Breastfeeding/Trouble latching

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Expert: - 5/8/2006


Question
Hello! My son is 12 days old and is having a hard time latching on correctly.  My breasts are pretty large and I feel as though this could be the cause.  When he latches on I can get him to open wide and at first he latches on well within a minute he is sucking on the nipple.  When he is nursing he is sucking hard and I can hear the air traveling to his stomach.  I try over and over to get him to stay latched on right but it just doesn't seem to work and is beginning to get very stressful.  Also, he is taking in so much air that he is gagging, choking, and spitting up.  I'm worried about him.  My doctor told me to pump and give it to him through a bottle. I am but some days it's not enough.  Today I gave him some formula because I was so frustrated and he was hungry.  I really don't want to give up.  What should I do?  He took to the formula really well.  Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Answer
Dear Luana,

First, congratulations for giving your baby the best start in life by breastfeeding him!

I'm sorry that he -- and you -- are having such a hard time getting started. The first two weeks are usually the hardest time in the course of breastfeeding, so I'm glad that you are not giving up.

There are a few things that might be going on here. You might be producing so much milk that it is too much for your baby to swallow -- and rather than swallowing air, it is the abundance of milk. Or because of your large breasts, his nose may be blocked and he may be having problems breathing. You say that some days when you pump it's not enough -- you never produce as much milk through a pump as you do for a vigorously suckling baby.

I would urge you to find a lactation consultant who can watch your baby nursing, diagnose the problem and help the two of you. To find one in your area, you can contact the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) by email at info@ilca.org or by phone at 919-861-5577.

Or you can contact a local La Leche League chapter -- through the website, www.lalecheleague.org or by phone at 800-525-3243.

Good luck!

Sally

Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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