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Author Topic: How hard is it to switch back to breast?  (Read 5364 times)

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Offline LarasMama

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How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« on: January 23, 2012, 03:06:03 am »
Currently I'm pumping and giving DD EBM in a bottle. Today we have company and I have confined myself to the bedroom. DD was acting hungry and I was kind of caught without her bottle. I was cuddling her in my lap, her nose near my nipple and then she just popped on. She still had a shallow latch, but I was just so happy to have her back on my breast (as lately I've been feeling really down that she's not drinking from the tap) that I let her to continue to to suckle, as it wasn't terribly painful. I could cry, and almost did I was so happy.

I know she wasn't getting enough because of her shallow latch, so what would the best plan of action be to get her back to true breastfeeding and not cause DD too much distress with being hungry while we learn to latch properly? She will now take my nipple in her mouth at least, where as before she act as if I was poisoning her.  I'm going to give my local LLL leader an email to see if she can give me a hand as well.
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Offline becj86

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2012, 10:03:44 am »
Best thing I ever did to help DS with his shallow latch was baby-led attachment and address the cause of the shallow latch, which in his case was the flow of milk being somewhat like a fire hose, so I lay back to feed (something like this: http://biologicalnurturing.com/) and did block feeding. From what I've read, lying back can help a shallow latch just because they can't hold their head far enough back to make the latch too shallow (not sure what neck strength she has at 7weeks though).

I went backwards and forwards between feeding from the breast and bottle feeding EBM a few times.

Good luck, I'm really glad I was able to feed from the breast again rather than detouring the milk via a bottle, I hope you are successful.
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Offline Yazzie

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2012, 10:36:19 am »
So happy to see your post, don't have much advice though, we also had issues with BFing and latching for the first month of ds's life, but by time he seemed to catch on and learn! I do remember that the football position helped loads at the time as well.

Good luck :-*
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Offline amayzie

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2012, 10:41:33 am »
How lovely!! What a beautiful moment!! She looks like such a little sweetie too!
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Offline ~Emma~

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2012, 11:03:24 am »
i only have about 30 seconds here but wanted to second bec. Biological nursing is fab and got us through a real rough patch when DD was refusing. Def get in touch with the LLL and also a lactation consultant if you can.

 
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Offline ~ Vik ~

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2012, 12:48:33 pm »
I pumped and bottle fed for the first three months (though not due to a diagnosed shallow latch, I had cracked and bleeding nipples at first and then D just preferred the bottle :() and we got back to full breastfeeding. PM me if you want and I can try to help! xx
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Offline LarasMama

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2012, 15:00:53 pm »
Would you ladies say its okay to let DD comfort suck while we try to get a relationship established? I have yet to find a pacifier she likes, other than me. I tried to give her one this morning, and she refused. Tried to give her a bottle, and she refused it too. So I decided "What the heck" and popped her on. She was quite content suckling on me. Her latch didn't feel quite as shallow.

I tried to follow the biological nursing method of being laid back, and my breast smoothers her. This may be TMI, but I do feel it's part of our problem: my nipples and breasts are large. I had purchased the Ameda Purely Yours pump and used the flanges that came with it. I filled them, so I purchased the Large flanges. The 30.5mm fit my right breast perfectly, and I'm going to try the 28.5mm on my left as I seem to have a hard time getting milk out of that one. DD is pretty dainty--or so I am told.

Vikki, your post gives me hope :) I will PM you later for more help. We have a busy day today visiting.

Thanks everyone for the encouragement! I'm praying that things will work out because this is more important to me than I had initially realized.
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Offline becj86

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2012, 19:31:13 pm »
Yes, I'd let her comfort suck a bit while you get established (providing you're not sustaining damage to the nipples) but try to have an idea of when you'd stop that. Not sure what you've tried but sometimes the old-fashioned blobby pacifiers work better than the orthodontic ones(and may help getting her to learn to open up really wide).

I had a similar issue, small baby, big boobs but flat nipples - as he got better neck strength it was easier to do it that way. In the meantime, can you lie her on your arm down the side she's feeding off and use the other hand to make an indentation on the breast under her nose so she can breathe? That's what I had to do for a bit...

