My friends baby girl was born precisely on her due date. Its a week now but baby does not latch to the breast. it seems she cries a lot when given the breast. my friend feels as if she is punishing the baby. So my friend is now pumping and feeding. and she finds it very difficult.
I told her to contact a Lactation specialist.
Any advise how she can help baby latch to the breast.
2007-03-15 13:56:42 · 10 answers · asked by :o 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
honestly it could be a lot of things, she needs to consult a LC
2007-03-15 14:01:22 · answer #1 · answered by Lindy O 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best thing she can do is call the Lactation Specialist- I had one visit me everyday in the hospital. My daughter didn't latch on until she was 2 months old, but talking with the specialist helped reassure me I was doing things right or correcting me if I wasn't- and it takes a lot of effort to hang in there and keep trying.
And don't let her feel she's failed if baby doesn't latch- some babies just do not take to the breast well. I knew a woman whose first child wouldn't breastfeed at all, but her second and third children had no problem.
2007-03-15 21:04:53 · answer #2 · answered by Robin J. Sky 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This can be a frustrating time, I know! there are things known as a NIPPLE SHIELD that you can buy or contact the maternity ward where she delivered her bubs and they should just give them to her, but they are such wonderful things! she puts them over her nipple and its like the breast pump, once the baby starts to suckle it draws her nipple in the correct shape and helps baby feed, after a few weeks at this she should be right to feed her bubs without it and feel like nothing ever went wrong, I also personally found that pinching all my nipple together then putting it near my baby's mouth he would latch on perfectly! Just 1 other thing have her check that her bubs is not "tongue tied". Ask a lactation nurse or seek help and advice from the Dr.
GOODLUCK to your friend and her bubby!
2007-03-15 21:09:19 · answer #3 · answered by Spanky the monkey !!! 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Oh, yes, tell her to call lactation person right away and go in.....baby's mouth could be small.....the best way to do it is make a "breast sandwich"....hold breast like you would a sandwich....4 fingers underneath w/ thumb on top....put babies mouth to breast...use your pointer finger (the one under breast) to jack open baby's chin (gently, but firmly).....then take hand that's not on breast and sort of push upper lip up high on breast.......she's not punishing her, she's helping her...you really do have to do it for baby for the first month or 2.....tell her to go see the lactation person or call Le Leche League in her area ASAP ...don't want to get baby too hooked on bottle and pumping is a DRAG.
2007-03-15 21:03:14 · answer #4 · answered by DuneFL 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I had to have a lot of help with my first baby. Contact the La Leche League which is a group of women who have had success breast feeding and will come to your house and help you for as long as it take. I could tell you what helped me but every breast is different and so is every baby. Good Luck and God Bless
2007-03-15 21:08:49 · answer #5 · answered by moonrose777 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My daughter had this very problem, and we went through a lactation specialist for a week before we realized my daughter couldn't physically nurse.
We ended up taking her to a physical therapist, specializing in newborns - my daughter had a locked palate, in other words the roof of her mouth was locked - so she couldn't suckle. After 3 days of the physical therapist manipulating and loosening up the inside of her mouth - she nursed like a champ.
What I didn't ever realize is that the roof of a baby's mouth is flexible, almost jointed. The physical therapist compared it to having your knees locked and then being forced to walk. Only this involved food and a starving baby - that would make anybody grumpy.
2007-03-15 21:06:54 · answer #6 · answered by P. K. 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My wife and I also had this problem with my daughter. Consulting a lactation consultant is a good idea, but we just found that you just need to keep trying and eventually it clicks. One thing we did do was to use the pump (like your friend), and we found when our daughter was not frantic with hunger she slept better, which in turn allowed her to calm down. Once that happened, she got the hang of it pretty quickly.
2007-03-15 21:04:33 · answer #7 · answered by HelpingHand 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She should call the hospital where she had the baby, they have lactation consultants that she can talk to or go this this website http://www.lalecheleague.org/. She may even be able to have someone come to her house and help.
2007-03-15 21:03:44 · answer #8 · answered by Carmen M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Patience is the name of the game!!!! My son is 3 months old and when he was about 11/2-2 months old, it would take him at least 2 minutes to latch on to my breast. you have to have patience and keep trying to get her to latch on no matter how long it takes!!! Don't give up!!!!!
2007-03-15 22:02:31 · answer #9 · answered by twalla128 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a nipple shield - it like a bottle nipple. You can get them at Babies R Us. Don't go to formula!
2007-03-15 21:02:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