[lilz]

help
i need advice- My daughter is 9 weeks old & has had a few medical issues and recently just out of special care nursery- whilst in there & her going through so much drs & midwives suggested not to breast feed
its something ive always wanted to do- so since she was born ive been expressing each feed so she has breast milk- yep im still doing it- so i have recently tried her an she is latching on but she is near biting down hard on my nipple that its bruising my nipple.
any advice would be greatly appreciated in helping me teach her to open up big- and stay that way!
she is also havingf bowel issues-0 going from constipation too then loose bowelo motions- feeling extremely agitated, grunting , crying, irritable whilst feeding- im thinking she may be lactose intolerant- has anyone been thru similar symptoms or could advise me on some or suggest a formula i may be able too help her with!!

Its actually near bleeding on my left nipple- black/purple bruising - should i keep persisting- rest up till they feel better and keep expressing?

Many many Thanks

"_) XXX

This post has been edited by lilz: 24/07/2012, 07:52 PM

[deejie]

I'm sorry the medical and nursing staff were not supportive of your desire to breastfeed whilst your daughter was in special care nursery.

The major issue you are facing is that the physical mechanisms of extracting milk from a bottle and milk from a breast are very different. Your daughter doesn't know how to latch correctly on to a breast, all she knows is the bottle. Can she learn? Yes, although it might take a while and will be some work and persistence on your behalf. The best person to speak to would be a private lactation consultant who can visit you in your home and help you get your baby latching correctly at the breast. There is a pinned sticky in the breastfeeding forum on how to find one locally: http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/forums/ind...howtopic=846852
or you could always post your location here and someone will be able to recommend you one via PM.

feeling extremely agitated, grunting , crying, irritable whilst feeding- im thinking she may be lactose intolerant- has anyone been thru similar symptoms or could advise me on some or suggest a formula i may be able too help her with!!

Primary lactose intolerance is very rare, https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/lactose.html
The easiest and most digestible food for your baby is breastmilk.
Is your daughter showing these symptoms when attempting to feed from the breast (frustration at not being able to feed properly?) or when she is feeding from the bottle? (flow too fast, too slow?)

its something ive always wanted to do

You know what? You *are* breastfeeding OP. You are giving your baby your wonderful breastmilk. Just because you feed it to her in a bottle rather than directly from the breast makes you no less of a breastfeeding mother in my books. If anything, exclusively expressing is even harder. I have the utmost admiration for Mums who express full time for their babies. You are doing a wonderful job.

I hope you can find a lactation consultant who can help you get your baby back to the breast. Hang in there!

[lady lady]

OP - Congrats on your LO!!

Do you have access to an LC? If so, I would get some professional supportive help. My DD used to flatten my nipple into a pancake.

I saw an LC once a week for about 5 weeks as well as called the BF clinic and ABA for advice and support inbetween each LC visit.

I also found kellymom.com to be a great inspiration and wealth of knowledge.

Paitence and persistance are the two things that helped me overcome the BF battle ... Remember to relax and get some rest (which feels impossible sometimes) .....

This post has been edited by lady lady: 25/07/2012, 10:02 AM

[knowsnotmuch]

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This post has been edited by knowsnotmuch: 01/03/2013, 04:32 PM

[Tommypops]

For me, the key was the support I received from the Australoan Breastfeeding Association and lactation consultants. Breast feeding was something that I was absolutely determined to do and it isn't easy but something which I found a lot easier with the support of others and a lot of perserverance.
There are a few mums in my peer group who gave up breast feeding and now look back and say they wish they'd just called someone for help and maybe things would have been different. Lactation consultants have solutions for the vast majority of breast feeding issues.
All the best with your journey, OP!

[CharliMarley]

Absolutely what the others have said about lactation consultants. They are trained extremely well to know all about breastfeeding and if you cannot get to the lactaton consultant you had at the hospital, where you gave birth, then a private lactation consultant could come and watch you do a feed and give you all the help you need. It is well worth the money she charges. You need to get onto this ASAP.

[CharliMarley]

Ring the ABA helpline and the counsellor will give you 3 lactation consultants to chose from, in your area.