Hearing you on BF being more important to you than you realised! 
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Offline LarasMama

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2012, 22:17:34 pm »
Becj86, that's what I'm doing now. I have a nice breastfeeding pillow that holds DD at the perfect height for a latch. So I'm actually semi-hands free. I just keep DD pressed close to me (her shoulders, not her head/neck) as she's a bit of a bobber. I'm not sure what that is about. When I do express with a pump, my letdown is pretty strong, so maybe she's getting a bit much in the back of her throat?? IDK.

Ok, ladies. Will you be able to answer this question for me? As soon as DD lets go, my nipple looks a little bit like an orthodontic pacifier--the same shape, my nipple is still pink, and not white. It doesn't hurt, it's not more uncomfortable than my pump. I kind of figured because my nipple ends up shaped like a pacifier meant to promote a healthy mouth, that this is fine. Is this ok?
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Offline amayzie

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2012, 00:53:35 am »
hmm- I THINK that's ok- as long as there's no pain... (or not too much...) i think if it's flat then that's a problem... but an orthodontic sort of shape would be fine i'd say.
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Offline becj86

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2012, 01:02:51 am »
Do you mean used lipstick shape? If so, the latch is still shallow but will probably improve further as LO grows.
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Offline Erin M

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2012, 01:07:50 am »
I think I know what you mean and if so I get it all the time with a good latch.  The lipstick shape is not as good as becj mentioned.
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Offline LarasMama

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2012, 07:46:24 am »
Lipstick shape, that's a good way to put it. Yes, that's pretty much what it looks like. So with time that will improve? If so, thank you so much. That makes me feel so much better.

I had a bit of a moment this evening as I called our Public health centre for breastfeeding clinic, and the nurse I spoke with wasn't very hopeful that I'd be seen as DD is 7 weeks old and we "seem to be doing ok". I almost cried on the phone with her, as I don't feel were doing ok, we're doing less than mediocre IMHO, and did cry when I got off the phone. It was not the information, or encouragement I wanted. I've gotten back in touch with the LLL leader I was e-mailing before, and I think I may just have her come for a home visit. I really wanted to avoid that as my place is very...1960's (that HORRIBLE wood paneling they loved putting up on walls in basements--yuck), and I'm self-concious in general with what people will think. Our landlord is a bit of a slumlord and takes all of our rent and pays his entire houses' mortgage with it, but doesn't put anything back into this home, even if it were to benefit him. Cannot wait for the next few months to be over so DH and I can concentrate on saving money for a decent downpayment for our own home. Neither here, nor there.

Thanks ladies, for all your help.

Also, DD needs to suckle almost ALL the time now. I couldn't do anything this evening without DD getting upset. She'd fall asleep suckling, and no sooner did I cover my breast back up, she fussed. I caved in as this is something I want SO badly, however I was getting exhausted and eventually popped a pacifier, and just kept putting it back when she spat it out. She eventually took it, but I know it was begrudgingly. I know she wanted my breast, of that I have no doubt. She was flat-out refusing the bottle all evening. It's encouragement, but boy is it exhausting.
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Offline ~Emma~

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2012, 09:07:08 am »
Sorry hon, just running out the door yet again.  ::) My LC told me that when your nipple was lipstick shaped it was a sign of a really insufficient latch. You need to try and get her mouth WIDE befire quickly popping in your nipple. Easy said.... :(

 BUT DD had an insufficient latch for 9 months! I could never really fix it and she thrived. My nipples were sore to start with but they toughened up! I seem the LC many times and a LLL lady and they could get her to latch correctly but whenever I was by myself I could never do it. She gained fine and was happy and healthy. Just letting you know my experience.

 (((((hugs))))))
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Offline becj86

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Re: How hard is it to switch back to breast?
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2012, 10:09:15 am »
Yeah, the lipstick shape is not good, but if your nipple isn't white any more, that's an improvement on before. Lying back and baby-led attachment should help too but really its pretty difficult to do that when LO's head is half the size of your boob! It does get better and mostly just with LO growing in my experience.
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