# What was your biggest breastfeeding challenge?



## Melanie Mayo (Apr 1, 2010)

Help us compile a helpful resource for moms by telling us about your *biggest breastfeeding challenge and how you overcame it* (or didn't). Please share helpful tips, resources etc and we'll share them with the community in an article (we won't share your name in the article).

Can't wait to hear your experiences! Thanks.


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## Kamiro (Sep 3, 2011)

Mine was being 'OK' with using the nipple shield. There is such stigma attached to it as if its some 'fake crutch' or you'll lose your milk... but it has been the only thing that finally gave me a successful breastfeeding relationship. At 4 months baby finally latched on with out it. 10 months old and still nursing. I never made it longer than 2 weeks before.


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## LLQ1011 (Mar 28, 2012)

Getting him to latch and nurse long. He would latch take 10 sucks then pull off. I would count and if I got to 15 I knew we were home free. But man that could take a long time.


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## Swallow16 (Feb 13, 2013)

My inverted/flat nipples. Baby was never able to latch, not even with nipple shields and lots of help from a LC. I couldn't establish my supply through exclusive pumping, so we wound up formula feeding.

I still feel sad about it because I was very motivated to BF and I couldn't make it happen. I'm worried that the same thing will happen with subsequent babies and that I'll turn out to be one of those rare women who'll never be able to breastfeed.


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## thezoolife (Nov 8, 2012)

The pain when the baby is latched on and pulls away. She does this several times a feed. When I started BF and my nipples were very sore the pain was enough to make me gasp. Now it still hurts when she does it but my nipples aren't as raw so I can handle it better.


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## skycheattraffic (Apr 16, 2012)

The nursing aversion. DD just would not nurse. I think the nurses and I at the hospital were pushing it too much and she would just scream when touching my skin







. I started EPing, gave her bottles and after weeks of struggling with a now dipping supply, I saw an LC. At 10 weeks we were able to charm DD back to the breast! Kellymom has a great section on nursing strikes and using paced bottle feeding to give DD an experience closer to nursing and nipple shields to simulate the bottle nipple, we got her to latch! I'd give her a bottle then casually offer the breast an hour later. This way she wasn't starving and was relaxed and ready to try. Id also not let her get upset at the breast. If she started fussing, the session was over and id offer tiny bit of milkfrom a bottle. For weeks she needed the shield but at one point it fell off and she just kept going. She was about 12 or 14 weeks old by the time she was EBF but she's still nursing now at 23 months despite my pregnancy.
My biggest tip is to use any tools or resources you can find if you're struggling. I did it all: pump, nipple shield, LC consultation, bottles, finger feeding, formula supplementation, even domperidone for supply. It was a ton of hard work and I had a healthy term baby and no obvious physical problems. Nursing is a skill and although instincts can guide you and baby, there is no substitute for hands on help from an experienced woman who has been there.
I'm a different mom now and feel confident that my second child will have an easier start nursing. I have experience to draw on and know just how easy and how difficult breastfeeding can be. With my first I was in a vacuum. The women in my family all formula fed and had no pointers for me. I think a big part of many women's struggles with nursing is the lack of experienced role models in the family/community.


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## liberal_chick (May 22, 2005)

Cracked nipples. Oh, the pain! It happened with ds2 and ds3 and with ds2 I called the crack on my right side the Grand Canyon b/c it was the entire length of my nipple and DEEP. With ds3 it looked more like a hole. *shivers in rememberance* Anyway, I aired them as much as I could, used lots of lanolin, and just gritted my teeth through the pain (literally). Really, that's all you can do. Once you fix the problem that caused the crack (in my instance it was one long nursing session right after birth where I let them latch on improperly b/c I was exausted), it starts healing. I think it took about a week and a half for the toe curling pain at latch on to subside.


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## susanmary (Nov 28, 2012)

Goodness... Reading the above makes me feel very lucky... For me it is the fact that I feel very "different" because I'm nursing past 1 year. I'm in Ireland and Breastfeeding past 6 months seems to be rare.


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## pohaha (Nov 14, 2007)

My biggest challenge was getting thrush on my nipples that quickly developed into eczema when my nursing toddler was 2 years old. My healthcare practitioners would just tell me to stop nursing....after all my kid was 2 already. However, my kid was not ready to wean. And while not nursing would mean I wouldn't be in pain, the eczema would still be there. The skin on my nipples would get puffy, red, cracked, and slough off...especially after eating a bowl of pasta. This led me to a gluten free diet for about a year, which helped with the worst but it never really got better. It was horrible.

I finally found a dermatologist at a new healthcare system when I switched my insurance to have a birth center within the university hospital for my 2nd baby. He quickly determined that in fact I did start out with thrush, and the thrush medication just did not work so I developed eczema within a week and it just got worse from there. The dermatologist prescribed me something like a triple nipple cream: out of the shower first apply the cortisone cream, then antibiotic ointment (but it turns out I'm allergic to that now, as well as lanolin), then an emollient like Vaseline. We also discovered mold in our laundry room around this time and had it remediated. A few weeks after the mold in our home was gone, and I had been applying the cortisone cream and Vaseline twice per day (on very clean skin out of the shower) at least an hour before nursing, I was able to eat gluten again with no problems and the eczema has not returned. Yay!

