How hard is it to switch back to breast?

[Erin M]

I'm sorry the lady on the phone was not more help.  Don't worry about your house, I'm sure she's seen much worse!

Check this link, there is some good latching info there if you need it.  Itjust takes lots of practice...and some growth too.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=70305.0

[ENMS]

I had my nipple in lipstick shape after a feeding before DS' tongue tie was clipped - could she be tongue tied?

I'm in a similar situation, he was bottle fed for a while before of the TT and now again because of his reflux he won't BF during the day, only takes a bottle (but will BF at night). It's not easy, I totally understand your feelings. 
 
Good luck! 

[LarasMama]

Elise, I wondered the same but I'm not sure. Wouldn't they have noticed it in the hospital, or could that have been missed? DD has her 2 month appointment on the 6th of February, so I'll ask then...or if I get into the breastfeeding clinic before then (I actually received a phone call late yesterday afternoon, I'm very relieved) I'll ask there as well.

[ENMS]

For us they saw it in the hospital but the LC I saw told me that often they are missed since sometimes it can be big enough to affect BF but not enough to be really an issue from a medical perspective.

Does she make a clicking sound when BF? DS did that before his TT was clipped.

I think at the BF clinic they can definitely tell if that's an issue.

Good luck!!

[LarasMama]

She does make a clicking noise on breast AND bottle. Whats the probability of it being TT? Now I wonder if it's too late to fix it?

[~Emma~]

Its not too late to fix a TT hon, a lovely BWer on here had her DDs clipped at something like 5 months! Want me to get her to come 'talk' to you? She BF her DD. 

 How does her tongue look? TT usually makes the tongue look heart shaped and LOs with a TT generally cant stick their tongue out.

[shivi]

That would be me and TT'd DD.

I was "lucky" to have OS and OAL as well as (TMI) very small breasts even when pg and bfeeding and also small and "easy" as in very flexible, stretchable nipples. Also, the fact that she was my 2nd baby made it "easier" both psychologically and hormonally for us as a bfeeding "dyad".

We didn't know about the TT (shame on me as a speech and lg therapist). I knew there was something "up" as DS had been the perfect bfeeder, lost only 90g and was up 200g on birthweight by day 5, never a sore nipple, never an issue with latch, clicking, choking and STTN at 14 weeks.....

DD was a different story. I thought she was just more "touchy" than him. Turns out she isn't touchy at all but was an angelic spirited trying to deal with a tongue tie, OAL and OS!!! She reached birthweight at only 2 weeks 5 days but here, if you give birth privately, they don't do weight checks after discharge until 6 weeks if baby is otherwise healthy. I had my own baby scales and was worried but "informed" so we went with it and she got better and better at getting a good feed and dealing with the OAL - through block feeding, pumping a little at beginning of feed, feding against gravity etc etc.

She was a very long baby - 58cm at birth - and was down to 3.2 kg at her lowest (born 3.7) but the docs were happy with her by 6 weeks as she was on 97th for length and "still" or rather back to 50th for weight....no matter what my complaints about unsatisfactory feeding times, breastmilk all over me and her and not in her belly etc etc they didn't seem to care. I finally clicked about the TT around 12 weeks (!?!) but at this stage she was doing "so" well (75th for weight and still 97th for length) the reg paed didn't even want to send me further. We got a referral for ENT surgeon and they clipped it once we got there at 8 days short of 5 mths. Honestly, it didn't improve our "Feeding relationship" as we still had bobbing on and off, major distraction and full feeds only if and when in the dark,....but her weight finally met up with her length in the month after clipping and stayed that way for the rest of bfeeding and beyond.

I am glad we clipped but sad we couldn't do it earlier....Emma's clip is only a partial one unfortunately due to the "age" she was when it was done - there is a significant amount of scar tissue there that reformed probably soon enough after the procedure. If done earlier, it may have been better. For now, speechwise, she can make every sound in her two languages except the Polish rolled /r/ but this typically comes a bit later than 3 yrs anyway so I am not blaming the partial tongue tie though it is still quite obvious (she can't tip her upper lip or lick it).

Hope you can find out soon enough in terms of the tongue tie - check when your DD is latching whether or not the tongue passes her gumline, this is a good indicator.

