Being told that you will have problems breastfeeding before your baby even arrives, is daunting and a little stressful, so let me show you how you can over come some common problems.
Remember that everyone is different and every baby is different. Not many people will look inside your baby’s mouth when helping you attach your baby, but this is a very important part of getting it right.
So if you have flat or inverted nipples, have a quick look inside your baby’s mouth so that you can see what space your breast needs to fit into. If your baby has a high and narrow arched palate, you will need to shape your breast into a teat, the same way baby’s mouth opens. This is usually done by placing your thumb and index finger at 3 and 9 o’clock and pinching the tissue together and then once your baby does a big wide mouth, you bring baby onto the breast as quickly as possible applying pressure to baby’s upper back and shoulder area.
Make sure that your areola is nice and soft, so that your baby is able to scoop up the breast tissue and help the nipple go right to the back of the mouth, out of harms way. To soften the areola, simply massage the milk that has collected just behind the nipple, back into the breast. By doing it this way, you will not increase milk production by expressing milk off before the feed.
Some mums find pumping for a few mintues quite helpful, as it pulls the nipple out and makes it easier for baby to latch, however, I would only suggest this if the breast is not over full and engorged, as we do not want to create further engorgement or problems.
If you need more practical advice, have a look at the sore nipples guide. The Positioning and Attachment Bonus is really useful in getting a good and pain free latch.
Much love,
Geraldine
Tags: breastfeeding problems, breastfeeding tips, flat nipples, inverted nipples, nipple shields