https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:59:14 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264377 Sun, 16 Aug 2015 06:03:26 +0000 delight 2264377@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Things turned around for us around the 8w mark and after that it was smooth sailing. Before that her latch was incredibly shallow and It was so painful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264369 Sun, 16 Aug 2015 04:53:45 +0000 Mrsk 2264369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It got better for us around the 6 week mark. He just seemed to mature enough that he could get a good deep latch without much work from me (sandwich, 'teasing' him with the nipple to get him to open wide, and then shoving it in his mouth quickly). My midwife also suggested putting a clean finger in his mouth and eventually getting him to suck further and further back to get him used to where the nipple should be and also deepen his gag reflex. You can do this right before every feed for a minute that way he coordinates his suck before you latch him on. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264214 Sat, 15 Aug 2015 14:34:56 +0000 sarac 2264214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have small baby/big boob issues, so I've had a bit of this with both children. I find a good sandwich hold on my boob to really, really help. That and just letting her get bigger have helped - her latch has really improved in the three weeks since birth. We're even able to side lie nurse on both sides now. </p> <p>My new baby is a really fast nurser, so I'm also dealing with a lot of air swallowing issues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264190 Sat, 15 Aug 2015 12:52:01 +0000 simplyfelicity 2264190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaCate: We've had quite a struggle, too, and it didn't start turning a corner until 5-6 weeks (so it's been like a week.) I put him on one time and it didn't hurt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264158 Sat, 15 Aug 2015 11:06:15 +0000 blackbird 2264158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaCate: ah ok ok. I was spending 50 min just trying to get him ON for awhile and it was just very counterproductive </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264150 Sat, 15 Aug 2015 10:45:16 +0000 MamaCate 2264150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: Thanks! I should have clarified it is about 5 minutes of trying to get a decent latch then having LO actually feed for 10 or so minutes, slowly, per side, so that is how I get to 30. And we are not doing it every time. I guess I have to hope that more reps will lead to improvement if there is going to be any. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264145 Sat, 15 Aug 2015 10:16:47 +0000 blackbird 2264145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaCate: our LC suggested trying for 10 min before moving on because otherwise they get too tired! That might help stress you out less </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264126 Sat, 15 Aug 2015 09:19:17 +0000 MamaCate 2264126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: @Bubbles: thanks ladies! I am pretty sure his tongue tie is fine--based on how I see him using it and checking the clip site. I think I am going to give it one more good shot--having him try to latch at every feed this week and see if things get better. It is just so time consuming to try latching for 30 minutes, then feed a bottle while pumping for another 20 minutes. It is almost LO's whole awake time! But if we can make some progress I will feel more encouraged </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264098 Sat, 15 Aug 2015 07:19:06 +0000 Bubbles 2264098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO had a tongue tie clipped at 5 months, and it took him a good 3 or 4 weeks after that to learn how to latch properly, and that was with bfing for every feed and obvs a much older baby. There can be issues with reattachment, so maybe worth getting LO checked for that if you get the chance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2264055 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 22:23:50 +0000 blackbird 2264055@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>T's tongue tie took probably a couple weeks for us to rebound. Other issues would come up, but he seemed to be gaining control of his mouth better. It's like he wasn't coordinated. His mouth still looked rough a week after and was causing him pain, too. I fed exclusively in cross cradle for awhile and as he got bigger, I could switch to side laying. It's like his mouth wasn't big enough for that position for awhile </p> <p>You can also try the "laid back" breastfeeding position, which can help with poor coordination in the meantime. I didn't discover that for awhile </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263919 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 18:16:05 +0000 travellingbee 2263919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaCate: no we did several weighed feedings and he was getting enough. It just hurt like hell and took forever. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263892 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 17:37:48 +0000 MamaCate 2263892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: good luck to you too! It has been such an emotional roller coaster for me with these nursing difficulties that I have been surprised. I am almost not wanting to get my hopes up again that we might be able to nurse because I had begun to resign myself to EPing before this week. </p> <p>@Anagram: that sounds so painful! LO had an anterior tongue tie that was obvious from birth so we had it clipped on day 3. He initially seemed to latch okay with the nipple shield after that but lost weight. I am glad you are not having transferring issues and I hope it gets better soon for you too!</p> <p>@Freckles: @travellingbee: thanks ladies! 8 weeks is not too far away so maybe there is a chance for us. Did you have any issues with transferring? I am doing the sandwich hold and trying to get the positioning right but he tends to slide off over time. It is so helpful to hear from other people who have been through it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263881 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 17:16:53 +0000 Freckles 2263881@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: sandwich hold! Yes, that's what I meant...oh gosh, sleep deprivation... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263849 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 16:34:16 +0000 travellingbee 2263849@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>His head got big enough to deepen his latch around 7/8 weeks. After that it just got easier and easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263834 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 16:03:04 +0000 Anagram 2263834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in the same(ish) boat right now---except my LO seems to be transferring fine, just with a vampire latch. She's definitely lip tied, so I suspect a posterior tongue tie as well, but haven't had time yet to get it check out--maybe next week. She's a week old today.</p> <p>In the meantime, my nipples are on day 7 of spotting blood after every feed, and that's with using the nipple shield. HOWEVER, the pain is not as bad as it was with LO #1, who had tongue and lip ties PLUS a tight jaw (so she couldn't open very wide), so I'm trying to power through till LOs mouth gets bigger.</p> <p>The "sandwich" technique really helps when I get it just right...but I have big boobs so I really have to compress a lot of tissue to make the sandwich. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263817 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:30:01 +0000 Freckles 2263817@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For LO1 it took 8 weeks before I told the LC "I think something is wrong - it doesn't hurt." :silly: one LC said she had a tongue tie and my ped disagreed so I didn't clip it. She had a shallow latch though and I shudder thinking about the cracking, bleeding and blisters! it took less time with LO2. I found that compressing the boob with a C hold and quickly shoving it in his mouth helped the most. </p> <p>I hope it gets better for you soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263795 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:07:47 +0000 Torchwood 2263795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Count me in the no advice but plenty of commiserations column. LO's ties are corrected, so she's slowly improving, but it's *very* slow. She doesn't stay on for long (I think she gets frustrated), and doesn't transfer much. I'll be pumping for a while yet, and I am so ready to be done. She's less than a week adjusted, so I'm trying to focus on that instead of that its been 8 weeks almost. Like I said, no advice, but I really hope it improves for us all very soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263696 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:27:19 +0000 MamaCate 2263696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsH: glad i am not alone! LO was able to get on with a somewhat decent latch this morning and I let him do 15 minutes each side, but I don't think he transferred much. He still scarfed down a 3 oz bottle of pumped milk! I know it is early and I am trying to be patient... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263688 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:20:01 +0000 MrsH 2263688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No advice but I can commiserate. DD2 is almost 4 weeks and has a very shallow latch that doesn't allow her to transfer well and causes pain for me, blood blisters, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/shallow-latch-when-did-it-get-better#post-2263685 Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:16:42 +0000 MamaCate 2263685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is almost 5 weeks old. He had a tongue tie and initial latch issues that led to me EPing beginning at 2 weeks old in spite of seeing LCs twice after hospital discharge. I am hoping to be able to return to breastfeeding at some point and have been trying once or twice a day this week. The problem is that LO will latch now (he couldn't latch at all before) but it is very shallow. I am doing everything that the LCs said to promote a deeper latch but I am not sure it is working. I am worried that his anatomy (palette and tongue tie) will prevent this from working. </p> <p>If your LO had a shallow latch, did it improve? How long did it take? Any advice? Thanks! </p>