I'm a very new mommy - one week tomorrow! I had a c-section so I had 5 days in the hospital which was great for all the advice and help from the nurses/lactation consultants. Once we got home the breastfeeding problems started. My milk came in the afternoon we got home but he was being finicky about the left right before then. My little guy wouldn't take on to my left breast. I kept trying and would eventually just feed from the right. I quickly purchased a pump and drained my left breast. He still wouldn't take it. So I started trying from the left then doing the right for 15-20 minutes and then feeding him about 1/2 a breast pump worth of bottle. Our pediatrician said to keep trying the left and this will quickly pass. He said by our appointment next week this will be a long lost problem. Now my little guy is being finicky about my right breast too! I can still get him to latch on but it's not how it used to be - takes a lot longer and he'll suck and then take himself off and get fussy. I'm getting so frustrated and I'm committed to not giving up. I'm scared that the bottle will hamper breastfeeding. I'm guessing the problem is around positioning and his latching on. The only thing is that we had a lot of success with this while at the hospital and the only thing that changed was my milk coming in. Any advice is great appreciated. I'm thinking of tracking down a lactation consultant to come over and help me out - I live in Brooklyn Heights - please let me know if anyone has any referrals. Thanks so much!
My co-workers rave about this lactation consultant, who lives in Brooklyn:
FREDA ROSENFELD
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Lactation consultants are great, I used them after each of my 2 kids (mostly on the phone, but sounds like you might need an in-person consultation so she can observe the baby).
Don't give up, it will work out!
I agree completely with Jessica's post. Definitely find a La Leche League meeting in your area as soon as possible. They will be able to help you out tremendously. They're so much more educated than doctors on this subject you will be amazed. If you need further help from there they can recommend a lactation consultant for you. I'm still breastfeeding my twin boys at 17 months and am enjoying it so much that I can't seem to stop! :) I couldn't have done it without La Leche and my lactation consultant!! Good luck!
Since your milk just came down you def have a lot of it. It's possible that b/c you have so much milk right now it's too much too fast for your little guy to handle. I would try hand expressing or pumping for 2-3 minutes or so (not a lot) before you nurse him. That way the flow will not be that initial super fast flow of milk, and may be easier for him to manage. Hope this helps, but calling a lactation consultant is always a good idea. Good luck.
Hi Christine,
I had issues after I got home from the hospital and 2 resources were invaluable: a lactation consultant and a breastfeeding support group. I went to the group at RealBirth in Manhattan (http://www.realbirth.com/), and the lactation consultant I worked with is Ayelet Kaznelson. She is lovely and so helpful!
Her website is: http://www.ayeletkaznelson.com/
good sites for breastfeeding info:
http://kellymom.com/
http://drjacknewman.com/
See if you can find a group near you, perhaps call Real Birth and ask around. Having a lactation consultant come to you can be expensive ($200ish) but it was the best money I spent - she had us sorted out in less than an hour and breastfeeding has been going well since. A breastfeeding or moms group is a good thing also as you can meet other people with newborns and gain info form their experiences.
Hang in there - the first 6-8 weeks are tough re: feeding but it does get easier. Good luck!
It's a long shot, but his preference for your right breast could also also have to do with the way he prefers to turn his head. One of my sons was diagnosed with torticollis--a tightness of the neck muscles that can cause the baby to not want to turn its head in whatever direction the tightness is (either right or left, depending on the case). It can create breastfeeding challenges but their are ways to work around it and physical therapy is the long term solution. He's very young, but see if you notice that he prefers to rest his head in one particular direction.
I also had a c-section when my son was born and had some latching difficulties, so I know what you are going though. I would suggest getting a lactation consultant to come to the house. My lactation consultant's name was Theresa O'Donnell (I think she lives in Howard Beach) and she was just great- so sympathetic and helpful. i can't find her phone number but I know she is affiliated with LIJ or North Shore Hospital so if you called up the hospital's labor & delivery section, they would probably be able to get her number for you.
I would also suggest not giving any bottles until you and your son are completely comfortable with breastfeeding. It takes a completely different sucking technique for bottles, which can be detrimental to his breastfeeding technique. It usually takes about 6-8 weeks, but the first 2 or 3 are the hardest. Believe me, once you get past those first few weeks, he will get it. Keep feeding him from both sides and pump off any extra and freeze it for later. You also have to remember that breastfeeding is tiring for newborns, and they take breaks often. He is not refusing your breast. And they can't swallow large amounts of milk and when you are very engorged, the milk comes out really fast. It may be too much coming out for him and so he is taking a break. When he pulls away, try burping him and calming him and then try again. Don't force him and just take it slowly.
Also I recommend buying The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. My OBGYN recommended it and it was a great help in those first few months!! As the other person recommended, when you have time to get online, kellymom and Dr Jack Newman are all good resources. Good luck, take it easy on yourself and make sure you get enough to drink and eat. Remember, you are recovering from major surgery!
I agree that it may just be that the milk is coming out too fast for the little guy. One breast can have a more powerful flow than the other. I saw a lactation consultant in brooklyn heights, and she recommended the football hold so that the milk wouldn't shoot down the baby's throat. Also, nursing by laying down on your side can help if the problem is too strong of a let-down (but that can be hard to achieve when the baby is so new because the baby doesn't have neck strength). The consultant I saw was named Stacy Brosnan. I thought she was good, but she got mixed reviews on this website (link pasted below), which also lists other consultants in Brooklyn. It's pricey to see a consultant but peace of mind is worth a lot during those very difficult first weeks.
http://www.achildgrowsinbrooklyn.com/a_child_grows_in_bro...
Don't give up! Your pediatrician is 100% right that this will get better. A month from now, this will be a distant memory. Have you seen the website kellymom.com? It's an amazing bf-ing resource. My son is now 4 months and excslusively breastfed, and I've turned to that site many times (and also had all kinds of little kinks to work out in the beginning--inverted nipples, bad latch, etc). A lactation consultant will certainly be able to help too (La Leche League should be able to help if you haven't already found one, Kellymom also has resources).
Best of luck to you, and congratulations on your new arrival!
hi Christine;
congrats on your new baby. what you must do is get yourself to a La Leche League Intl. meeting in your area as soon as possible.
Just google La Leche League Intl. and click on "resources" to find your local chapter. you should feel free to call the chapter leaders, they may be able to come to your house right away and counsel you on the phone.
you're at a crucial stage to make a success of breastfeeding and YOU CAN DO IT. but get the right kind of help. you could also call a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, but not a non certified one; the non certified are often self or hospital taught and are not as good.
La Leche may have some parenting and nutrition agendas that seem like more than you need to know right now or that are not for you; that's fine. take what helps and leave the rest. they are the most up to date people for this information and they really care.
good luck
J. successful nurser of 2
call the la leche league or check them out online- they will give you referral to lactation consultant in your area. i did it in manhattan. was helpful and the consultants are all excellent and experienced.
I didn't personally have trouble with one side or the other, but I did have trouble with getting my daughter latched on after my milk came in. I did a lactation consultant, and part of what helped me was if I was really full, prior to feeding trying to hand express or pump a little off. I only needed to do that for a few days, and then in the mornings. What REALLY helped me with positioning and helping to get a better latch was using the "My Brest Friend" nursing pillow. It's much firmer and just positions the baby so MUCH better than the boppy or any amt of other pillows I could gather. I highly recommend it because it really helped us get through the difficult period. A lactation consultant is never a bad idea, if for nothing else than to reassure you that you're doing a good job and it will get better! Hope this helps, and just know that it WILL get easier! Good luck!
