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For sleepy baby - diaper changes, talking loudly, wash your hands in cold water and put them on her, or take a cold washcloth and wipe her face or put it on her body, tickle or flick the feet. If she is on the bokb, blow on her head or massage behind her ears and massage your breast toward the nipple to get the milk flowing and your baby interested. I've done all of these and some combo usually works. Sometimes sleep just wins out though.

First off - congratulations on your lo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We would wake our sleepy baby with a cold wet washcloth. She would get angry but it would make her want to eat! Feed every two hours, timing from the start of the last feed, to get good milk production started from you. Don't stress about using formula, we used it too because she lost so much weight.

More than anything else, I suggest what @hilsy85 said, See.A.Lactation.Consultant. Serious, they are amazing!! I wish I had seen one sooner.

@highwire: use these breast shells in between nursing:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Comfort-Breast-Shells-2-Pack/dp/B000058DQJ

makes it easier for your lo to latch on. i've recommended them to moms who say it changed breastfeeding forever!

My LO would always fall asleep during nursing sessions but I knew he wasn't full yet. I would take him out of his swaddle blanket and also undress him down to just a onesie. Warm babies = sleepy babies. When he started to fall asleep I would burp him to wake him back up - sometimes he was burped 3 or 4 times during a session. I also had flat nipples and highly recommend using a nipple shield, even if a LC tells you not to. After a couple weeks I slowly transitioned him to nursing without the shield and he never got hooked on using it.

@travelgirl1: the nipple shields are a hassle to put on every time. the shells push your nipples out so they aren't flat. then you can just breastfeed without the nipple shield. kind of a pain to wear them, but still vastly better than the nipple shield, and once breastfeeding is established, you won't need the shells anymore.

I also loved the shells! I'm about to fall asleep but so passionate about breastfeeding now that i had to chime in.

a combo of the following helped me: the breast shells (though i had ameda ones from the hospital), soothie gel pads (HEAVEN!!), pumping for a minute prior to feeding to draw nipple out and relieve some of my over active letdown as to not choke her, tickling the crown of her head when she got sleepy and feeding her either skin to skin or just in pjs, not swaddled!

you can doooo it!

also - lactation consultant. seriously.

The shells made a huge difference for us as well. We also used the shield just for the first minute or 2 of nursing, until the suction helped to bring the nipple out, then unlatched baby from the shield and latched him onto the bare nipple, that really helped until the connective tissue was more broken down.

I always undressed LO for nursing sessions during the first month because she fell asleep so fast!

Good luck! She is beautiful!

I used something called a latch assist and it worked wonders! It's like a suction cup for your nipples, it pulls them out so that it's easier for a baby to get a good latch. I swear by that thing. I used it for the first month.

Good luck!!! And congrats :):)

Btw my milk came in on the third day so hopefully yours comes in soon!oh and I echo seeing an LC or calling your local la leche league leader!

I put Medela shells in my bra in between feedings. Helped to draw out flat nipples and to let them air dry/heal from being sore. It was why I succeeded bf'ing the 2nd time because it allowed the baby to latch on easier and correctly. (I didn't know about them the first time and I think they would've helped me a ton). Call a LC too... Definitely! Good luck!

I don't have any tips as I'm not there yet but CONGRATS!! Hope you're loving being a Mama and recovery is going well.

@Mrs. Tricycle: the only problem with the shield may be that your lo gets used to the feeling of the shield and you have to wean them off it, whereas with the shells there's nothing to wean off of.

but yah milk collects in the shells so you should wear breast pads over them.

I just wanted to say this thread was a lifesaver! Slowly starting to nurse after a late start due to c-section. I have all the same issues as highwire. Nipple shields work but trying to avoid them. Going to try the pumping before and icecube tricks next.

I don't usually have flat nipples but I did when my milk came in (I was so engorged that my nipple ended up stretched flat). It was awful! I used the nipple shields for a little while until my engorgement slowed down some. My kiddo wasn't able to keep up with my milk production so it made for some really rough nights (him crying, me crying). Go to a LC and have her show you how to put it on; you have to put the tip of the nipple shield against your nipple, then flip it inside out (maybe there is a youtube video or something?) This helps to create suction to keep the shield on and it also helps to draw the milk out a little. I stopped using it after about two weeks or so I think. Once my engorgement ended I had the best luck with just fitting my nipple into his mouth by squishing/flattening it, if that makes sense ("making the sandwich" as my husband calls it). My breasts were so engorged that my husband actually started doing the flattening on some really bad nights. As for sleepiness we had this also, cool washcloth to the face, cold wipes for diaper changes, feet tickling all help. We set an alarm to feed. I wish I had done more of it so that my engorgement wasn't as bad. The thing about bfing is just being stubborn as all heck! Good luck!