I need your help again. My best friend had a baby boy almost 3 weeks ago. They are having a horrible time breastfeeding, perhaps homeopathy can help.

She recieved 2 epidurals and pitocin during labor. The labor lasted 24 hours with over 3 hours of pushing. She had taken some pulsatilla about 5 weeks before delivery. She took one pill for three days of 200C under the advice of a coworker.

When the baby was born they said he had low blood sugar and gave him formula while he was in the hospital. This did not require any other treatment.

The baby does not want to latch on, he cries and cries and when he does latch on he gets a glazed look and dozes off to sleep before finishing his meal. My friend has been pumping and he readily takes the milk from the bottle, though he seems more satisfied after he nurses from her directly.

She is in a lot of pain. Scabs form and then the baby tears them off at each feeding. She tenses up when it is time to feed him and cries from the pain. Because of this she has been pumping the milk and giving it to him from the bottle. It is easier on her nipples. She does not have the pain while she pumps.

She has been to two lactation consultants and they offer little help.

The baby was NOT circumcised, nor did he recieve any vaccines.

Please help. She wants to nurse so badly but I fear she is at the end of her rope.

Sound like the babys not held correct during feeding. hold him higher, and more tilted on the side, see if that helps.

Also,
make sure she's holding him with his whole body facing the breast - not where he has to turn his neck AT ALL to latch on. This helped me tremendously with my first baby..

And breastfeeding takes some practise, contrary to what some would say...it doesn't always come so easily and even subsequent babies can go through this 'learning to latch on phase'...so it just shows how individual we all are.

It sounds like some nipple confusion took place early on...and I don't buy it when hospital staff say a baby is low in sugar...that just don't want to hear them cry...and usually give the bottle to soothe them and not disturb tired/recovering mum's!

Babies have to work harder to suck from the breast and some babies, when given a bottle early on - will want that 'easier-feed' cuz they found it so much easier to fill their tummies...

anyhow - hope she settles soon...
oh - I rubbed the milk (from my breasts) on my nipples when they were sore..and let the open air help too...(means walking around after each feed with those swaying things going to and fro , but it helped a lot!).
I also found that tea bags helped with the pain. Used ones...or just wet (unused)...something about the tannic acid, I think, but I wonder now if this is not a good thing - in Homeopathic terms....maybe GM will say if this is okay or not...but it did lessen the pain immediately!

Lisa

Cabbage leaves are said to be soothing for sore breasts too I believe.
Plus, excuse naivite as I am not a mother, but why not pump the milk until the scabs have healed and then try breastfeeding again? Can't difficult-to-suck teats be got for the bottles which might train the little one to suck hard enough in the meantime?

[This message has been edited by Anna Bryant (edited 21 June 2000).]

Anna-
She has been pumping and letting the nipples heal, but as soon as she tries nursing again the baby rips 'em apart again. Cabbage leaves help with the pain but also are used to dry up milk supply in women who aren't nursing.

Lisa-
I wholeheartedly agree. Nipple confusion is part of the case here. I will tell her about the tea bags, I know she hasn't tried that yet.

GM-
Should anything be given to clear out his system? She had 2 epidurals and pitocin?

Thanks All

I TOTALLY agree with Anna's remark on the cabbage leaves - but those are especially helpful when mum is engorged with milk to the point that the nipples become flat...and the breasts are sore, red, swollen ad feverishly painful! Most effective when like this!!

I had that nipple-flat problem with the first baby - and she just couldn't get latched on - nothing to latch on to! poor wee baby!

Then came the cracked and painful (I mean like FIRE! no kidding - shooting through the nipple when she latched on was like stabbing me with a hot iron!!!!!). Anyhow - the teabags did help - but the breastmilk was the best - rubbing a few drops on the nipples and aereola...just s couple of days later there was vast improvement.

If she wants to breastfeed - tell her it will get worse before better....cuz she's got to STOP giving the bottle to avoid the perpetuating baby's desire to have an easy feed. It only last a few days and once established she'll feel so happy and contented.

My heart goes out to her...this is such an emotional thing between baby and mum...and it can be very frustrating!
Tell her to hang in there!
lisa

Is this a very sleepy baby who can't find the right place to suck because he's so dozy?
One who sleeps and sleeps in preference to feeding?

I believe your friend will find that she has a baby who prefers to sleep and therefore finds it easier to take milk from the bottle ......if the babys mouth does not open wide enough to take both the nipple and behind it thats when the nipple gets sore ....often women with full breasts face this problem ......i know midwives now try to discourage the old practice of gently sqashing the breast just behind the areola between two fingers so that more of the breast goes in but it does work .......

time, peace and quiet and patience plus nipple sheilds usually helps

At least she is giving the baby breast milk not cows and risking milk allergy as so often occurs

Anna-

I am not sure if he is sleepy all the time but she has said that when he does latch on he immediatly begins to doze.

She is in so much pain with this and he cries when she offers her breast that she gives up and gives him the bottle.

Dear Barb,
I sympathize......breastfeeding can be a real trial to start . I had similar problems and found that nipple shields did the trick. I also contacted La Leche League who gave lots of sound advice . They were very helpful.
p288 of T.S IYER recommends Sulphur for when nipples are sore and cracked or Nux for painful excoriation (would this cover the cracks I wonder ?????)
Most of the time sore nipples is due to not laching-on properly . I gave myself 2 weeks to get the hang of it and I'm glad I did but I had to go through the pain threshold first .
Calendula cream is very soothing..........
All the best
Scary Mary