Latching on help!!!!
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21939
Printed Date: 12 September 2025 at 12:50am
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Topic: Latching on help!!!!
Posted By: FionaO
Subject: Latching on help!!!!
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 10:32am
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I know there is a thread on breast feeding tips, but I couldn't see if anyone had mentioned anything to do with latching on. Since ds was born latching on has been a problem, we stayed in hospital for 3 days mainly cos he just wouldn't do it, with much effort a million midwives input he finally got it and we got to go home. he does feed but latching on is still a problem, sometimes it takes just 5 mins sometimes its more like 40 mins and then he gets so sleep after just a couple of minutes feeding that I really have to wake him to carry on. Its driving me insane, getting one feed in him last night took 2 hours. He gets the nipple in his mouth ok and then its like he forgets what to do next, he will suck once and then give up and we start all over again. Any tips or should I go and see an LC. Just worried the stress and tears from us both means he is not getting a good feed. ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: MonicaMouse
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 10:46am
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If it was me, I would be asking for help. When are you due to see your MW next, or do you have any friends that are BF? Look on the internet to find videos may help.
Are you getting lots of wet nappies? This can sometimes tell you that enough fluid is going in. Let us know how you get on ------------- 
Blair 15/10/2007 Daniel 30/07/2009 |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 11:12am
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I'd definitely give your midwife a call. In the first instance she can come and sit and watch you do a feed to see where the problems are and try and offer some advice. She can also weigh him which will give you an idea whether or not he is getting enough at each feed, good weight gains = good intake, as do wet nappies as MonicaMouse suggested.
If your midwife can't get things sorted for you she'll be able to refer you to a lactation consultant. Plunket Family Centres are also a good source of support with feeding but they generally won't see you till baby is 3-4 weeks old. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 11:18am
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Oh and from a purely practical point of view, it's really hard to give latching advice online without being able to show you what I mean lol but I've found it helps to position baby, then brush baby's nose with your nipple in a downwards motion towards baby's mouth, this will stimulate him to open his mouth nice and wide ready to latch. If you get a nice wide mouth then you can latch him as the nipple reaches his mouth, if it's not wide enough then brush over his nose again.
Hope that makes sense! And don't get disheartened, Chiara is baby #4 and was born feeding just about but in the early days I still had times where it took me forever to get her latched, I remember it taking 12 mins to latch her in the middle of the night one night only to have her feed fo two mins and go to sleep  ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 11:19am
LOL do you know how long it took to type all that with one hand and big blue eyes looking at me  ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: lottieandharry
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 2:11pm
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I would say see a LC! I had awful probs with both kids but I never saw an LC cos I kept thinking that it would sort itself out. Eventually it did but I could have avoided a lot of the problems if I had have seen a LC. Hindsight is a great thing!!!!
Where in the country are you? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: monster
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 5:04pm
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Definitely see someone if you can. One little tip for stimulating the sucking reflex is to stroke his cheek up near his ear once he's latched. Hope that helps a little. -------------   
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 5:25pm
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i think the longest it ever took to latch toby on was 2 hours, and that was a 3am feed ... pure agony for both of us.
funnily enough i found a dummy really helpful in teaching him to latch and suck repeatedly. i gave him one one day and he sucked it quite well. and the next feed after that was fab. he was only a couple of weeks old and i think i only gave it to him occasionaly and then once he really got the hang of latching and sucking i stopped using it. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: my2girls
Date Posted: 25 October 2008 at 8:17pm
| I had latching problems in the early days with both girls, i ended up using nipple sheilds which helped me heaps, i used them for the first few weeks. I would definately get your midwife or a LC to give you a hand, you will get there!! |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 26 October 2008 at 9:32am
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I would definitly seek help from a lactation consultant, but also, when Caden was having trouble latching I would do what Emma mentioned, brush my nipple from his nose down over his lips and that would cause him to open up wide and I would quckiy latch him on and he would have a decent about of breast tissue in his mouth so he could suck well.
Good Luck Hun, I now how hard breastfeeding can be for mother and baby! ------------- |
Posted By: pikelets
Date Posted: 26 October 2008 at 10:12am
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I had problems early on and got very damaged nipples. I rang my midwife and saw her the same day. I am still so glad I saw her because she really helped alot.
I would recommend trying your midwife first. Im not sure where you are but if you are on the North Shore there is a Family Centre on Shakespeare Road, Milford that helps as well for free. Good luck hun. BF is hard but with the right help you will be fine. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
3 Angels - Dec10 / Mar11 / Dec11
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Posted By: FionaO
Date Posted: 26 October 2008 at 1:47pm
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thanks ladies, weirdly enough yesterday he was pretending to know what he was doing again we go through phases, my mw has now gone on holiday so i see the back up one and hoping she might be more helpful mine just seems to think perseverance is the only way, which it probably is but some tips would help!!! I will try the dummy and stroking near the ear. He can get a good mouthful but then its like he forgets what he came for and just does not suck, this morning he turned a lovely shade of purple getting so worked up about it, luckily he had a long sleep last night so I could cope better. we'll see how we go today!! -------------
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Posted By: chonny
Date Posted: 29 October 2008 at 10:29am
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fiona, that's what david was doing over the weekdn when we tried to latch him on my sore side. they sense aprehension in us. Have you wondered about a shield? they help push the nipple back further & i find it stimulates the sucking more. but a dummy would do same thing i guess. I no for david, it was taking ten mins of me in pure agony to try get him latched & he would only latch & suck well if he had a good amount in his mouth & if it was flowing. he is lazy. deffiantely talk to the mw tho hun! it's well worth it. & state that you want help not, just reassurance, you want advice. -------------   
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