo I saw on Youtube? (thank god for youtube ay?)

Ahh now I'm getting all confused.. LOL

She slept for ages today - and didn't feed for something ridiculous like, 7 hours or something, and then she woke up - would NOT attach no matter what I tried, she just wouldn't do it, she would open her mouth, but she wouldn't suck my nipple no matter what. So I cracked it, changed her nappy instead, and THEN she attached. Had a feed on the left side for about 15-20 minutes, then fell asleep again. Then we had to go out, so she slept for another 40 minutes, then woke up in the car, my mum gave her 40mls that I had expressed earlier so I didn't explode, then she fell asleep, then we got home, she was STILL sleeping, and she just fed now for about 40 minutes on the one side - and fell asleep.

So I dunno if I'm doing this right or not, but at least my right side doesn't feel like its going to explode everywhere now.. LOL

She's starting to get grizzly now so I'll have to go and see if she wants more. I have learnt that if she is really tired, or has been woken up, nothing will make her suck. She sucks when she is good and ready - and no time before. Stubborn bugger :rolleyes:

Lol. Jesse only ever had the one side at a time. I'd offer the second, but he just wouldn't wake for it, so I didn't push it.

I think with putting your hand at the back of her neck, instead of her head, the head can go back on the right angle for better attachment. When I think about the times I've done it, I think its worked out better that way.
It all sounds so confusing now, lol. See if it works though.

Sounds like you've had a much better day so far anyway :)

I just fed her for about 40 mins on the other side, and realised my hand is sorta at the back of her neck - not like, on the top of her head or anything... LOL.. its hard visualising it

Yeah, that's right Mel, hand at the back of her neck. I sorta had my index finger and thumb behind each ear iykwim. Just make sure you're not stopping her head from being able to tilt back so she can attach properly and her nose is clear.

You're doing well!! Sounds like she's having some good feeds!!

Mel hun your doing a great job! You should be so proud!

Mwah xxxx

That's right my love - around the base of her little skull... You're doing great. :hug:

Perhaps she just needs to feel comfy before she'll feed.:D
Sounds like you're doing really well! Hope she learns to switch from lots of day sleeping to night sleeping :pray:

Urgh these cluster feeds are pretty awful ay.. LOL

She was on me from basically 5.30 to 9.30 - with only 10 minute breaks in between 40 minute feeds.

I was worried though because she had barely peed all day - understandable when she was asleep for most of it - but she certainly makes up for it when she wakes up - she just feeds and feeds and feeds and feeds!!! Is it ok to do that or should I be waking her up for more regular feeds? I'm hesitant to wake her up because she just won't suck if she's tired.

I know that story about the sleepy and won't feed thing. At this early stage frequent feeds are best for your supply. I would be waking her if she goes any longer than 3-4 hours. Some women won't & that's all cool - but I would for manily supply reasons. When your supply is established it is fine. Don't wake her 3 hourly overnight though - your sleep is important so sleep away if she is at night.

This tme will pass when she is feeding so all over the shop - you can gradually coax her to feed the older she gets the less sleepy she will be. :hug:

:yeahthat:

And I remember those cluster feeds all too well. Ah well, you can try and get lots of reading/tv watching done ;)

6 - 8 wet nappies over 24 hours is ideal Mel. I don't think it matters how they are presented, just that they happen ;)

It's up to you if you want to wake her. Personally I woke them after 3 hours sleep during the day. For both boobular relief and trying to prevent them from being too wakeful overnight. If you'd rather not then that's fine too. See how you go :)

ETA looky at all these replies lol ;)

Can I take it the pain is getting better? You haven't mentioned it, so I'm hoping. Obviously the attachment & feeding are :)

Mel, you're doing a great job persisting. I think putting away the pump and trying with bb feeds alone for a few days is definitely a good idea. ;)

How does she bf lying down? I don't know if you've mentioned it or not, but sometimes lying down can help on the side they don't 'like' as much. It could be less comfortable for her or you for any number of reasons, but if it's something physical (from birth, for eg), lying down might take that away.

I'd echo the other girls in having a LC come to you and sit through a feed or two. Get her to show you some different holds/positions, because you may just have to find the one that works best for you.