I quickly discovered after the birth of my second that I absolutely cannot use lanolin. I developed a rash right away. So I used olive oil instead.

Oh, and a minor problem I had when starting out nursing my first is that he just did not want to latch on. He would arch his head the other way and get all fussy, like he just didn't want anything to do with me. But I was way too tired to even consider pumping and bottles. So I would let him suck on my pinky then carefully bait and switch with my nipple. Totally worked.


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## rielly (Dec 20, 2010)

Posterior tongue tie. Was very hard to catch- most pediatricians can't figure it out. Saw three LC's- the third figured it out. My DD's latch was incredibly painful until I got her TT released. My nipples looked like the tips of lipsticks. Ouch! Dr. Dahl in NYC did the first release, but didn't cut enough. Dr. Kotlow, a ped dentist from Albany, NY, who is a saint in my opinion and works closely with LC's doing research, repeated the TT release using a laser at 11 weeks and we never looked back. Still breastfeeding at 25 months. Thank you Dr. Kotlow!


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## womenswisdom (Jan 5, 2008)

Yes! Tongue ties, especially hard-to-find posterior tongue ties, are the culprit in sooo many issues. My son had an undiagnosed one that caused tons of nipple damage and pain and I have had lots of clients with babies who needed revision. Unfortunately, most peds don't know enough about the subject to identify them and/or don't think they are a problem. I have also met mamas who have had problems because a tongue tie was released insufficiently and needed to be re-revised. PLEASE consider doing an article on tongue tie - it would be a huge help to so many women. In fact, I'd be willing to write it if you need someone! Dr. Kotlow would be a great resource as well as Jennifer Tow, IBCLC.


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## Vaske (Jan 29, 2009)

For us it wasn't one big challenge, but about a dozen smaller obstacles all at once. The first week was very rough, then our midwife got us some excellent advice from an awesome LC, and this put us on the right track within two days.


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## wildmansmom (Feb 9, 2012)

We had a difficult beginning, with flat nipples, oversupply, forceful let down, mastitis, thrush and cow's milk intolerance all cropping up in the first four weeks. By 8 weeks we had dealt with all of it with the help of a wonderful pediatrician and lots of support. Transitioning back to work and pumping full time was surprisingly not difficult. And we settled into a very comfortable breastfeeding relationship for the rest of the year.

Perhaps a bigger issue arose in the second year when my husband, who was never truly comfortable with breastfeeding, really started to withdraw his support and push for weaning. I had to rely a lot on the support of friends and family most significantly my mother in law and we made it to 2 years. Of course it changed the relationship between myself and my husband but the experience help to increase our communication skills and trust each other.


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## bohemianmama21 (Jan 13, 2013)

Had multiple issues. Milk came in too fast and became engorged (ow). Took two weeks to be able to get my supply sort of going with pumping and trying to nurse. Pain from cracked and bleeding nipples (allergic to lanolin) - mothercare and earthmamaangelbaby both make a fantastic lanolin free nipple cream. After things had sort of settled... my son had been on formula and pumped milk. Over the next month worked on weening him off formula and just nursing. He had a painfully strong latch at first that hurt so bad. (Also during those two weeks had mastitis and thrush- yay). But through tears and sheer stubbornness to want to exclusively breastfeed... at week 6, my son was officially exclusively nursing. And has been ever since. Im so thankful


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## pohaha (Nov 14, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bohemianmama21*
> 
> Pain from cracked and bleeding nipples (allergic to lanolin) - mothercare and earthmamaangelbaby both make a fantastic lanolin free nipple cream.


I had no idea there are other products for nipples. My husband was actually the one to realize I had a lanolin allergy after reading a Mothering article about allergens in cosmetics, lanolin being a top one. I had the worst rash on my nipples on top of the thrush/eczema. Thanks for the product info.


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## BK Mommy (Dec 26, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bohemianmama21*
> 
> Had multiple issues. Milk came in too fast and became engorged (ow). Took two weeks to be able to get my supply sort of going with pumping and trying to nurse. Pain from cracked and bleeding nipples (allergic to lanolin) - mothercare and earthmamaangelbaby both make a fantastic lanolin free nipple cream. After things had sort of settled... my son had been on formula and pumped milk. Over the next month worked on weening him off formula and just nursing. He had a painfully strong latch at first that hurt so bad. (Also during those two weeks had mastitis and thrush- yay). But through tears and sheer stubbornness to want to exclusively breastfeed... at week 6, my son was officially exclusively nursing. And has been ever since. Im so thankful


Good for you! That is the best BF story I've heard!


