Problems, problems, problems.....

[JJIMM2894]

I am having soooo many problems with my seconds child (7 weeks). I gave up b/f with my first after 2 weeks because of the pain, but with this one I want to perservere.

1st problem, she will only feed for 4-5 minutes then get very fussy and won't re-attach for more than a cuople of seconds.

2nd problem, probably related to the first, but she wants to feed every hour and a half to 2 hours, she does have 5-6 full wet disposables a day.

3rd problem, nipples still sooo sore, but everyone tells me she is attaching properly.

4th problem, my breasts seem too big (d), we have tried all the positions, but the the nipple still hangs too low!

5th problem, has anyone heard of cows milk affecting my milk, I am craving milk but everytime I drink it she has a horrilbe day with tummy cramps.

5th problem, she refuses to sleep after feeds!

Can anyone help me with the above?
I am on the Gold Coast if anyone knows any good services.
Cheers. :confused:

[Tea Lady]

I had some of the probs you describe - my daughter used to fuss and carry on after a couple of minutes and it was usually because she had a tummy full of gas - I'd take her off and burp her and then she'd have more food - sometimes it took a long time for the gas to come up but she wouldn't feed till it had.

It would definitely be worth checking if you have nipple thrush, esp. if you were on antibiotics after the birth - if in doubt it might be worth treating yourself & your baby just in case (you can get Daktarin oral gel at the chemist). I went through several weeks of absolute agony, all the time being told my attachment was fine, and all the time reading books telling me breastfeeding shouldn't hurt (that was like a slap in the face!) and then finally a lac. consultant realised I had thrush and everything only started improving when I treated that. I also think my daughter's fussiness was related because the extreme pain (I would be bawling when I had to feed her) made the milk not let down properly and I think she swallowed more air trying to suck the milk out. Of course that may not be your problem, but it could be worth investigating. Also, I hired an electric breast pump which helped me survive the ordeal (Ameda brand gives you the best control over the suction, which you want if you're in pain) because it gave me a break from the ENDLESS feeding - it took me awhile to get the hang of using the pump though. I also found the hospital lactation conultants helpful.


I hope this is of some help - it's SO miserable when feeding hurts.

All the best.

Lucy

[xkwzit]

See a lactation consultant, they are worth their weight in gold. I had incredible problems with DD1, but we overcame in the end and I'm v glad I perservered. Your hospital should be able to send you a list of those in your area (I'm northside Bris-vegas so don't have any contact useful to you)

Best of luck

[wattle]

Hi. Call a lactation consultant right away - within five minutes my consultant sorted out all my problems and turned feeding from being frustrating to enjoyable.

It's the best money I think I've ever spent....... on anything...... ever!!!!

goodluck

[mamafelix]

Hugs to you and good on you for perservering so far!

I'm not an expert but... how bad is your pain? I had discomfort on attaching for a while after Felix was gone, but if it's really painful it might be a crack or as suggested, thrush. If it's not thrush, you can try putting expressed milk on your nipples after every feed, and let them dry for a while.

About the fussing at the breast- there could be a number of reasons... too fast a flow, your nipples may be too big, he may not be hungry every time, it may not be the best position... I'm posting a link to discussion on another forum, where a couple of ABA counsellors gave advice to another mum experienceing this: http://www.forums.naturalparenting.com.au/showthread.php?t=3523
If you click on that you'll be able to read it. They know a lot more about this stuff than me, you could also post on that forum yourself and they will help you out.

It's not uncommon for babies to feed that often, I've even known some that feed every 45 mins! So don't worry, unless you feel that he isn't actually hungry and is comfort feeding.

Dairy intolerance - yes this could be a problem! Some babies are so sensitive that your intake will affect them. Try cutting it out for a few weeks and you may see a huge change...

hth

[draught]

Ditto to everyone's comments - see a lactation consultant - mine had my problems with DD2 sorted within 5 mintues of us starting and we haven't looked back. She also talked to me at length about the possibility not of dairy intolerance, but of cow's milk protein intolerance - a different scenario. My girls both seem okay but a friend's son has it - and the protein does pass through your breast milk to the baby. My friend cut all cow's milk from her diet (changed brom butter to nuttelex, switched to goat's milk etc) and he was a different baby - stopped trying to feed non-stop, stopped having stomach cramps, stopped having very smelly nappies, and started to sleep better. Her diagnosis came in combination from her lactaction consultant and her pediatrician.
The consultant I saw was bayside in Brisbane, but if you contact your hospital they should be able to give you a list. If you are having no luck let me know and I will PM you the details of the lady I saw.

[JJIMM2894]

Discovered part of the problem last week, She only gained 70grms in 3 weeks!

Something happened to my milk supply and I don't know what.

Anyway, I felt so bad and deppressed that she was unhappy that I gave in and gave her formula.

She has now put on 720gms in 8 days, she is smiling and gurgling all day and doesn't even want her dummy anymore.

I feel much better now that I see she is happy. Thankyou all for you advice, it was very helpfull.

:) :D