FWIW my DD never had much of a thing for my left bb, so I'd bf her twice on that side, once in cradle hold, then switch her to football hold to trick her into continuing. I suspect my let-down was a lot slower, she bf less on that side, so the supply was diminished. I never worried beyond that, the other side will provide enough milk for it not to be an issue. After all, mums manage to bf twins, so they must be producing twice as much as those of us with one bub! Get the LC to look into it and she might be able to help solve the issue. You'll probably find when she goes through a period of increased bfing (6 weeks of age for my DD) it's handy to have both sides available at their best! ;)

Let us know how you're doing, hun, I think you're a STAR! :clap:

Hey guys :)

I think I'm doing ok - still in pain, but once she lets off the sucking it doesn't hurt, so its just the initial panic to feed haha. She seems to cluster feed in the mornings, then have a huge sleep, then cluster feed in the late arvo till about 9.30 - then she will sleep till 3am, feed on both sides, then wakes around 7. So its not too bad. Seeing middie this arvo so will get referral to LC.

I was so crappy at one of my facebook friends yesterday (if anyone saw her comment on my status) about being able to express 110 ml in a few minutes. I'd like to give her the big F. YOU buddy - but can't say anything cos she's my ex-boyfriends wife (and him and I are still really good friends)

Why do women feel the need to rub it in that they are better by expressing more? Tell ya what she can stick the pump fair up her arse for all I care.

Pfft. Well thats my vent.

Awww cuddles Mel... What she is doing is sounding good to me too... And pretty average for a new born. Especially the feeding through the afternoon & early evening.
I am glad you're seeing the m/w & can talk to a LC... I think that will be helpful. Sometimes it's just one little tweak of a hold & voila!

You have had an amazing journey in growing, birthing & now nurturing Eden - she is a little healing star sent for her Mama. I am so in awe of all you have done & are doing... :hug:

Oh babe... how damn crappy of her!!!! :shakehead:

I dont think i've ever done that, unless asked about it. It is a VERY personal, and emotive issue, and how well she does is completly irrelevent to you.... silly cow.

Anyway, YOU dont need to pump, your doing it all yourself anyway!!!! :clap::clap::dance::dance:


eta.. actually, I just went and edited a post... I did refer to how much I could get with the double pump when i offered it to you babe... I am so so sory and hope it didn't come across as boasting or hurtful..... :cry:

that's pretty damn crummy mel! i WISH i could express 110ml even now! most of the time i get to about 50ml from both sides in about 20 minutes - so i'm not a very efficient pumper - but i know DD gets a hell of a lot more cos i end up wearing about that much each feed lol

you're doing fantastic to persist - so damn happy that you're able to do this! you may find that your nipples are a little damanged from the early attachment issues and that is why it's still hurting too - hope it improves soon (i went through a week of tears after hospital due to nipple damage from the pump - once it healed ok, i've not felt any pain until DD started clamping down while teething...)

hope you can get to see LC soon just to try to get you past this pain hurdle

I saw that! Figured she must be a miracle worker!
I did that once...ONCE! DS was about 15 months old, DD2 was in hospital & he stayed with mum for the night. I was sooo full. Still took me a while though. A good hour or so.
Never EVER in my days of expressing have I gotten more than 20 mls in any amount of time! Thats why I don't do it unless I'm desperate!

It does sound like things are going alot smoother for you though. You seem alot less stressed & more comfortable with the whole thing iykwim.

:

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eta.. actually, I just went and edited a post... I did refer to how much I could get with the double pump when i offered it to you babe... I am so so sory and hope it didn't come across as boasting or hurtful..... :cry:

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Nah mate, I didn't take it that way. She's just peeved at me cos her DH still loves me :p

hahahaha

Oh I saw that too and felt like flicking her earlobe.

I found expressing a little hard (had to do a jig, sit in a room with NO noise and wear orange undies) nad I think you are doing a TERRIFIC job.

Just popping in to :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: some more!
Mel you are doing an amazing job!!! so stoked for you. From memory I had pain at the beginning of feeds for the first couple of weeks... It all sounds like a perfectly normal BF bub & mummy!

You are doing so great! Amazing how fast things aer getting better and better, it sounds like the pain you are gettting is the same I got early on just that really excruciating pain for the first 30secs approx and then its fine, not sure what it is but if it is the same mine did go away, not sure how long it took...a few weeks?

GL with the MW this arvo and I hope you see a good LC. Even if it seems like things are settling in, I'd still go and see the LC, just to iron out those last things to ensure your bfing continues to go well.

And :p to your friend - your BABY is getting out exactly what she needs and the pump is away in a dark cupboard, bfing champion right here!