I sometimes wonder whether rose tinted glasses are part of a standard uniform issued to breastfeeding antenatal teachers or whether we are just very optimistic people?

Don't get me wrong, it is important to be positive about your possible breastfeeding outcome, but I wouldn't try driving a bus, having watched an 80's version "HOW TO.." 10 minute DVD, sooped up on 10 tons of positive thinking and the fact that having driven a car for years, it should come naturally.

Surely I would need a little practical advice, preferably offered in bite size chunks, focussing on getting the basics right - before being expected to nip down Kings Road picking up paying customers, without any squashing, crashing, scraping, squishing of cars and padestrians - from day 1!!

So, why do we think that by telling moms everything is going to be alright, they are not going to find themselves stressed out and frazzled and most possibly in a lot of pain very early on?

Is it because breastfeeding is so incredibly natural for all, or that we have such brilliant support in the hospitals where midwives have endless hours to sit and teach them how to get things right, or is it that we just hope that by installing a little confidence in the new mom, she will persist until everything eventually falls into place?

Well whatever the reason, I think we should change the way we prepare moms for breastfeeding by telling them how to get their positioning and attachment right to suit their individual needs from day one! This needs to be practical, easy to remember and simple enough, so that we not at risk of conjuring up conflicting advice!

With so many babies being born each day and hospitals and midwives stretched to capacity, surely we can teach moms what they need to know before they have their baby, so that they can merely benefit from additional support once the baby arrives, rather than being totally reliant on health professional and completely in the dark about the practicalities of breastfeeding!

If you are a mom who has breastfed and would like to make changes or are happy with a service you received, please drop me a line. I would love to hear from you!


Let's breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams a reality. If I can't see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let's Breastfeed Program. www.letsbreastfeed.com

Many moms are asking me why so many moms are experiencing sore nipples when breastfeeding is supposed to be such a natural activity for both mom and baby. This is a good question and one that really needs to be addressed!

It is inevitable that you are going to receive a degree of conflicting advice, as individuals have their own way of interpreting studies, techniques or information a mother will give at a particular time regarding a particular problem. However, the scale of variation between one midwife and another regarding breastfeeding techniques or timings, is leading to a lot of confusion and frustration. Often, the combination of all the conflicting advice, does very little to support or teach the new mom anything! So moms struggle to see the point and ultimately give up searching, feeling sad at failing to establish breastfeeding!

Don't be mistaken about breastfeeding and pain, they do not go hand in hand. If you are experiencing pain, there is a problem, and there will be any alternative to what you are currently doing, if you would like to reduce pain but continue giving your baby the benefits of your breast milk! Breastfeeding is not as black and white as some people imply it is. Many of my clients combine a bit of breastfeeding, a bit of pumping, a bit of bottle feeding and enjoy full and rewarding months feeding their baby! The good news is that you can too!

Let's breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams become a reality. If I can't see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let's Breastfeed Program! www letsbreastfeed.com

If you are a breastfeeding mom and suffering with sore nipples, please believe me when I say that it is NOT normal! It may be a common occurrence, but any pain you are experiencing, should indicate that there is something wrong!

You may already have bought the Let's Breastfeed Program, but I just wanted to highlight certain aspects that are very real in everyday breastfeeding episodes, and touch on how and what the primary causes are!

For the next few days, I will answer some of the questions that have been coming through regarding sore nipples, as well as short informative articles, in the hope that this will help as many other moms out there that are suffering too!

Thank you for all your wonderful emails! Please do keep them coming at blog@letsbreastfeed.com!

Let's Breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams become a reality! If I can't see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let's Breastfeed Program. www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog

When breastfeeding is a new and undeveloped skill, minor mistakes can very quickly lead to complicated breastfeeding problems, leaving a new mom and hungry baby, frustrated and on the brink of tears!

Sore nipples are often overlooked by professionals, as they are considered part of the breastfeeding course. I believe this is where many moms are being let down as sore nipples can indicate that the breast is not being drained well, leading to blockages and mastitis for mom and a less than satisfactory meal for little one, resulting in frequent feeds!

Sore nipples do not only result from poor positioning or attachment. Often combining elements of your breast tissue with your baby’s oral cavity, can result in soreness of the nipples and breast pain. For instance, a mom with inverted nipples or flat nipples, may find that mastering the art of breastfeeding is a little more challenging than other moms. Whilst your baby is more reliant on scooping up the areola when breastfeeding, rather than the nipple, you may feel that having flat or inverted nipples mean your baby slips off the breast more easily, creating feeding problems.

