Attachment seems to be getting worse, not better

Ok so DD & I have had our issues getting breastfeeding established but we've been going really well. Stopped using nipples shields about 3-4 weeks ago and no longer needing top-ups after feeds either which is great - better for my supply & much less hassle.

However, since ditching the nipple shields I have been getting progressively sorer, and sorer and sorer. And now its getting to excruciating again. Gritting my teeth through the start of feeds in particular....usually by the end of a feed its been getting better which is giving me some hope.

I just seem to be struggling to get DD to open her mouth wide enough and catch her at the right moment to get enough boob in. After most feeds my nipples look ok shape-wise, but I know we're still not getting it right becuase the pain is really starting to wear again. It almost feels like she's clamping down a bit with her gums too and really clamps down when I take her off....once she really starts comfort sucking too much I'm trying to take her off to reduce the soreness. She likes her boobies which I love, but I am not enjoying the pain right now.

I've tried using the shields again but she really dislikes them. I'm unsure whether using Lansinoh between feeds makes any difference and I'm applying some milk after each feed to help JIC it makes a difference. I guess I'm just after some reassurance and any ideas? I know that it will probably just be patience & persistance and tolerating the pain for a bit longer until things get better, but its really wearing me down now.

Everything else is pretty normal...she's demanding about every 2 hrs during the day and sleeps for a long stretch at night, normally after cluster feeding between about 6pm-10pm. So the long sleep is great, gives the nipples a short break. Plenty of wet nappies and a poo every couple of days. I've considered whether she's starting to teeth and I know its not out of the question, but she's only about 12 weeks old corrected so I think it might be a wee bit early for that.

Ok, thanks for letting me get it out. Any suggestions would be great.

How are you doing now, hun? One thing I can tell you is that things will change, she will get bigger and often attachment improves as baby grows.

It might be worth paying close attention and reattaching her until it is perfect, for your sake. Try to catch her feeding cues early too, often when a baby is really hungry it's harder to get her off to reattach and she'd be more worked up and frantic. DTMS?

:hug: oh hun, you are doing an amazing job, you have perservered through so much.

I can only say that with DD1 it took until she was almost 4 months corrected or over 5 1/2 months before she learnt to feed without causing me pain. Everything looked right, attachment, nipple shape etc, but for some reason she just was a painful feeder, then it finally clicked and it stopped hurting. I didn't do anything different and neither did she, at that stage she was around the 5kg mark weight wise.

I wish I had some more adivce to give you, but in the end I just had to grin and bare it until she got it right and TBH I thought that everyone was pulling my leg that BF'ing was supposed to be pain free...

Big hugs xxoo

Thanks for the support Jen & Beema. Jen, I do understand what you're saying. I try to feed her before she gets too worked up, and I do think it makes a difference. The constant put her on, take her off, try again routine is very painful and both of us get so frustrated, but I think we'll get there. Slowly.

Beema, I'm the same.....I'm still skeptical about this whole 'pain-free breastfeeding' utopia that others talk of LOL! I think out of all our feeds from the start, I can count on two hands the comfortable ones......so I'll probably throw a party when we finally get the hang of things and it gets comfy again. I have seriously considered that I'm just destined for b/f to be uncomfortable but here's hoping that it will get better.

DD is almost nudging 4kg so I think we've got a bit of a wait yet before she really grows into her little mouth, but today's feeds have been better than yesterday so I'm hopeful that we're onto a good thing. I'm not planning on stopping so just have to pull my socks up, grit my teeth a bit more and be patient.

Thanks again xo

Wow, she's 4kg!
We're having same issues - just gotta keep working at it I suppose :dunno: Hope you're feeding comfortably soon.

You're doing great Infinity, :crossfingers: it keeps getting better for you every day. I'm still amazed at how far you have come, so be proud!
:hug:

Hun, it's so easy to get discouraged. I remember that feeling of thinking that it would never improve - and then suddenly one day there was no pain.

I know with all your medical visits someone has probably checked already for tongue-tie or high palate but it might be worth getting an experienced LC to have a look if you haven't already. There are two types of tongue-tie that are very hard to recognise and only medical professionals that specialise in that area usually find them. Also, many mums find that feeding in a reclined position - either using baby lead attachment or mother-led attachment - helps a lot. There are some video clips on the ABA website if you are interested - you can look through the list here: http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/links.html. Another trick is to make sure Miss H is tucked in nice and close to you. If she is in a horizontal position you can pull her legs in close to help her position.

