I have a 4 day old baby and I'm trying to breastfeed her. My nipples are VERY sore and cracked although Iam putting on cream etc. Still waiting for midwives visit to advise on correct latching. Last night whilst breast feeding baby started spitting out milk with blood in it, making me very upset for her. I really dont want to use powdered milk but I was thinking for the next 2-3 days until my nipples get better can I use it in addition to pumped milk? will she still latch on if i do this?
2007-11-12 20:53:43 · 15 answers · asked by Sarah 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Don't wait for the midwives, ring your local breastfeeding association to help or find a lactation consultant straight away. Or phone your doctor for a number to call asap.
You may have a problem if you stop/start/stop with her and she will get confused.
If you are okay and she seems to be getting milk then try and keep going. If when you are feeding it is very painful then you aren't attaching right. Make sure you bring her to the breast not the breast to her. Get some fat pillows and an extra pair of hands (hubby) to help position everything first. Bring her mouth to your breast and position her bottom lip at the bottom of your aereola. Sort of roll her mouth onto the nipple making sure it is at the roof of her mouth with as much of the aereola in her mouth too. Don't let her suck just on the nipple. If once she is sucking the pain goes away then you are attached correctly. You might feel like jumping through the roof at first but it should go away if youre doing it right.
If you can keep this up then the sores will heal and it doesn't matter if she gets a small amount of blood. This is so normal, and happens to so many women. Try different feeding positions like laying down on your side or the 'football hold' where you hold them under your arm with her feet towards your back.
If you try to pump it will hurt a lot more than the breastfeeding with proper attachment, and won't improve your nipples because the pumps are a lot harsher than the newborn suckling. Especially electric ones, well both actually!
Keep using nipple cream, I love LANSINOH cream as its 100% pure natural lanolin and safe to breastfeed with. Let your nipples air out as much as possible. Walk around the house with no bra on all day if you have to. Make sure to give them a blast with the hairdryer after a shower so they are completely dry. Don't use soaps on them or stay in the shower too long.
Best of luck and keep perservering! It WILL get better you just need to hang in there and get some professional help straight away.
Good luck
2007-11-12 21:31:04 · answer #1 · answered by Cindy; mum to 3 monkeys! 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You do NOT need to feed your baby with a bottle. If you feel that you need to use powder or pumped milk, there are other ways to feed your baby. You can use a spoon, shot glass, flexible cup or a medicine dropper.
If she's spitting up milk, then you know that she's getting milk, so don't worry that you don't have enough.
Don't wait for the midwife. Call her, go to the office, get the help that you need. When we are learning to breastfeed our babies, we usually need help. Unfortunately, the help doesn't come to us. We have to go find it. If you can't get in touch with the midwife, call a La Leche League leader.
There are many websites that have very good information on how to latch your baby. While you're there, you can learn that blood in the milk is harmless to baby.
Get the help you need, rest your body and keep nursing. I remember those days too, but it's worth it to push through and keep baby on the breast. You can do it!
2007-11-12 23:08:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I would persist with the breastfeeding and get some nipple shields - The blood will be coming from you so don't worry about that!! If you start her on a bottle so early on she may have problems latching on in the future. Also i found that pumping caused much more pain than feeding. Call the midwife and she will give you advice on latching on over the phone and arrange an earlier visit.
Just carry on for a little while longer and than if things don't improve re-think your strategy! Breastfeeding is so satisfying dont give up just yet!
good luck
2007-11-12 21:12:45 · answer #3 · answered by Babble 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The first few days are very difficult. When I had this problem I bought some silicone nipple shields to wear while I am feeding. They helped a lot and got me through some very difficult days. Not all chemists sell them but I would think places like boots do. The best cream I have tried for sore nipples is kamilosan.
When feeding, make sure that the baby's mouth is wide open and then place as much of the dark area surrounding the nipple in her mouth as possible.
I would try not to supplement with formula at this early stage as it may cause your own milk supply to diminish. Maybe you could express by hand instead?
Please try and get through this. I have had the same problem with all six of my children and have persevered. It does get better.
Good luck
2007-11-12 21:09:32 · answer #4 · answered by lilmissdisorganised 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, don't give her formula if you don't plan on sticking with it -- keep breastfeeding! I had sore nipples in the beginning too, get Lanosil cream, the pain WILL go away. If you start giving her formula, your milk supply will go DOWN. You do not want that when you are beginning to breastfeed, you want to do everything you can to keep your supply UP!
Hang in there, it WILL get better!
Best Wishes!
2007-11-12 21:27:28 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't bottle feed her yet. she might get "nipple confused" I would get medical advice right away to find the underlaying problem. 90% of times it's poor positioning. Try laying her on her side then lay next to her on your side facing her. This position it very easy and helped me a lot. Lansinoh helped as well. You can use it as often as you want and don't have to wash it off before you breastfeed. But if you can't wait express some of your breast milk out and rub it on your nipples and let it air dry. this helps too. but be careful and keep your nipples clean. you don't want to get mastitis. You also can continue to feed your daughter.
check out this site: http://www.babycenter.com/viewArticle.htm?articleId=8493&page=2#articlesection0
2007-11-12 21:20:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
stick with it, don't be preasure into useing formula.
try contacting le leche they are fantastic & really know what they are talking about.
Contact your midwife & tell her you need to see somebody TODAY, you have a right to help & if you are struggling & don't know what to do then they have a responsibility to help you right now.
your baby is so small & only needs a tiny bit of breast milk very often so as time consuming as it is stick with it & prehaps only use your best breast until the midwife arrives.
Contact le leche right now they really will help & get on the phone to the midwife & tell her you need help today.
Good luck & well done for not just giving in, you really are giving your baby the best x x
2007-11-12 21:54:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I had the same problem and the best thing for your nipples is air. When i was home alone with my son I would go topless.Soap is also really bad for dry nipples so just rinse them off with warm water till they heal. they also have what I think is called soothies for sore nipples, you put them in the fridge and they stick to your nipples. Those things work wonders. But the best thing for them is air.
2007-11-12 21:36:45 · answer #8 · answered by Rachel B 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
if you're bleedin then yes i would start formula. i'm not sure but i don't think it's very sanitary for your baby to swallow your blood.
if you can't get ahold of the midwife or if what she recommends doesn't help, try getting in touch with the local WIC office, usually they have someone on hand that can help find a latch that works for you. or you could try a hospital OB department. there's also something called La Leche League. they have a 24 hour hotline and breastfeedin questions are the only thing they handle. i can't remeber the 800 number but i'm sure if you did a search you could find it
even with all the research i did about breastfeedin i still couldn't get a proper latch with my son and it took 5 days and the help of a very good nurse at the hospital to get it down right. we ended up stayin an extra day so i could have the help they gave me.
don't completly give up, both you and your daughter are havin to learn somethin wholey new. i need lots of help to figure out what i was doin wrong.
make sure that when you do feed her she is gettin enough nipple/aerola in her mouth and that your nipple isn't rubbin against the roof of her mouth. that was the problem i had. also make sure her head is in a straight line even with her back. sometimes if you c*ock baby's head funny it'll have an impact on the way they latch on.
2007-11-12 21:34:27 · answer #9 · answered by Red 3 · 0⤊ 5⤋
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2017-03-01 05:32:43 · answer #10 · answered by Cardso 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