latch question..

[@llli*jennygal]

Ok - so even though I nursed DS until he was 14 months old, I feel clueless again!

DD is transferring milk and all that jazz, except my nipples got very cracked. They are healing, but very slowly...and I know it's because I wasn't latching her correctly. I am trying to correct that now, and can definitely feel the difference between a good latch and a bad one....but I just don't really know what I'm doing differently when I get a good latch vs. bad latch.

My question is: I know you are supposed to have your nipple towards their nose, and then their bottom jaw should make contact first...so - does the top of their mouth come up and over your nipple? Or does it sort of slide across your nipple and suck it in as they latch?

I feel like when she comes up and over, she ends up with the nipple in the middle of her mouth, with her top lip clamping on the base of my nipple - causing cracks...instead of slightly off center like it should be.

I hope this post makes sense...if anyone knows of any good latch videos of a newborn, I'd love to see them. All the videos I've found are of slightly older newborns, and not the wobbly, delicate little ones.

TIA for trying to decipher this and help me out!

[@llli*auderey]

Lots of good videos here:
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/conte...agename=videos

The hot thing right now is "laid back" breastfeeding or "biological nurturing" which is when you lean back (at whatever angle is comfortable to you) and put baby on your chest and let baby latch herself. Turns out they mostly know what they're doing, and if you put your nipple near her face, baby will use her face to root to the nipple, and if she's too far away then she'll use her hands to try to find it first. she'll open her mouth and take in the nipple from below. it's hard to explain, but if you make a fist and pretend your pointer finger knuckle is the nipple, then open your mouth to latch, you can see how it'll be for baby. if you come up from below the fist, you'll get more knuckle in your mouth, further back (which is what you want), as opposed to trying to open your mouth really big and taking the knuckle straight on. another way to picture it is how you would eat a too-tall sandwich: you open your mouth, raise your head, and chomp down from the top. i hope some of that makes sense. I learned all this from Catherine Watson Genna last month - she's the IBCLC who's the expert on sucking skills (and has several books about it). (self-hijack: It was so cool! she has an MRI of a baby nursing - you can see the milk ducts open and the tongue moving and the swallowing!)

another way of doing it is to tickle her frenulum (top lip) with the nipple and she'll open for it. again, that means she's coming at the nipple from below.

[@llli*yoginimama]

Sorry about the pain, mama! The Dr. Newman videos the PP posted are some of the best out there.

You may also want to think about some APNO to help heal yourself. The recipe is listed under the thrush section, but it can help heal: http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...cles&Itemid=17

Another thing to consider is letting your breasts get air. I also had some breast shells that I got at Babies R Us that helped with healing by allowing them air and nothing touching them. There are several different brands out there. They range around $10 - $14. Total lifesaver.

I hope it's getting better.

[@llli*auderey]

Another thing to consider is letting your breasts get air.

go topless as much as possible

[@llli*yoginimama]

Yea, but the shells can help if you have to have people over or need to leave the house. They get air and nothing touches you with your shirt on.

[@llli*jennygal]

Thank you all!! Thanks for the videos - they definitely helped. I still can't figure out exactly what I'm doing differently each time - but I'm going to check out several BFing support groups in my area...the next LLL meeting in my area isn't until the end of next week, but I'm definitely going to go.

I walk around topless as much as possible, but didn't even think of using breast shells....GREAT idea!! You should see me trying to put my clothes on - I carefully place each breast into the bra in slow motion...LOL. And I always end up stuck to the bra or shirt or nursing pad because the scabs form...it's awful. Breast shells would help resolve that too.

Thanks again for the suggestions and the video links.

[@llli*auderey]

good luck! KUP!