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## laporte7707 (Mar 4, 2013)

Mine has been dealing with painful slices in my nipples! Not just little cracks, but open sliced skin! Scabbing, oozzing, itching...My first baby who nursed until 2 yrs (she is now almost 4) there was not one problem, so when I had my second, only 3 months after I had stopped nursing my first, I thought I'd just breeze right into it! That was not the case! From day one it has been exrutiatingly painful, I talked to my doctor, midwife's, pediatrician, and lactation consultants. Tried nipple shields, ointments, pumping, thrush treatments, NOTHING worked and no one knew what the problem was??? At 3 months I had a culture taken from my nipples, it came back positive for a mellow case of staph? But no one seemed to be too worried about it...except for me..the one in pain! I finally got a prescription for what they call APNO triple nipple ointment..gold in a jar..I have been using it for almost 18 months now, if I don't use it for even 1 day, my nipples start to itch and next thing you know, their cracking open again! Ouch! Anyways, to shorten this up a bit, breast feeding my babies has always been such a bonding and special thing, also I feel the healthiest choice I could give them, so just because I was and have been, in pain, didn't mean I could just give up! So I've just been taking it a day at a time, which believe me, it flys by!!!! So past the tears, biting, teething, and pain! I've still managed to stick it out!!! 18 months and going strong! If any one else has had this happen it'd be great to hear about! No one else I talk to has ever even heard of it! Which makes it hard to figure out!!! Thanks


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## deailedlace (Feb 23, 2013)

I had pretty painful engorgement after about three days that lasted a little over a week. Was superpainful, very swollen and hot. I used icepacks after feeding and hot compress beforehand. I tried to pump but it made thiings worse so I just waited it out. Eventually it went away. My second challenege has been forceful let down. It literaly gags my LO







I did a lot of research and now I feed on one side about 1-3 times or a four hour period then switch. Initially i would switch with each feed. After about three days it seems to be working. If one breast is a little engorged I hand express (it literally used to shoot across the room!).


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## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

Cracked nipples and associated pain at the beginning with my first, and also persistent oversupply problems,


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## Quinalla (May 23, 2005)

At the start, my sleepy & small (5lb4oz at birth) newborn had a hard time staying awake at the breast and had a hard time latching onto my one flat nipple too. She would latch onto the other like a champ, but then would give a few half-hearted sucks and fall asleep. And at first, being a new nursing mom, I didn't realized that those sucks were really just comfort sucking, not nutritive sucking, or I would have started sooner to try and get her to wake up and really suck. I do wish I had gotten a LC in to see us right away, she didn't get in until I was about to leave the hospital as I gave birth on the weekend and I think with immediate LC help I might have avoided the problem entirely. I did end up supplementing her with formula for a few weeks, but we stuck with the breast too and slowly weaned off formula not ever to have to use it again! I think knowing what I know now, I would have tried harder to pump for her instead of supplementing, but I was so tired and overwhelmed, I dunno if I would have been able to. I'm glad I knew enough to feed her at the breast first always at each feeding and only supplementing after if she still seemed hungry so I didn't sabotage our nursing relationship!

My other challenge was I went back to work FT at 16 weeks and pumped milk for her while she was at daycare. Keeping up was challenging at times as my body liked to be very efficient. I am glad I was lucky enough to have an awesome pumping setup and I even was able to pump the few times I traveled for work while she was still BFing. Doing my research ahead of time, the occasional Fenugreek & power pumping, renting a pump while they replaced my still under warranty pump that the motor died on, and making pumping a priority all made it so I was successful. I never had a big freezer stash, but I always had enough for my DD!


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## Violasmiles (Mar 4, 2013)

After 3 months of nursing I started having trouble producing milk from my left breast. I went to the doctors, got the tests done etc with no idea what was wrong. Now I have only one milk producing breast. I have been EBF for 8 months. It can be done. I want people to know you can do it. It was and still is very hard. Because she nurses to sleep and naps and for comfort my one breast gets very sore. Also, my one breast is always so much bigger and it looks awkward. I am sometimes very embarrassed. This has been a very big challenge. But there was one more challenge. At about month two I really felt like I was 'confind to my rocking nursing chair'. I want people to know that that period ends quickly you get better at it and so does your baby and it then takes very little time to nurse whenever and where ever.


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## GISDiva (Jul 13, 2007)

I had a sleepy baby with a disorganized suck, a horrible LC, conflicting advice, uncooperative breasts, little support, and probably a bit of depression thrown in there about it all.

I ended up EP'ing with the help of domperidone and being able to produce some milk for 10.5 months before I just couldn't physically and emotionally do it anymore. He got about half and half breastmilk and formula. I could have done worse.









Hoping this time around is better, of course. My breasts are waaay fuller for this pregnancy I'm going to take that as some sort of sign. Don't tell me it's not.


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## skycheattraffic (Apr 16, 2012)

GISDiva, you are amazing. I was going nuts with 10 weeks of EP; I can't imagine what it was like for you! Big hugs!


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## MommaGoose2013 (Mar 5, 2013)

I could only produce 3 ounces a day. That's it. We started seeing LC's from day one and everyday for two solid weeks, including the great Kathleen Huggins herself! We tried supplements, I drank the tea, I pumped after nursing every two hours, and drank so much water. My husband worked 13 hour days ao i was alone most of the day, everyday. After three weeks of this I was so heartbroken that I could not feed my daughter. I ended up being put on medication and that's when I decided to EFF. My little girl is a healthy, happy, 9 week old beauty. I feel like I'm a better mom because I'm not falling apart all day trying to feed her now. However, I don't think I'll ever fully get over not being able to give her the best


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## kyne (Sep 23, 2012)

right now!

tandem nursing a 3 year old and a 3 month old.

the boys love to nurse, but sometimes the sheer time and patience it takes from me to be nursing both boys on demand (im stay at home mom & a solo parent!) is very tiring.

i know this is the best thing for them & i am so glad that i am able to provide these years of moments full of unconditional loving mothering care.

i hope that someone will read this and see that you can nurse through a pregnancy & beyond if your children need you to.

and nevermind those odd stares you get on the park bench. your kids are worth more than some strangers' uninformed judgement!

ha

but it is still challenging! mothers are awesome.


