HELP! My baby will not breastfeed - really need some advice...?

Question

I had an emergency c-section on Thursday the 12th, and had to be in recovery for almost a day, and didn't get to see my baby. He had to go to the NICU for 4 days. Meanwhile they gave him a lot of bottles. He gets latched on to my breast, he knows how to suckle his own hand but he can't seem to figure out how suckle on my breast!! He just tries it for a second and then screams. What do I do!! I have tried all kinds of positions. I have tried cutting out the bottle. I have tried different bottle nipples that are supposed to simulate the breast nipple. I have tried letting him pacify at the breast and try to figure it out himself. He does not get a pacifier. I have tried letting him figure it out when he is NOT starving or hungry. I have called the LaLeche league and other lactation consultants. I am about to give up - this is gut wrenching to hear him scream like this. There must be someone else out there who has dealt with this successfully?? If so please respond!!

Sorry - I posted this question already under my friend's yahoo acct - didnt realize he was logged in.

Answer 1

I had some real problems with my first daughter. It turned out the only problem I had was that it took an insanely long time for my milk to come in. My lactation consultant had me pumping every other hour for 10 minutes at a time. Then with whatever did come out there is like this syringe type device with a long skinny tube attached to it. That got taped to my breast and when she would suck it would flow out. It took almost 3 weeks before we were able to do it with out the extra device.

Answer 2

I breastfed and everything went surprisingly smooth. After my baby boy was born, I wanted to try to breast feed right away. It was a little hard at first but everything came along together. I found that the best way for my son to latch on was to take my thumb and index finger and pinch around my areola to make the nipple stick out. I would then bring him to it and he would be able to latch on easier as I was still holding my nipple until he latched on properly. For the first week or two it was hard and there was pain, but I took it and just kept going. I ended up breastfeeding for 15 months when I only wanted to breastfeed for 2. I just found it so much easier at night and I knew that it was better for him than formula. Another good thing was he never got a rash or constipated. Breastfeeding is a godsend! I also would pump and bottle feed with Avent, they make breastlike nipples and they worked great! Just keep trying and trying, I know that it is stressful, but once you accomplish it you will feel like a great mother. Don't try giving him a pacifier yet, it can cause nipple confusion since nothing comes out of the pacifier. I didn't introduce the pacifier until he was about 1 month old and he surprisingly took it very well.
Hope this helps, good luck!

Answer 3

O, I'm so sorry you are having a hard time with this! And a C-section on top of it, that is so rough!
Ok, quit using all bottles. Pump your milk, and start your let down (or massage your breasts, hot showers work too) get the milk flowing and then try to latch him on.... if he doesn't do it right at first, just let him suck a little bit, so at least he knows there is milk there. then try again. To keep him from being frustrated, get a little syringe and feed him with that instead of a bottle. It is going to be tough, but you and him can both do this. Make sureyou are relaxed, and be patient.
Sleep with your baby in bed too, this will give you even more time to learn together. Keep pumping your milk, to keep somewhat of a supply.
Come join our group, as well. There are great ladies on there who have conquered that same things! Yahoo!group called MilkDrunk.
Hope to see you there, and good luck!

Answer 4

Oh hunny, I understand your pain. Great that you are wanting to breast feed. Plus from the Emergency C you are sore and tired too.

Have you been pumping and giving your baby your breast milk?

I would suggest finger expressing your milk, and squirting it into your baby's mouth, this will help your milk flow as well as get your nipple in the right shape for baby's mouth, so baby just has to suckle a little bit and swallow.

If you are serious about no bottle feeding, stop all bottles. Console him when he crys, but only offer him the breast.

Remember:
You are producing enough milk
It is best for your baby
as soon as he gets the hang of it, he will no longer cry and breastfeeding will be the best experience you and he will ever share!

If you need to talk to someone, just email. Without knowing what else you have tried, it is hard to give the best advise I can.

Source(s):

I had 2 NICU babies, 1 who got a bottle first.

Answer 5

Sounds like a classic case of nipple confusion (or preference, really)! There are lots of ways to get a baby back to the breast, but as you are finding out, it can be a difficult task. The trick is to be patient and persistent, and after you have accomplished the switch, throw away the bottles so you are not tempted again! Is your baby currently drinking breastmilk from a bottle or formula? If you are currently giving formula, it might help to switch to breastmilk in the bottle first. While I may not have personally experienced your dilemma, I do have some resources for you that may help. Good luck to you; I know you can do it if you keep trying. There is no need to torture yourself or your baby or to listen to your baby scream in order to get him back to the breast. The stress will slow down your let-down, making it even more frustrating for your son, who is used to getting immediate gratification from an artificial nipple. It may help to pump for just a minute before putting him to the breast, just long enough to get your milk to letdown and allow him some quicker response to his latching on. There are lots more ideas (like an SNS or a nipple shield) in the links below.

Answer 6

I'll tell you how we solved this situation with my first child. The lactation consultant recommended using a clean finger as a pacifier right before feedings. Somehow the finger reminds baby how to suck properly. We were also advised to keep baby in contact with our skin for several hours a day. We used to prop ourselves up in bed and let her sleep on our chests. A sling would be helpful. I know that the skin contact sounds like hocus-pocus, but it works. It's magical. Someday Science will explain it, but for now we just know that it works.

You're doing the right thing. It can be so hard to start breastfeeding, but you will figure it out and it will be so easy to plug baby in at night and let him nurse happily while you sleep. Kudos for working this hard. You can do it!

Answer 7

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. It sounds like he's developed a nipple preference but with some good help you can overcome that. Be sure to take care of yourself, you've had surgery! Has anyone from La Leche League returned your calls yet? If not, call again!

Here are a few links that may help:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/concerns/c-section.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/latch-resources.html

Good luck!

Answer 8

Keep trying. Keep in close contact with a lactation nurse if you can, but they really should'nt have sent you home if they knew you would be breast feeding. If all else fails you can pump and bottle feed your breast milk

Answer 9

I had a similar situation and was given a nipple shield by my lactation consultant. It is a piece of silicone that fits over your nipple and areola. You can buy them at Target and Babies R Us that I know of. It gets the baby used to being at the breast and you periodically try to nurse without the shield. Most babies get the hang of nursing without within 2 weeks. Whatever you decide, good luck.

Answer 10

Just keep working with him b-4 you offer the bottle i had my daughter form brest to bottle and then back untill i lost my milk and it is SOOOO hard to hear your little angel cry so. BUT it took about 3 weeks but she got it! i would get her lactched on and it woud be good for about 30 sec. then it wouldnt so i would let her have 1-2 oz of the bottle thne back to the brest and slowly she got it...... GOOD luck!!!