Help! My almost 4 week old won't open his mouth wide during nursing and my poor nipples are a mess! I know he can open wide bc of yawns/crying but whenever I try to get him to latch he either opens wide briefly and then chomps down on the nipple mid entry or doesn't open wide at all. I've had 2 lactation consultants come out and they say he'll grow it but I don't know if my poor nipples can wait! Does anyone have any tips or been through this with their LO?
Thanks!
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I usually have to support my little guy's head with my other hand and when he roots, I shove the whole nipple in there. One thing that many moms don't take into account with BF'ing pain is that even if the "top" part of the latch looks good, sometimes the "bottom" part is not so good. In that case, you can try to gently push the chin down while your LO is latched to encourage a wider mouth and better bite.
I also made sure to try and flip the upper lip out to get him into better position.
Definitely search some youtube videos on latching, because they can help.
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I second watching youtube videos.
The weird part for me nursing a newborn is how quickly you have to get them on. My LC had me hold her just below the neck and really pull her on quickly. Using the neck/shoulders helps get a deeper latch.
Good luck mama! BFing gets so much better hang in there. -
@kbm1026: I had this issue with LO. What my LC taught me was to hold my breast with my hand cupping it in a C but to specifically hold my thumb and ring finger around the edges of the areola and when you go to put your nipple to his mouth your fingers will help him open his mouth wider and you can use your thumb to nudge his mouth open a little wider.
I think I have some photos from a link she sent me, too. Will edit with the link once I find it.
ETA: Here's the link, just look at the photos, you don't need to read the article if you don't want to: http://thefunnyshapedwoman.blogspot.com/2011/03/introducing-maxillary-labial-frenulum.html
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Not much advice that hasn't already been shared, but we had to gently push her chin down once she latched the first time, just to get her to open wide enough. For the first while, it took both me and DH to get positioning correct. Hope it works out soon!
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Thanks ladies, this was so helpful!
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