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## susanmary (Nov 28, 2012)

LOVE your post kyne!


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## rgarlough (Jul 18, 2002)

For my first ds, I also struggled with him taking my right breast and he ended up only nursing from my left breast for almost 4 years. So yes it can be done but it sure did a number on my breasts. I struggled with uneven breasts and trying to get them to 'look right' which was a battle but my vanity didn't stop me from nursing exclusively for the almost four years. Our other struggle was that he refused a bottle so I couldn't return to work as scheduled. I had to go back PT and only my mother and sister could watch ds since he refused to eat at all if I was away. He would go 6 hours between feedings at 4 months during the day so I was at least able to go back to work. As the primary income for the household, it was a huge financial stressful situation. Lastly, with ds not taking a bottle, paci, just my left breast, I would experience resentment regularly because I was the only source of food, comfort and security for ds. He was very high needs and I had accept him for who he was/is which 9 years later, he is an amazing young man.

For my second ds, an emergency csection, slow to come in milk supply, breast aversion, fatigue from my 'advanced' age (lol) since it was 9 years since my first son was born... all contributed to a rough start. I worked HARD pumping around the clock to get to almost 100% ebm for my son. We still go through cycles based on my ability to produce where he'll be sometimes getting 50% ebm 50% formula. My hormone levels seem to affect my production a lot. So certain times of the month, I'm pumping 1/2 of what I may pump the next week. I'm happy to say we've made it 4 1/2 months now and my goal of EP till 6 months may get pushed to 9 months because I'm so used to pumping 7-8 times per day and it works for us.

I went through some really rough emotions coming to grips with my lack of bf'ing ds2. But he has a whole different expectation for his emotional needs and how he prefers to be comforted. I've also never had a baby that would SLEEP in a crib, let alone NOT in my arms... one that is comfortable fussing for a few minutes then putting himself to sleep and can end up fussing MORE if I'm holding him. The amazing difference between my boys has opened my eyes to the extreme personality differences and how I can appreciate both boys for who they are.


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## effulgent7 (Mar 2, 2011)

Hands down, biggest issue was milk protein allergy with my first child. I was a serious dairy drinker/eater and it was really hard to adjust at first, and then exhausting to maintain the label reading, cooking most of my own food, etc. that came along with it. But I did it for almost 18 months until she could tolerate some dairy in my diet (we nursed for 28 months total). And it led to a lot of positive dietary changes in my family, we eat very little dairy now and follow a mostly plant-based diet.

I also struggled with pain from cracked and bleeding nipples due to poor latch in the beginning- but changing my diet was harder!


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## Jessica Roland (Mar 7, 2012)

My biggest challenge was having a premature baby. I was determined for her to have breast milk only. Emotionally it was so hard to sit in my hospital room and pump instead of being able to nurse my baby. She was able to come home after 2 weeks in the NICU but still wasn't strong enough to nurse until she was 6 weeks old. Every 2-3 hours I would pump then try to nurse her so she could get the hang of it. It was the longest 6 weeks of my life but in that moment when I knew she was latched on and was really nursing it was such an overwhelming feeling of joy! Never give up!


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## MMF03 (Sep 23, 2012)

These are so helpful! As a soon-to-be first-time mom, I am trying to prepare for anything and setting up LC resources in advance. Of all the new adjustments, I think I'm more concerned and overwhelmed by the issues that can crop up with BFing.


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## Briana659 (Sep 17, 2012)

My baby was a natural at feeding. From the very first time I put her to my breast she knew exactly what she was doing. I thought I was going to have such an easy time. Then at four weeks she refused to eat. She would just scream when i put her to the breast and she just wouldnt do it. She is now five months old and still will not eat when i put her to the breast. i have to spend twenty minutes getting her to sleep, and when she is finally sleeping i take her pacifier out and she will eat. but she will not eat while she is awake.


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## DrezdinsMama (Aug 11, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Violasmiles*
> 
> After 3 months of nursing I started having trouble producing milk from my left breast. I went to the doctors, got the tests done etc with no idea what was wrong. Now I have only one milk producing breast. I have been EBF for 8 months. It can be done. I want people to know you can do it. It was and still is very hard. Because she nurses to sleep and naps and for comfort my one breast gets very sore. Also, my one breast is always so much bigger and it looks awkward. I am sometimes very embarrassed. This has been a very big challenge.


Same for me! One breast has inverted nipple, and at 1 month old my son would cry when I tried to nurse on that side. I went to a LC and she suggested supplemental nursing by injecting breastmilk from the other side via syringe into my nipple shield ... well, that was such a major pain/struggle (esp. at 2am) that after a week I gave that up. Had soreness/redness for 2 weeks while supply on that breast dwindled. I tried for another month to get him to latch on that side, and finally figured that we might as well just go with my better side. He's 31 months old and still treasures the milk/comfort from the good side. I bought removable breast pads to 'even things out.'

