How to breast feed exclusively

I had my baby girl on Monday. Her cord was wrapped around her neck twice she was bagged and suctioned.

She would not eat from me or a bottle. She couldn't coordinate her suck and swallow. LC thought she might have a soar throat. I was finally set up with a pump and at about 36 hours old we got her to eat from a syring.

She is now eating just fine from a bottle but not so good from my breast. I use a nipple shield or she can't latch properly.

I would like to get her to take just the breast but I feel she doesn't get instant gratification and has to work harder she just gets angry and screams so she gets the bottle which is easy to suck on and get milk.

Any advice?

[msteri]

I hope you get more responses but you should try offering her the breast before she's very hungry. She won't fuss as much if she's not already starving. Watch for her hunger cues and offer the breast before she cries. If you're still at the hospital ask to see a lactation consultant. They are great with finding solutions for latching issues. Good luck!

[AnnieBrooke]

See a lactation consultant or someone from La Leche League.

[tiredbuthappy]

Congrats on your baby girl! I can't even imagine how scary that must have been for you :(

Obviously, the best thing you could do right now is see a lactation consultant or someone from LLL, as the other suggested. The ones in the hospital can be helpful, but they have such a huge caseload, they often can't spend the time that you would really need there. Call the hospital now thta you are home and ask if they have any lactation services, support groups, etc... If you get WIC, you can contact them. If not, you can ask your ped or OB to refer one. LLL is free, and even if there isn't a group in your specific town, it is very possible that there is a member near you who can help.

In the mean time (it is a holiday weekend after all, and chances are you may not find help immediately), keep trying to put her to the breast. Like msteri said, watch for very subtle signs of hunger or anticipate when she may be getting hungry and try then, instead of waiting for her to cry. If she is less ravenous, she may be more patient. I also found we had easier nursing sessions when she was drowsy, or even in her sleep. Even if she isn't sucking strongly while asleep, it will help to boost your supply and get her used to it.

You can also start the sessions out with the nipple shield and then remove it after a little while. Once she has started sucking and the nipple is drawn out, it is easier for her to latch on without the shield.

You could also try pumping a little before putting her on to get the milk flowing, and again to draw the nipple out better. You can also just pinch and pull your nipple out gently before latching to make it a bit easier for her. I had to do this with my dd.

Try different positions. In order to get a good latch, you have to have a firm hold on the baby's head. She needs to be tightly tucked against your body. Until you get the hang of things, you may want to use the football hold. With your hand firmly holding her head, bring her mouth up and over the nipple and then shove it into her mouth. I am pretty sure you can actually find how-to videos online that will demonstrate. But I know my LC said that if the baby's body is not in the proper position, it's hard to latch. Make sure her belly and her head are both facing you. Once you both learn to nurse, then you can try more relaxed positions.

Good luck and keep us updated.

[Brittny27]

The LC's at the hospital sucked! I was so disapointed in them. I hadn't nursed her in almost 36 hours before the second LC saw me offered a pump and said I should have gotten it at no later than 6 hours after birth.

I have been offering breast before a bottle. She calm and just rooting when I do offer but then she trys to nurse and gets really upset.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

You need to contact the local chapter of the La Leche League in your area.  They can REALLY help you.  For the time being STOP using the nipple shield.  Many women find it only causes more problems.  Offer her the breast more often and don't give up and give her a bottle too easily. She needs to learn that she will have to work for it.  Take your time...but definaetly call the LLL.

[Super_sally888]

Agree with all the above.  Your baby is very young and can learn just to take the breast.  YOu do have to persist and don't offer her the bottle readily.  THey are smart.

I had this with my daughter.  She had to have a bottle when I was at work. Then she started refusing my breast at home.  i wouldn't  have a bar of it.  I decided if I'm home it's mummy or nothing.  We had a few screaming sessions (her) - and then she got the message very quickly and now she's 19 months old and will take breast or bottle.... though she prefers breast.

The other think is make sure you have a bottle with the smallest teat hole possible and slow flow, so she can't get the milk so easily or quickly.

Hope this helps.

[chinesebones]

Good advice above, I'd just like to second what tiredbuthappy said about pumping first- when my dd was tiny I had a slow letdown, and she would get very frustrated waiting.  I found if I could pump just until letdown began she was much happier to nurse because of the instant gratification.
My friend's dd would not nurse for the first three weeks, but finally my friend just insisted- after some crying and fussing dd gave in- and nursed exclusively after that.
As far as latching issues, check out Dr Jack Newman's site.  It helped me a lot.  
Best wishes!

[aamyjackson84]

Breastfeeding—a natural art? What could possibly be easier than breastfeeding your baby? After all, women have been doing it since the dawn of time.

As a mother of seven breastfed children, including twins and a baby with special needs, I can honestly say that I have found breastfeeding to be sublimely natural, but only after struggling with virtually every conceivable problem along the way.

[Diane1003]

I have a friend who watched me nurse my daughter (2nd child to nurse) and she sighed and said I make it look so easy.  She had trouble nursing her son and gave up after about 3 mos.  It definately takes practice.  Good luck to you.

[squirtatious]

My daughter's baby had to go straight to the nicu when he was born couldn't eat for 24 hours. My daughter pumped and stored it in syringes in the fridge in the nicu. When aiden was finally able to be able to begin sucking, my daughter could only stick her finger in his mouth, have him suck on that while a tiny tub attatched to her syringe of colostrum was inserted btwn my daughters finger and his cheek. Then the colostrum was slowly pushed into his mouth. Since he wasn't allowed to breastfeed at first, he had a harder time trying to latch on so my daughter was advised to use a nipple shield. He could latch onto that ok. Bad thing was, that the whole time he was in the nicu, my daughter was never shown how to breastfeed WITHOUT the nipple shield. Aiden was born aug 6th and is alittle over one month old. My daughter still uses the shield. She was advised by several lc's to nurse w/o the shield when aiden is calm and not fussy. And to midway through the feeding, quickly swap out the nipple shield with just ur breast. It takes more work for a baby to draw in your nipple than for him/her to draw in the nipple shield. My daughter doesn't practice as often as she could to help her son latch onto just the breast nipple. She doesn't like having to clean the nipple shield and is always loosing it and becomes frantic when she can't find it. Nursing out in public is harder for her due to having to use the nipple shield. Oh, and she can't lay down to nurse at night cuz she says the shield fallos off easy. As her mom, I'll be glad when she's off that damn thing lol. Its become a curse at our home in a way lol. But I AM glad she's breastfeeding, no matter how its done!!

[squirtatious]

When feeding your babe a bottle, make sure she's sitting up and hold the bottle at an angle where she has to work to get a flow going and the milk out. Our LC told us this in a breastfeeding class. My daughter doesn't use bottles but I wanted to share with u. Her LC also advised her to rub some of her breastmilk around her nippes when trying to breastfeed without the shield. Hope this helps. Also, one more thing, when trying to breastfeed without the shield, remain calm no matter how fussy ur baby may become. Make sure u are relaxed and in a comfortable position. Greatest blessings to u!a *hugs*