The past 48 hours Elliott has been feeding really badly.Im feeding him every 1.5-2 hours depending on when he is hungry. He has had perfect attachment and sucking (besides being sleepy and needing to be stirred) and now he attaches well has a few sucks slips off to the tip of the nipple and it is agony when he does this so i take him off reatach him and he keeps doing the same thing. Also sometimes he comes off does like a coughing noise and milk pours out of his mouth and will start crying could this be beause i have too much milk? i find he doesnt empty the breast either so im having to express and freeze because my breasts are so hard and sore. Im really trying so hard to sort this out on my own and i know hes a tiny new baby but i really want to keep going with this journey happily.
Thankyou so much for any advice
Hi hun
Congratulations on your gorgeous bub.
First of all, your bbs will be hard & sore for a bit, coz your milk has just come in. They will be over compensating to make sure there is enough to feed your bub.
Expressing for comfort is a good idea, but try not to express til completely empty. The more you empty the more they will make. Supply = demand. What is taken will be replaced.
When he comes off coughing, it's probably coz your milk is letting down. It'll be colostrum for a few sucks, then let down will happen & for a few seconds it'll be hard & fast, but then it'll settle again. You might even be able to feel it.
With your attatchment, keep persevering. It does take a while to get the hang of it. It'll be good, then bad, then good again. If you've attatched wrong just once & there was some damage done, it will hurt til it has healed. Usually a few days.
Just keep a close eye on it at every feed & you'll have the hang of it in no time Reattatch as many times as you need to.
ETA - 1.5 to 2 hours is perfectly normal at this age
Sounds like he is getting more than he can deal with atm. Try laying down or reclining to feed him and maybe even express the first bit off till you get a letdown and it slows a little bit.
Everything you've described sounds pretty normal to me, hun Getting the hang of BFing is definitely a learned art for both you and bub, most people I know have said it definitely didn't come naturally!
I agree, expressing for comfort is a good idea, your breasts are probably nice and engorged as your milk supply really hits its stride - it's nothing to worry about, little Elliott will soon work out proper attachment and how to cope with getting a big spray hitting his neck
ETA Trill posted at the same time as me lol - yes, lying down to feed, or feeding with you laying down and him across your chest is a GREAT way to help with a big letdown, Hayley and I were always lolling around on the couch or in bed instead of sitting up
I know it's sooo hard right now to persevere with BFing issues while you're healing from delivery, coping with the hormone fallout and the adjustment to being a mummy in general, but it really does sound like you're doing a fantastic job, sweetie! Just keep going with what you're doing, it sounds like he's getting plenty of yummy milk and that your boobs are working just fine. The engorgement issue will sort itself out, hopefully within a few days although it could take a couple of weeks before it settles (I was sooo engorged for sooo long with Squirtle lol, but she was one of those babies who'd just open her throat and LOVED getting a huge letdown, a lot of babies splutter and get upset), and it sounds like you're doing a great job trying to teach him how to attach properly.
Chin up babe, keep on truckin', BFing is rarely easy or natural to start off with, but it sounds to me like you have all the right tools and the right attitude to get you into the swing of things in no time! I promise it'll get easier and better Good luck!
I tried a lying down feed a couple days ago and he didnt think it was feeding time he thought it was sleeping time so instead he nuzzled into my chest and slept lol. I''ll keep trying with that though im sure we will get it. In terms of expressing at the moment im only doing it until there is no pain and the breast is softer again so im not emptying it. Also he is having plenty of wet nappies but sometimes he only feeds off one breast and doesnt even empty that one!
Lauren, you are doing really well hun. It is so hard in the beginning.
Most babies will only take one breast at that age, although it's still good to offer the second side. The engorgement you are feeling will ease, but I know how uncomfortable it is in the meantime. Your hormones are very high still and are producing to much milk. They will drop off over the next 5 - 8 weeks and you should start feeling more comfortable as that happens. Often mums think they have run out of milk when they stop feeling full, especially at around the 12 week mark, but this is not the case, it's just that you are now "normal" and not in the early phase of too much milk. As long as Elliot is showing the signs of enough milk - 5 heavily wet disposables in 24 hours or 6 - 8 pale wet cloth nappies, and up to about 8 - 12 weeks of age, 2 or more soft or runny poos in 24 hours, plus some weight gain over 3 - 4 weeks, then he is getting enough and your supply is fine.
Elliot might well be struggling with your fast flow. As the others have said, sometimes position can help, and so can expressing until you've had you've first letdown before attaching him. You might also find baby led attachment helps. Many mums find this helps a lot. One of the more popular ways to do this is to lean back comfortably in a chair and put Elliot on your chest when he's calm. He will find his way to one of your breasts and attach himself if you just gently support him as he moves. There is some great information and pictures here - Australian Breastfeeding Association - Baby-led attachment
Also, the ABA 24 hour toll free helpline - 1800 mum 2 mum (1800 686 2 686) is always there too, and the counsellors are very supportive and helpful.
Oh i was feeding him legs facing my legs so straight down I gave him two feeds lying length ways and whilst he still slipped off the nipple he didnt cough and splutter milk everywhere thanks so much. So it is ok to keep reattaching?
Lauren, I was just reading today that feeding in a reclined position - eg leaning back in a comfortable chair supported by cushions or pillows - can help with babies "falling off". Have you tried this at all?
Suzanne Colson has done some wonderful work on Biological Nurturing or "laid back breastfeeding" which is great for situations like this. Apologies mods if I am not allowed to provide this link but she has some lovely diagrams telling you how to do it
He has just stopped feeding well
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Reattatch as many times as you need to.
hun you are doing a great job.
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