My other challenge was strong nursing aversion (on my part) around 2 years. I was still nursing on demand and he wasn't that big into solids, and I wanted to transition him to daycare. I started to resent nursing. I also noticed that nursing was uncomfortable when I'd ovulate. So I worked with my nanny to offer him food first when he wanted to nurse between breakfast/lunch/dinner. He learned to like solids eventually and we went from 8-10 nursings/day to now 2/day. I also learned to just accept the discomfort (and relax, relax!) during ovulation and to shorten the nursing sessions. I am a much happier person!


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## let it grow (Oct 9, 2012)

My biggest challenge doesn't feel so serious after reading all these other posts, but it was proper latching on. The first few days, we just couldn't get the hang of it and I felt so bad that my little guy wasn't getting enough to eat! I had a homebirth and live in the middle of nowhere, so I didn't have much help - until a friend told me to try the 'pizza' technique. You pinch your nipple flat and place it in the baby's mouth (like a slice of pizza) - their little muscles aren't strong enough at first to get a good suck, so pinching the nipple flat (and holding it that why while they nurse) helps them latch on. It worked like a charm and I've been recommending it to every expectant mother I know ever since!

I also felt like my breasts were constantly leaking - for months. I remember feeling like I was just covered with milk all the time. Eventually I got one of those reusable silicone pads and those worked pretty well.

Finding a good & inexpensive nursing bra was also a major hassle. I ended up mostly using those stretchy microfiber bras that come two in a pack.

I'm pregnant again and kind of dreading all the hassle that comes with breastfeeding - but that amazing connection with your baby makes it totally worth it.


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## silvercloud3 (May 1, 2012)

using a nippple suction cup the size of your nipple and half the size of your aerola will bring your nipple out and it will stay out as long as you use the suction and continue nursing...after 2 months my wifes stayed out and became normal looking ....good luck


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## sally21heather (Mar 19, 2009)

Sore nipples even with a good latch. I get especially sore after having to pump at work. Once I got smaller trumpets for mg pump it helped a little. With my ds I struggled because he wanted milk throughout the night and it was difficult to get restful sleep.


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## mommyemma (Jan 15, 2013)

Tonguetie. I gave birth to my first, a girl, almost 5 yrs ago. It hadnt been a year since i got married and moved abroad, a place almost completely foreign to me. The language still is hard to speak and understand, tho i have come a long way already. So, with a not so pleasant hospital birth(i was so vulnerable at18) in a "strange" country where they dont know super good english-yes, they speak english, but i had a hard time understanding quite a few of them in the hospital- and being pretty much alone, i mean no family except my new husband! It was a learning, bjt difficult experience. Baby was probably tired from the pain relief i got during birth. She was small, 2.9kg(here if they are under 3kg they are watched closely-at least blood sugar levels) and poked continuosly in the foot for blood samples. Milk didnt come, had to supplement. I was in the hospital for 5 days. Reg length of stay is 3. She slept. And slept and slept. I had to wake her up to eat every so often and try to keep her awake. The first month was so hard. Trying to get her awake-flicking her heels, taking all her clothes off, rubbing/tickling her back- it really seemed like nothing helped. I dont remember anymore how old she was, but no more than 1 month. We called the hospital if someone there could help because things were just not working out. She wasnt gaining weight. They offered no help. Sorry-they offered to weigh her before she ate, i breastfeed, then they weigh her again to see how much she got. I was clumsy-didnt know much on breastfeeding and still a bit embarrassed sitting in front of this lady staring at my breasts while i fed my girl. Anyhow, she didnt get much out of there. Like, only a couple grams. "sorry, we can't do anything to help" was the answer-not even suggestions!! Right before we left(i was a wreck) the lady(was she a secretary or what? I dont know....) she mentioned a breastfeeding "expert" would be visiting this teaching hospital to give lessons/lectures(and whatnot) to the nurrses there on breastfeeding. That maybe she could spare a couple minutes to come talk with us-how would you like to? We jumped at our chance. She spoke excellent english(the "expert) and studied in Canada from a well known place(cant remember the names! But its my home country!!!) and i trusted she knew what she was doing. Baby was SO sleepy. She said as soon as she startes to fall asleep on the breast, to change sides. At the same time massage gently downwards to help the milk flow. This was great advice. Also, little by little reduce the amount of formula. This actually worked for 2 weeks. I was SO happy!!! That finally i get to breastfeed my baby! But then it backfired and i had nowhere to turn to. It was probably after this my mom came to visit. She stayed in our 1 bedroom apartmdnt with us for a couple days. I think she was super stressed out that i was giving my baby formula-i had no choice-she wasnt gaining on my milk- seeing as she exclusively breastfed all 5 of her children. And was very much against formula. Anyhow, she was determined to help. Made all the meals and made me sit down and breast feed my baby every time she woke up and started to cry, bringing a big glass of water to drink each time. It was great help. At all these check ups and"control" appointments these health care workers made me go to, they would write in her little book that she is gaining slowly and needs more formula. But the week my mom was staying with us......"awesome weight gain!!" but i wasnt able to do that alone. I had to make myself food and take care of the house by myself, and it obviously affected our breastfeeding, even though i was a feed on demand mom!! So, breastfeeding my first never really worked. It was so stressful, i was always scared when we went for checkups that shes not gaining enough, my husband said enough times shes not interested,etc. And now i notice she cant stick her tongue out. Its stuck and points downwards. And i can see a little heartshape forming when she tries to stick her tongue out like the rest of us..... Am i silly? I have been thinking this is the problem i never knew about-why didnt any doctor or health care provider ever check or think about itt!?!? It almost brings tears to my eyes when i remember that short while. And feel it has somehow affected our relationship to this day. With my next, a big boy, i stayed in the hospital for 4 days and my milk didnt come in. I had to give him the dreaded formula too. I get so stressed in the hospital, like i have to meet their expectations in breastfeeding(which imo are very high). One old crabby nurse wanted to do the weigh-feed-weigh thing. He got 5grams and she said something along these lines with a hmph! "He's not gonna get fat on THAT!". So, lots of crying, patience, until i could leave for home and relax. I bf-ed him 18 months. When my third, a boy, was born. I left the hospital the same day, 6hrs after birth, on our request. And i had no problem with him. It was a very enjoyable experience. But i feel i missed out on so much with my firstborn!! Am i thinking strange that it could still have an effect on our relationship? Like i wasnt able to bond with her like i did with my boys?! I guess the birth was slightly traumatic for us all, and when the breastfeeding didnt work either... I feel positive it is the tongue tie that was the problem, but i guess ill never know. Americans/Canadians are so lucky to have so many more resources. Where i am (if i have learned enough-or then i have honestly learned nothing!!) you cant get much "extra" over here, at least in health care. You really need to dig to find, and you might not find anything. In other areas of health i have searched for "help" here, but its not to be found. America had it all Nowim expecting our 4th and (we) are looking forward (maybe mostly me) to steering away from the hospital altogether.....of course unless we need help or intuition tells otherwise. So farmy pregnsncy has gone well-im some 21weeks along. And hoping to exclusively bf for a long long time!!! sorry this is so long