S x

[ENMS]

I agree it's not too late.  FYI we had it clipped at a dentist which uses a laser to clip it instead of scissors. It's just another option, in our case, it was too large to cut it with scissors since he was so small.  Not all dentists do it as such a yound age but some do.

Good luck 

[shivi]

A great option, and one I would have gone for had I been more knowledgable on the subject, is a pead who is also an IBCLC  - they are really the most qualified and experienced in the area of TT affecting bfeeding (can assess a feed beforehand as well) and are also qualified to do the snip there and then. There are two of them in my city but I didn't know anything about them at the time :-(

[~Emma~]

Thanks for coming along Shivi! 

[LarasMama]

DD is able to stick her tongue out, so maybe she is not tongue tied.

Thank you guys, so much for the support. I, myself, also need to remind myself "If it were so easy, everyone would be doing it." It is tough, especially how I'm still on my hang-up of "what if she isn't getting enough". I berated myself all the way home from the hospital after her blood tests came in. The nurse I spoke with yesterday said something that really stuck with me "trust her", and if I didn't take away anything else (she gave me some advice with positioning, as well) she had said, that was the most important.

While I wait for our clinic, what would you guys say of my plan of action: I give her the breast every time she's hungry, and then supplement with a bottle if she'll take it? Lately she's been refusing.

How can I tell the difference between comfort suckling, and eating? I have a hard time hearing swallowing, even when she's on the bottle. Is there a visible way to tell?

[Claudiamummy]

Hi there,

Just jumping in to offer ((hugs)) and also to say I think what you are doing is amazing.....

I don't know if it will help at all, but when dd and I had a bumpy patch, the UK breastfeeding helpline also recomended biological nursing, but they said to try it in the bath with her.....we actually never did, but I can see the skin to skin and womb-like thinking behind it.

Also, please do not feel self conscious about your house, those proffetionals are there to help YOU.... Be proud of what a great mummy you are
Xxx

[shivi]

suckling for comfort is very light, feather like.

Sucking for nutrition starts off very frequent, like suck-suck-suck-suck-breathe a few times and then should go into a rhythmic pattern - suck, suck -breathe or suck, breathe, suck, breathe when the letdown happens. At the end of a feed the featherlike sucking can happen again until baby unlatches herself (or doesn't, my DS never did).

HTH and hugs,

S x

[amayzie]

You shoud hear the little 'puff' of out breath after the swallow- we all do it.. try to listen when you swallow, or when your older children are having a drink- you should hear it, or see it.. it's probably a more definite 'puff' than when she is just sucking for comfort or breathing normally! That's easier to hear than the swallow. Also you may see her jaw moving now just more slowly but in sort of wider, more definite movements (does that make sense)- this is as she uses her mouth to suck in a mouthful of milk before swallowing.

Can i just say that i am totally in awe of you! It is so worth while to keep up with the BF- but can be difficult!!

[LarasMama]

Thanks guys, again! ((((((Hugs to all))))) I'm so happy to find such a supportive community

I do hear a puff of breath after the swallow, and I know what you are speaking of Katy. So she is swallowing. Good to know. The poor dear gets frustrated at my milk's flow, so I'm thinking I may limit the bottle a bit. I'm terrified of her loosing weight and the doctor to be annoyed at me, but I think it may just be for the best until she can eat lot more efficiently at the breast.

For my own temperament, I have to find DD's frustration funny so that I don't get frustrated myself. The poor dear stuffs her fists into her mouth and shakes her head back and forth. THE most frustrating part, though, is she has to have her hands near her face, and trying to battle her arms out of the way just so she can latch on is a bit annoying, but I take my time and be patient. I have tried pinning one arm between her and I and she gets even more frustrated she can't move the arm, so it's just easier to relax and wait for the most opportune time to get to latch. It does come, and I'm getting pretty good at latching her on with one of my arms so I can hold the other out of the way. It does making latching a bit difficult for herself as I can't hold my breast the way they show you in the hospital, so I'm hoping this is something that can be addressed at the clinic. I think I may even try to swaddle her, even if she does get grumpy about being swaddle until then.

Thanks again, ladies.