You are doing such an awesome job there, I really hope the pain free feeding isn't too far off for you :hug:

How are things going this week Infinity, and changes or developments on the feeding front?

It will get better, I had lost hope until I did at feed at 6am one morning and she finished and I thought.. wait a minute, it didn't hurt! Pity it took 5 1/2 months to get to that point, but after that it was so different and it took another month before I got rid of the top ups and my supply was working with her ~ for a while at least....

:hug: Hopefully the new year will bring big developments for Miss Heidi :)

Sorry for the delay in replying, thanks for checking in Beema. We've been so busy and DS & DD just have me tag-teaming between them so not much time to hop on BB & post.

But, positive news is that things are improving. Feeds are getting less painful which is great. Still not 100% pain-free but we're getting there. She does a lot better on the left breast, the right hand side has been persistently painful & sore regardless of what I try. Its also my slow breast (always got a lot less milk when expressing) so I wonder if there is a correlation there? So we'll just keep on hanging in there.

MR I've been assured that she would've been checked out for tongue tie by the paeds in hossy but I will be sure to check again - she has her 4 month corrected medical & physio check coming up in Feb so I will ask. And I know we have some high palate issues too but time will help that mostly and I truly think we're through the worst of it though.

On a side note, she's gaining weight nicely....up to 4.2kg at her recent follow-up with her surgeon and they're all very pleased. She's following her own trend (albeit on the 3%ile bless her!) and I think they're finally accepting that she's always going to small for her corrected age.

Thanks again for all the support.

Wow, she's such a big girl now!
Glad it's getting a bit better. Are you right handed? I remember having extra trouble on the right wtih DS at first, which maybe was due to less dexterity with my left arm. Just a thought.

MadB I am right handed and I've often wondered if its just because I'm a bit cacky-handed on that side. I've also wondered if Heidi might need some adjusting from an osteo or similar but haven't got there yet.

It might be worth trying a different nipple cream in between feeds as well.
The Lasinoh did not work for me at all, and if anythng it felt like it made it worse :(

I tried a few different ones - there was one I got in my local coles (yellow tube, in the section with all of the nappy creams etc) - it has calendula in it & it was a million times better for me.

So glad to hear things are improving :)
Carmelo was using shields in the beginning for the same issues... and then it just one day all came together - it will happen and the pain free feeding will be a reality... I'm living proof :lol:

xxx

The pain when you start feeding, is it like a really sharp stabbing take-your-breath-away pain? I have that, and a LC said it's nipple vasospasm. My nipples also are discoloured (white / purple / pink / red at different times) which is another symptom. She said to count 15 sucks of the baby, and if it's still there to re-attach as the attachment is wrong. So might be worth checking out, it really made a difference to me when she told me this, and now there's no pain ;)

Holly, thank you. We ditched the shields a while ago and we're going ok now, just waiting for the residual pain to subside. Do you happen to remember what the cream was called? I don't think Lansinoh is doing the trick for me either so I'm keen to try something else.

Kazbah, yep I have vasospasm so that complicates things too but largely I'm just putting on my big girl pants and waiting patiently for things to improve. The warmer weather helps. I did try the drug Nifedipine for it but had a bad allergic reaction to it so couldn't continue. The pain is at its worst at the start of feeds too and gets better by the end which is positive.

The nipple cream that seems to work for me is in a yellow tube, AVADO organics. The writing is a burgundy colour, and I found it next to the sudocrem in the baby aisle.

I'm another with vasospasm, tried the antibiotics too but the side effects were just as bad for me... Especially the light headedness, I couldn't drive and wasn't comfortable carrying Melo.
Something that was wonderful with that was some wheatbags you can heat up, made for inside your bra... I bought them from a WAHM. Not quite small enough to wear out (a little bulky, lol) but I wore them around the house and they help tremendously (especially just before and after a feed... Just had a mess occassionally before feeds when my let down happened before he attached, lol)

I can PM you her details if you like :)