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## Taryn237 (Aug 20, 2006)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MommaGoose2013*
> 
> I could only produce 3 ounces a day. That's it. We started seeing LC's from day one and everyday for two solid weeks, including the great Kathleen Huggins herself! We tried supplements, I drank the tea, I pumped after nursing every two hours, and drank so much water. My husband worked 13 hour days ao i was alone most of the day, everyday. After three weeks of this I was so heartbroken that I could not feed my daughter. I ended up being put on medication and that's when I decided to EFF. My little girl is a healthy, happy, 9 week old beauty. I feel like I'm a better mom because I'm not falling apart all day trying to feed her now. However, I don't think I'll ever fully get over not being able to give her the best


Google "Insufficient Glandular Tissue". That is what caused my low supply in addition to baby's posterior tongue tie. And not all IBCLCs are created equal. The ones I saw with my first did not catch either problem. He nursed until 2 though with the help of an SNS and formula.

Low supply again with both daughters for the same reasons. But again both nursed (18 mo. and 22 mo. and counting) with the help of an SNS and supplement (formula for DD1, donor milk exclusively for DD2!).


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## Homeopathy Mom (Feb 20, 2007)

It's been a couple of decades since I nursed my babies, but I remember my biggest problem well. I had enough milk to feed quadruplets! My poor babies choked and drowned on all the milk. Meanwhile the side they weren't nursing on gushed like a fire hydrant. It was a huge mess and source of frustration. That was in the time where moms were taught to be SURE and nurse on both sides at each feeding. That was a major source of frustration for me, too. I wish I had known that one side at a feeding would have worked better for me with my overabundant supply.


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## Sibyl29 (Dec 6, 2011)

Cracked nipples for the first two weeks, now pulling her head away before letting go and biting during teething -ouch! Other than those minor issues, my biggest challenge has been pumping enough milk for her for the three days a week that I work. She nurses so often that I'm finding it difficult to get much in-between feedings or finding the time to pump.


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## kayjay (Nov 7, 2008)

My biggest challenge was with my first who had posterior tongue tie. I didn't know why I was in so much pain, and why I was so cracked and raw. On top of that I cried every day, had mastitis several times and an oversupply causing him to choke during letdown. He was diagnosed by a LC at 6 weeks, and "clipped" at 8 weeks by an experienced dentist (Dr. Notestine in Dayton, OH).

What helped me was being persistent in finding help... my second LC knew what the problem was (she had just learned about it at a training conference), but it was up to me to find a doctor who could do the simple "surgery." We wasted time going to two specialists who were NO help before getting a recommendation for the dentist. I also nearly exclusively pumped just so I could heal up, and used APNO liberally. We nursed until 21 months after that! (And I work full time). My son also has a lip tie but I didn't know enough to get that clipped, so I still felt some discomfort from time to time.

If you suspect tongue tie, ask close relatives to stick out their tongues. We found two who could not even lick their upper lips.


