sensitive gag reflex - just go with a bad latch?

[@llli*duckpond]

So, I think I've finally gotten things in hand with the cracking I had after Mollie was born. We worked on her tongue motion during nursing, and that is better. The important thing is that my nipples are healed, and they mostly don't hurt anymore.

However. Mollie has a *tremendously* sensitive gag reflex. I haven't found a pacifier that doesn't make her throw up. She will gag at the breast if much of my areola is in her mouth. So, she mostly nurses on the nipple. She seems to be able to draw milk out after letdown just fine. And it doesn't really hurt. Until the very end. And by the end of the feed, it is sometimes quite sharply painful. Other times not. But I have also had some vasospasm as long as I can remember, so it may be that. It may also be a resurgence of the deep breast yeast issue that I was dealing with during pregnancy.

Anyway. I guess I wonder what the latching goal is with a gaggy baby. Will it be okay to just go with the shallow latch that is mostly just fine in terms of comfort? Or will it eventually interfere with production or do damage or something? And if I should try more to correct it, how does one go about achieving a deeper latch with a baby who vomits (not spitting up, serious multiple retch vomiting episodes) with anything in the back of their throat?

Things are actually great, but I am curious if I am creating a problem for myself down the line. Thanks so much, all of you!

[@llli*Leslie]

Teal, call me. You just described Joey to a t.

[@llli*duckpond]

Thank you, Leslie.

[@llli*juno]

I didn't know this can happen with babies. A lot of the gag reflex is mental so I just had no idea this could happen with babies! Sucks that you are dealing with this. I'm interested in what Leslie has to say on it.

[@llli*mommal]

I think you're okay with a shallow latch as long as it feels okay. DD2 had a really sensitive gag reflex, and it got a lot better with time. I think a lot of the problem for us was oversupply. Once that calmed down, the gagging diminished.

[@llli*Leslie]

What I told Teal on the phone was to try to work through the gag reflex. Because I let the shallow latch go on and ended up with really low supply and going on domperidone at 8mos. I wish that I had tried a little harder to get her latched on better.

I will with this next one.

[@llli*Samiha]

Levi has an extremely sensitive gag reflex, and for him I think it was because of reflux. He had to be on meds until right after he turned 2.