☆International Families☆コミュのBreastfeeding help needed!

So I am back at home with the challenge of raising two under-two year olds - yikes, what have I got myself into?!?!

Instead of feeling happy to be a new Mum, I am a bit miserable, to be honest. When I first had my daughter, I gave up on breastfeeding before I had really given it a chance. Afterwards, I regretted my decision, and decided that for any future children, I would make myself breastfeed. It has been 10 days since my baby boy has been born and I have breastfed only. I think I received ill advice at the hospital however, which led me to having very sore, cracked and bleeding nipples... From what I have read (in English), latching on (when baby first takes breast in his mouth) is the most important part, and an incorrect latch-on, usually when baby is just sucking on the nipple and not the area around it, is the cause of sore nipples.

I went back to my hospital last Saturday, after a few days of feeling miserable and pretty much non-stop crying. They massaged me, which helped the milk flow, but they told me I had to "gaman" about the nipple situation, and when I mentioned incorrect latch-on, they had absolutely NO idea what I was talking about.

Bottom line is this:

I don't want to give up

But my feelings towards my baby are not favourable at the moment. I am quite down and exhausted..dreading the next feed all the time.

If anybody has ANY advice, it would be so greatly appreciated!

Laura (sore sore sore)

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[1] mixiユーザー 07月01日 23:23

Hi Laura,
Are you here in Japan? Whereabouts are you located? Sorry to hear that you're going through a rough patch. Having children isn't as easy as everyone thinks eh. I felt the same way you did when my daughter was born. But she's already 3 and it's soooo much easier now! Hang in there.

As for breastfeeding, I have two friends who are midwives. They both speak English a little, so I'll ask them if they have any advice for you. Also, for the time being, maybe you could use a breast pump? I know they have rental ones. I'll try to find the website for you. ;)

Also, you might find this forum useful. I couldn't have survived the first few months after my daughter was born without the help from all the ladies there. Hope you will find it useful as well! http://www.conceptionandsomuchmore.com/directory

[2] mixiユーザー 07月02日 10:46

トゥインクル,

Yes, I'm in Maebashi, Gunma. Thanks for your reply. I haven't been able to get much help from the midwives I spoke to here, but any advice really would be greatly appreciated!

I know what you mean about age making things easier (in some ways!). My daughter is almost two now, and compared to the feeding thing, she is a dream! Shame we don't realise how easy our life is until it gets harder, eh?

I have a breast pump, that I am using now and then, but I am hoping that the more he feeds from the breast, the better things will get. I am not really sure how good a long-term prospect that will be for us, as I keep reading in lots of places that breastfeeding shouldn't hurt..hmm!

I'll check out the forum too. Thank you so much for your help!

Laura

[3] mixiユーザー 07月02日 22:13

Hi again,
Here's a rough translation of what my friend said.

"This is a very common experience for breastfeeding mothers. You can usually get some lanolin oil/cream from the hospital if you ask for it. But, with a little time, your nipples will get tougher and the cracking and bleeding will stop. If you have too much pain, you can manually pump your breasts for the time being. Do not disinfect the nipples before feeding like they teach you in the hospital if they are cracked and bleeding quite a bit. Also, do not use soap on them in the shower or bath. If you can put up with the pain, try to continue. If you think the baby is latching on incorrectly, it may be because your nipples are too hard. (especially if you haven't breastfed much before.) If they are hard before feeding, then try to massage them before feeding for a few minutes before giving the breast to the baby. Squeeze some milk out with your hands or pump and then give the breast to the baby. One more thing is, you could try a nipple shield until the cracking and bleeding lessens. "

Good luck, I hope that is useful for you!!

[4] mixiユーザー 07月03日 10:05

Thank you

[5] mixiユーザー 07月05日 22:01

Twinkle,

Thanks for the help. I joined the forum that you suggested, and the people there were so friendly and helpful. It really helped to know that other people had had troubles before and to know that I could get things off my chest!

As for the feeding, a midwife came to visit me today, and baby is gaining 100 grammes per feed - yikes! Feed, poo, feed, poo, you get the picture!

Anyway, things are getting better slowly but surely. We are getting used to feeding now and I am definitely less sore than I was. After watching an online video about latching on, I learned to stuff more in his mouth, so things are ok on that front!

Thanks again for your help