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## greenpig (Sep 11, 2008)

More like, what problem did I NOT have??? Breasts so engorged that nothing but a hospital grade pump could draw the milk out; a baby with tongue tie; a second baby who could not hold a latch--no one knew why, and I even took her to a speech therapist who specializes in "infant suck training." Painful lumps, plugged ducts, nipples so sore for the first few weeks that i cant even wear a bra of any kind; mastitis, thrush, blisters, cracked nipples, inverted nipples. Did I miss anything? My advice is to find support and plenty of it--a GOOD lactation consultant, and at least one experienced mama you can call during the night. Do what you need to do: I've used nipple shields, syringe feeding, etc. I never gave up and, despite all those challenges, I nursed my first two until their second birthdays. My third baby just turned one and we are still going strong--once I got it all going and it was easy, I didnt want to stop!


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## princessmama (Jun 5, 2006)

My oldest son is tongue-tied and never had a great latch. Combined with my very sensitive skin this made for painful nursing all the way through. I stopped nursing him at night around 15 months and he weaned himself during the day because he was just too busy  I guess I kept going through sheer determination, and my mom telling my I was awesome helped a lot!

With our second son I had mastitis a time or two, very painful but cleared up quickly with hot compresses. When he was a few weeks old we both got thrush. I had never had it on my nipples before and it was one of the most horribly painful things! One friend said she'd read it felt like having ground glass in your nipples to nurse with thrush and that's about what it felt like. I had to stop nursing for a while because it wasn't clearing up. We partially bottle fed for a while until we got the thrush healed. I was pretty upset about giving him a bottle, especially when he didn't show any interest in nursing any more. I was Determined to get back to nursing full time as soon as the thrush cleared up. Baby wasn't so into it (too much work apparently), so I gave him a minimum of bottle feeding until he accepted nursing again. It was Tough seeing my precious baby hungry for a couple days, but it was worth it in the end.


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## jtapc90 (Jul 3, 2012)

While it is always hard in the first weeks, while baby is getting accustomed to nursing even if mom is experienced, the hardest part (for me) begins around 4 months when well meaning family and friends and strangers alike all try to shove food down my baby's throat. I explain that he is not ready and I literally have to isolate myself in my bedroom in order for them to leave it alone. Or also around 6 months when "now is a good time to wean", I have heard from a lot of doctors. While my advice is simple and a lot of moms are doing it anyway and know better it is simply to educate yourself and stand your ground. You know what is best for your baby; afterall your baby spent 9 months within your womb and you did all the work of birthing him or her out into the "real" world.


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## kperry (Jun 27, 2012)

My biggest challenge has been dealing with fast flow. My daughter and I had a hard time figuring out how to deal with that. At about 2.5 months she figured out her ideal feeding position, which is a bit unorthodox but she loves it and she is feeding great now. She has to be lying flat on her back, with just her head turned toward me as we are both lying down together. Now our feedings go very smoothly, we're slowly working are way up to sitting positions again. Now at 3 months my supply has finally adjusted to meet her needs, the oversupply I had resolved itself.

I think the biggest challenge is being able to throw away the breastfeeding rule book and let the baby be the guide. Once I gave her my full trust everything fell into place for us.


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## UnschooledMama (Sep 21, 2005)

I will just echo: posterior tongue tie. Now that I know a tiny bit more, I can't believe that for five weeks, I nursed my third child and had no idea why it hurt so badly. It was awful, terrible, horrible pain! My neighbor came running into our bedroom at 3am because I was screaming so loudly, in agony. And the baby wasn't getting enough to eat. And after two tongue tie surgeries (one with Dr. Kotlow), she still couldn't nurse.

I was pumping round the clock, and she wouldn't take the bottle, and I felt like a horrible mom because I could barely feed my little daughter, let alone nurse her. We finally started giving her food (soup in a bottle, as per Dr. Natasha's "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" dietary protocol--no grains or sugars) when she was seven months, after a bout of thrush and worsening (silent) reflux that appeared to be keeping her from getting enough to eat even with the "easy" bottle nipple.

Now, although we haven't had miracles, the reflux is subsiding, and--this is really incredible, after all the intrusion and trauma to my daughter's mouth--she nurses a few times per day! She's doing much better with the addition of GAPS foods, and I have written a lot about our experiences on my website, in the hopes of helping other mamas avoid the craziness that was the past eight months: http://www.lifeisapalindrome.com/updates/micro-macro-or-when-tiny-things-are-devastating

I am so eager for researchers to look at these topics all together: gut dysbiosis, autism spectrum disorder/ADD/ADHD (my older child is affected), MTHFR gene, synthetic B-vitamin fortification, tongue tie, breastfeeding pain, AND diet/environmental factors. Turns out that both my older children were tongue-tied, which must be why it hurt to breastfeed them for the seven years I did so. (It wasn't as bad as with my daughter, but the pain was there every time they latched.)

Good luck with your article. 

Regards,

Sarabeth Matilsky

www.lifeisapalindrome.com


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## dse657 (Jul 10, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Vaske*
> 
> For us it wasn't one big challenge, but about a dozen smaller obstacles all at once. The first week was very rough, then our midwife got us some excellent advice from an awesome LC, and this put us on the right track within two days.


