Still can't get a good latch. Tips?

Question

I'm 5 weeks in and still can't get a good latch. Bubs continually clicks on and off during feeds. 
I've seen a lactation consultant but still can't get it.  
What are your tips?

Answer

We had to use a nipple shield at first and still occasionally do. When I was researching it a lot of people seemed against them but the way I see it, it stopped us from switching to formula and if she's growing just fine that's what matters.

Answer

Has your baby been checked for tongue & lip tie?

Weather he has or hasn't, you may want to find a la leche league in your area (can be found on their website & it's totally free), the league leaders are usually much better at diagnosing tongue & lip tie than hospital lactation consultants. Well, theyre better for basically everything breastfeeding related than the hospital LCs, in my opinion lol.

If baby hasn't figured out how to get a good latch after this long, my money is on to tongue/lip tie. Have them check for posterior as well as anterior tongue tie and lip tie. Lots of people don't check for posterior because it's harder to feel for so it often goes missed.

Usually babies figure out a good latch on their own, if it's been this long, it's probably that he physically can't latch properly

Answer

My LO doesn't have a good latch so use a nipple guard and it's worked great.

Answer

Mines 4 now, they do outgrow it eventually! In the moment it seems never ending though lol.

Answer

I feel ya girl, my boy is the same way, he's 5 wks too. I know his latch is wrong because my nipples come out squished and it's uncomfortable. Went to LC and I feel like they weren't very helpful either :( let me know if you figure anything out. He feeds for ever and I think it's cause he's not getting milk effectively

Answer

It was hard and took us a while. It got better with time and the pacifier helped a lot too.

Answer

Mine is almost 7 weeks, and we have used a nipple shield since the hospital. Latch issues with no tongue or lip tie here. The nipple shield has made it much more comfortable for me to allow him to nurse. I will say his latch has improved with manually fixing it and doing some suck training with a pacifier. I think time has made his tongue more coordinated as well. When my breasts are engorged and hard, especially in the morning after baby sleeps 6-7 hrs, I have used a heating pad for a few mins prior to nursing and that helps as well.

Answer

You can try a different position, and making your breast flat, I think they call it a hamburger fold! I'm guessing a tie or possibly you're engorged? That can cause some trouble with latching. LLL or breastfeed USA are great resources. Even a phone call can do wonders! Are you in pain or anything unusual? You want as much areola in their mouth as possible. You might also have a heavy let down. Have you even noticed chocking, or pulling away when the clicking starts? Is it a constant bad latch or a few min into it?

Answer

Try different positions for feeding. Sometimes it's easier for bubba to latch on in certain position (like the football hold). Some tips from the lactation consultant that were helpful was
 1. Don't push your boob in baby's mouth; instead push baby's open mouth/head onto your boob 
2. Sometimes you will need to manually adjust baby's latch after they have latched on e.g. Pulling their bottom lip down with your finger so that it flares out 
3. Make a thumbs up next to your areola so that the nipple is pushed upwards when baby is feeding.

Lastly, check out the LLL in your area. They are super helpful in getting women resolve breastfeeding issues.

Still can't get a good latch. Tips?

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