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Receive our newsletterIndependant breastfeeding expert Geraldine Miskin addresses your questions on breastfeeding problems everything from sore nipples, to how Dad can get involved with your child's feeding.
Below you will find some common breastfeeding problems experienced by people Geraldine has worked with, read on for some practical breastfeeding advice.
It is so lovely for dads to be involved with baby as early as possible, but we do need to give you a little time to find your feet and recover from the delivery. So for this reason, it is a good idea to leave expressing and bottle feeding for 2-3 weeks. This will help you establish a good milk supply and will also afford your baby the chance to learn how to breastfeed well, without causing you any discomfort.Before offering your baby a bottle, ensure that:
• Your baby is older than 10 days
• Is not leaving you with sore nipples, feeling tender at the end of feeds
• Is draining the breast so that you are not at risk of developing mastitis
• Is gaining weight beautifully, roughly 20-30g a day
The best time to express is in the morning after the first two feeds, e.g. 7am feed and the 10am feed. Offer this milk to your baby at the 10pm feed. As you will be substituting a bottle for a breastfeed, you will need to express both breasts around 9pm before going to bed. You can freeze this milk to create a milk bank for emergencies.
Encourage your husband to be as hands on as possible until you are able to introduce a bottle-feed. He may like to do some baby wearing, skin to skin in a sling or baby massage after a baby and father bath. Alternatively, they may prefer to hang out in front of the TV, which is fine too.
Nobody likes the thought of pain, but I assure you, sore nipples can be avoided 9/10 times by following these simple steps below. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and remember that you are both learning a new skill.
Use the opposite arm to the breast you are feeding from to hold your baby. (left arm, right breast)
Pop your baby’s bottom in the crook of your arm and support baby’s cheek with your fingers. You should have the heal of your hand on baby’s upper back.
Line baby up nose to nipple when your breast is at rest. (don’t move the breast to line up with baby’s nose)
When your baby does a big wide mouth, bring baby onto the breast really quickly, applying pressure to baby’s upper back with the heal of your hand.
Your baby’s lower lip should be away from the nipple at the edge of the areola so that the nipple goes to the roof of baby’s mouth.
Ensure both cheeks are touching the breast throughout the feed, so that baby can drain both the top and lower half of the breast.
If your baby is not doing a big wide mouth, simply use your areola close to baby’s lower lip, to drag the lower lip down and open before popping baby onto the breast.
Your nipple should be round like a jelly tot if your latch is correct and will be pinched like a new lipstick if the lower lip was too close to the nipple when latching.
It would be wonderful if our bodies flashed a red light or something as the breast was emptying. Thankfully though, there is a way to gauge how full or empty the breast is, and this is by looking at your baby’s suck and swallow pattern.
Knowing when your baby is swallowing rather than just sucking is important. Whilst your baby is breastfeeding, look at the lower jaw. You will see that when your baby is sucking, the lower jaw bounces up and down pretty quickly. When your baby swallows, the lower jaw will drop slightly lower and will pause for a split second longer. You may also hear an audible bubble sound from your baby’s nose. If your baby is just sucking, your baby is calling the milk. Place a flat hand on the outer edge of the breast (away from the nipple as possible) and push inwards to flatten the breast. This creates a manual let down and you should see your baby swallowing. If not, move to another area and compress. If you have compressed the entire breast and your baby is still not swallowing, he/she is either asleep or the breast is empty. Either wake baby or offer the other side.Remember that yellow poos tell you that your baby is getting to the hind milk. Spinach green poos tell that your baby is not getting to the hind milk, so stay on the first breast a little longer, before offering the second side.
To speak with Geraldine for individual advice on breastfeeding problems view her profile.
View the full list of Greatvine experts who can offer breastfeeding advice.