The biggest challenge is finding support for your bf goals. We had a very uninformed and discouraging pediatric nurse who urged supplementation when it was not needed. After gaining weight the first week, he lost 1-2 ounces following his circumcision (day 8 for religious reasons), and this sounded some alarms. She told me, "There aren't enough calories in your milk," scared me with "failure to thrive" (what an awful phrase!), and gave formula samples. My maternal instinct told me otherwise. It is a good thing I was well-read and connected with a real lactation consultant. After speaking to more than one person, including friends and consultants, the advice that spoke to me was the most logical: Breasts are glands. Just like you don't run out of saliva, as long as you're hydrated, you won't run out of milk. Also, mom's diet does not impact the calories/fat in bmilk, which remain fairly constant as long as you are emptying the breast at each feeding to get the hindmilk. I would recommend that other parents seek more than one professional opinion and go beyond a pediatrician or nurse, who may not be certified in lactation. Surround yourself with support, or at least obtain phone numbers to call when there are bumps in the road. And there will be bumps!


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## emilyfaith (Jul 19, 2009)

I was naive.... Just thought everything would go fine. It was six weeks of pain and cracking bleeding nipples. What worked: determination. My mistake: not asking for help sooner. I am glad to say I nursed my son for over two years, I'm sure the incorrect latch could have been corrected MUCH sooner, but I didn't asked for help I just cried and kept going. My advice to any woman is to ask for help if you need it! We worked through pain that didn't need to be there.


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## frecklesihave (Oct 18, 2005)

My son had trouble latching on, I had a LOT of pressure from the hospital nurses for formula and some good support from the LC. It was if the nurses were hovering waiting for me to fail, so they could swoop in with formula. Fortunately, the LC supported my wishes for no bottles or artificial nipples, we pumped and fed him with a spoon, then ended up with a Haberman nipple which was for babies with cleft palate I think--it was long and he had to really suck to get the milk, it didn't just flow into his mouth. He stayed with me the whole time in the hospital, I didn't send him to the nursery so I could feed him whenever. I left the hospital with a hospital grade pump and my "patient education" from the nurse which consisted of her lecturing me on if my baby didn't nurse I must give him formula, nice encouraging support for a new mom. I went home and continued to try to get him open his mouth and get the hang of things. All this time I was the only one who fed him--it was important that he knew I was the momma with the milk. We went to the midwife, who helped him/me with holding him and latching on, and finally he got the hang of it he had to be readmitted for jaundice. I pumped and the special care nurses let me feed him both at the breast and with his Haberman bottle while he was under the lights. Once he was discharged, he went home and did just fine. I did have problems with one side with blocked milk ducts every now and again, usually when I was really stressed...but we resolved this with nursing, warm compresses and pumping. He did well and nursed for 2 1/2 years. He's 10 now (0:


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## NewBrooklynMama (Jun 12, 2014)

My little girl had trouble latching from the start. She is one week old today and we're starting to get it. Problems included a chin that was set back and I think was prohibiting a strong latch. Also my nipples hadn't really popped out yet. Feeding was exhausting and I would try for two hours to get her to stop crying and feed. Then she would sleep for 45 minutes and wake up hungry and angry. Sometimes I could get her to suck my little finger and then latch, but usually we'd wear each other out. She lost 15 percent of her body weight by day 4 so I ended up doing a combination of spoonfeeding pumped breast milk and formula. The pediatrician who is also a lactation consultant showed me a new way to hold the nipple, cupping it tighter and flatter rather than holding the whole breast from the bottom. I also pin her arm next to the side she is lying on on the breastfeeding pillow (a "my breast friend").

The first few times I tried the new method it worked. Then she would start pushing away my breast again. So I resorted to spoonfeeding. I called the hospital breastfeeding "warm line," and they told me she wasn't pushing me away, but rather trying to get the milk to flow. It's easier nursing in the AM because I have more milk. They recommended I pump to get my milk to let down for two minutes and also try massaging my breast as she feeds to get the milk to flow. Amazing how much this helps. Now we've gone almost a full day exclusively breastfeeding. Hope to continue!

I recommend patience and reaching out for help as much as possible. I almost didn't call the warm line but am glad I did. La Leche League would probably have helped too.

Oh, and the lcs at the hospital discourage spoonfeeding. They recommend using a newborn nipple on a bottle to maintain her sucking ability. 

I was really on the verge of giving up. Apparently it's normal to struggle in the beginning as we figure each other out. I still struggle with boredom as I feed her and feel as tho it's all I have time for...but I do believe it will keep getting easier.


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## sarahdawes (Mar 5, 2016)

My own nervousness about feeding in public. Finding the right nursing cover was a god send. Didn't feel as though I was messing around or exposed. If anyone interested, was by Bump, Baby & Beyond on amazon.


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## Dear_Rosemary (Feb 5, 2015)

They were different for my two different kids!

The first one wouldn't latch for a few days...had to give her a bottle. Which actually was kind of funny in the end because once we got going it was so great that a few months later I couldn't get her to go back to the bottle when needed! I remember when I first had to give her the bottle I told my LC I was afraid she wouldn't go back to the breast and she said, "she will, don't worry," and it was really true...yay for calm and encouraging LCs! She was such a lazy nurser that she wasn't getting enough hindmilk, either (very green poops!), so I ended up putting her on a 4-hour schedule to switch sides, rather than an every-other-meal schedule. That worked great.

The second baby was the total opposite...latched so well it was horribly painful every time he latched on. I read that it would last about 6 weeks, so I said to myself I could take it for that long, and sure enough right at about the 6 week mark it got better all at once.


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