This is quickly and simply corrected with careful and tailored positioning and attachment skills which you will find in my Let’s Breastfeed Program!

If you have sought breastfeeding help and have corrected and modified your technique, you can expect your nipples to feel a little tender at the beginning of the feed for up to 60 seconds. Provided your nipples are round at the end of a feed, you can rest assured that your sore nipples will soon be a thing of the past, as with the correct attachment, you can expect your nipples to heal in a couple of days!

If you are experiencing sore nipples, seek professional help. Pain is a good indicator that there is something wrong and ignoring your pain, will just lead to further complications.

Let's Breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams become a reality! If I can't see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let's Breastfeed Program! www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog

There are no words to describe the raw pain one experiences when breastfeeding results in sore nipples. So, what is the most effective way of treating sore nipples?

There are so many lotions and potions moms are advised to buy to help prevent and treat sore nipples, but most of the time, the relief they seem to provide is minimal and in some cases, they actually exacerbate the problem, leading to a longer recovery time and a lot more pain.

Many professionals are dubious about recommending one particular brand of cream or gel, as nothing seems to have resounding results every time. Are there really creams that can help soothe sore nipples, or is it better to save your money and use some of the old fashioned tricks of years gone by.

You could argue that with the research that goes into the development of new products, one can assume that they will be effective. The lanolin products are incredibly popular at most of the breastfeeding networks and cafes, but they should be used sparingly, as overuse, will not only lead to the whole areola becoming lubricated and difficult for baby to grasp, but it can also lead to blockages of the pores, or cell growth over the pores. For a practical problem solving guide, visit www.letsbreastfeed.com

The once popular Camilosan, seems to be enjoying something of a rebirth, which gently hydrates and soothes the sore cracked area. Camomile is also known as a mild antifungal remedy, so this natural remedy has more than one useful quality.

The not so glamorous use of cabbage leaves to soothe hot and heavy breasts, is also enjoying a comeback. Many moms have found that by cutting out the base/stalk of the cabbage leaf, that has been cooled in the fridge and gently crushed before applying directly onto the nipple, provides a great amount of relief, not only to the nipple, but to the breast as well.

Other moms have found the humble used , slightly wet camomile tea bag applied to tender nipples, another source of comfort.

Let's Breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams become a reality! If I can't see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let's Breastfeed Program! www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog

There is so much conflicting advice out there regarding breastfeeding practices and from your emails, I can see that some of the information you are being given is not always true, however well intentioned. I hope you are all learning and benefiting from the practical advice you are finding on my Blog!

Keeping with the inverted nipple theme - as there are so many questions being asked, you can read about alternate breastfeeding options when faced with inverted nipples!

As always, I hope this is useful and look forward to receiving more questions and emails!

Happy feeding,

Geraldine

www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog

When moms first start reading up about breastfeeding, there seems to be a lot of bad press surrounding the introduction of bottles and nipple shields, as this could lead to sore nipples as well as nipple/teat confusion. However, for some moms, the introduction of nipple shields could be what saves breastfeeding in the long term, so if you have inverted nipples, keep an open mind.

It is really important that your baby has an opportunity to learn to breastfeed well before the introduction of nipple shields, as many moms with inverted nipples find they are able to breastfeed well, with the correct attachment technique as well as a comfortable position that optimises baby’s ability to scoop up as much breast tissue as possible.

If you do choose to use nipple shields during breastfeeds and you are able to feed well with little breast or nipple pain, make sure to keep an eye on your baby’s poos. Breastfeeding moms are usually able to tell whether baby is latched and feeding well by assessing how breastfeeding feels, but as you will have a breastfeeding tool which may prevent sore nipples, you will need to use additional tools to assess how well your baby is emptying the breast.

The colour and frequency of poos will help you gauge how much food your baby is getting through the nipple shield at each feed. You should be seeing between 6-8 yellow poos a day until your baby is roughly 3-4 weeks old. As your baby gets bigger, you may find that dirty nappies are a less frequent event. This is normal, provided your baby is gaining weight and has plenty clear, heavy wet nappies throughout the day.

Many moms are told that the use of nipple shields should only be considered a temporary measure as it can lead to your milk drying up, however I have not found this to be true in my practice!

Let's Breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams become a reality. If I can't see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let's Breastfeed Program! www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog

When breastfeeding doesn’t go well from the beginning, there many ways that you can protect your baby’s milking reflex, so that when you are both more confident, you can reintroduce breastfeeding with little trouble.

One way of protecting your baby’s milking reflex is to cup feed instead of introducing a bottle or nipple shield. Introducing a cup feed will ensure that your baby is still milking or lapping the milk from a little cup, instead of learning a whole new sucking action, commonly associated with bottle feeds.

Moms who would usually consider the introduction of cup feeds, would be moms experiencing breastfeeding problems, sore breasts, sore nipples, or even moms with inverted nipples.

As there are various degrees of inverted nipples, we can expect various time frames in which a baby and mom will master breastfeeding. For example, a mom with slightly inverted nipples, may only have minimal breastfeeding challenges in the early days. The use of a cup, will ensure that baby is able to get enough food and maintain interest in breastfeeding, until he/she is able to master latching onto the breast and milking it efficiently.

Moms who are presenting with true inverted nipples, may take a longer to master breastfeeding and so it is not uncommon for these moms to consider the use of a cup in the early days. Usually by day 5 or 6 as the baby starts to demand more food, moms will explore feeding with a nipple shield or possibly even nipple shields. Many moms do persist with cup feeding until their baby is 2 weeks or older before moving onto a Dr Browns bottle to save time and protect the baby’s milking action, whilst trying to master breastfeeding with inverted nipples.

Ultimately, I believe that you need to do what is right for your family as you will naturally want what is best for your baby!

Let's Breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams a reality. If I can't see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let's Breastfeed Program! www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog

In keeping with the inverted nipple theme, I thought I would share this case study with you as it seems to be one of the more common struggles moms with inverted nipples encounter. The characters in this next Q&A are fictional but the problem very real.

Hi Geraldine,

I hope you can help me as I am at my wits end. Breastfeeding has been really tricky from day one as my baby struggled to latch onto the breast. This resulted in hours of frustration and a number of midwives trying to help my, all with different techniques and advice, unfortunately non of which resulted in baby latching onto my breast. As Luke wasn't feeding, I was advised to give him formula by cup feeding to protect his milking reflex, but the formula went everywhere and in the end, I gave in a offered him a bottle which he drained within minutes.

Feeling guilty for starving him, I decided to try him on the breast at each feed and then give him a bottle of formula afterwards. Luke manages to latch onto the breast, but then the breast quickly slips out of his mouth, so I know he is struggling to hold onto the breast during feeds. I have inverted nipples and was told I may not be able to breastfeed, but I am hoping that there is a way I could get around this.

I would also feel much happier if I knew that he was getting my breast milk instead of formula at each feed, instead of formula. My milk came in on day 3 and I was very engorged, which made latching on more difficult for Luke. Unfortunately, I am not sure whether my supply is still high enough to satisfy him if he were to ever latch onto my breast.

Please help.

Jenny.


Hi Jenny,

It is not easy to learn a skill if you don't have clear and effective guidelines. Breastfeeding is a learned skill and as we are all individuals, we each face different challenges when learning how to feed our babies. There are many moms who have been very successful at breastfeeding even with inverted nipples, so I would like to share some of the techniques we used to get those babies onto the breast.

Inverted nipples retract when pressure is applied to the areola, the darkened area around the nipple. When Luke latches onto the breast, he will apply pressure to the areola with his upper and lower gum and this causes you nipple to retract, making it harder for him to hold onto and milk the breast tissue. Often feeding him in the underarm position or rugby hold, with him lying on his back and coming up onto the breast is helpful as gravity will pull the breast tissue down and allow it to fall into his mouth.

If you have smaller breasts, this may not work for you as your nipples will point forward. You may find the use of nipple shields more successful, as the shield sits over the nipple and creates a firm teat for your baby to hold onto. Over time, the use of a nipple shield may help to stretch the nipple tissue and result in a degree of protrusion.

The other option you do have is to express and bottle feed your baby, as you currently are. Expressing will ensure that your breasts are well drained and this will protect or increase your supply as you creating a greater demand. Be sure to express both breasts every 3 hours from the beginning of one feed to the beginning of the next. This should synchronise your supply cycle with Luke's feeds, so that when you do offer him the breast, there is enough milk to keep him interested and focused.

With the increase of your supply, you may find that latching him onto the breast becomes a little trickier as your milk starts to flow and causes the breast to become slippery. Stay calm, place a muslin over the nipple and apply firm pressure with your hand, pushing into the breast. This will stop the flow temporarily.

I hope this helps.

Geraldine


Let's Breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams become a reality. If I can't see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let's Breastfeed Program! www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog