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i've got inverted nipples, it took me a month with the help of breast pump to draw them out a bit but now my baby won't latch on to my breast and i am unable to breast feed, plus my nipples keep slipping back and wont stick out this makes my baby more frustrated.May be she's used to bottle nipple. I think i am not using pump correctly as its making my breasts sore and cracked, and not producing enough milk either. i really want to breast feed her and not rely on formula. Not being able to breast feed making me really upset and depressed. please help.

Hello Tania

Thank you for your email. I am sorry to hear you have been having such a tough time.

You’ve described how you’ve been using a pump to draw out your nipples, but that you’re baby is not latching-on, your nipples are sore and you’re not producing as much milk as you want to. Tania, I wonder how much support you’ve received so far? It sounds as if you’ve been struggling with so many issues where some constructive help might have made a big difference.

It should usually be possible to breastfeed without using a pump (or any other device) to shape your nipples. When a baby feeds at the breast it’s quite a different technique from bottle feeding. The baby takes a big mouthful of the breast tissue with a wide open mouth and the nipple itself plays no active part. It can take some practice to encourage a baby to latch-on like this, and making sure that the breast is soft can be a big help. An experienced midwife or breastfeeding supporter would be able to support you in working through this, and finding ways to help your baby move from bottle-feeding to this very different technique.

But no pump should be damaging your breasts and nipples. It maybe that you’ve been trying so very hard to draw out your nipples that the pumping has been too strong? Forcing your nipples into a shape they cannot maintain may not be of long-term benefit. If you do wish to continue using a pump, you could try using a much more gentle action. Some mums find that hand expressing is less painful and more effective.

Tania, I do feel that speaking to a breastfeeding counsellor could be of real use to you. You would be able to talk through what has happened so far, consider what options would best suit you and what you could do move things forward. You could call the NCT Breastfeeding Line on 0300 33 00 771.

I do hope this helps and that you can find some solutions.

Kind regards

Kirsty Nicol

Breastfeeding Counsellor

can i use magnesium sulphate paste on a boil when breastfeeding?

Hello Elena

Thank you for your query.

We are not able to give out specific medical advice through this service, but any pharmacist should be able to help you.

In general, we know that very little of most medications taken orally reaches the bloodstream, and with medicines applied externally this should be even smaller - your pharmacist should be able to confirm if there is any reason to be specifcally concerned about magnesium sulphate (sometimes called 'Epsom Salts'.)

You could also find some information on the American breastfeeding website Kellymom by doing a search on 'Epsom Salts'. You could share this information with your pharmacist.

I do hope this helps and you can find a satisfactory way to deal with your boil.

Kind regards

Kirsty Nicol

Breastfeeding Counsellor

I had a c-section 5 months ago,I think i might be pregnant again, I am worried about the risks associated with having a close pregnancy. I would like to know if i should see my GP or Midwife to discuss my options?How many women go onto having a baby or do most end up having a termination? I would like to have this child but, how do I know if my body (scar) is ready to carry another child? Im worried that the scar will rip open!

Thank you for your question.  The vast majority of women who have another pregnancy under a year after their first caesarean will have a perfectly normal pregnancy and birth.  Please do discuss with a qualified midwife or obstetrician but although the advice is to wait a year the risk does not dramatically increase.  You might like to look at the articles on www.caesarean.org.uk and there is a yahoogroup to support women looking at their options for next birth after caesarean which you can join via the caesarean.org.uk website.

Best wishes,

 

Jenny Lesley

Antenatal Teacher and Caesarean/VBAC Support Co-Ordinator

My grandson has not been very well with an ear infection and the last two days will not latch onto the his mums breast on her right had side any ideas why this would happen? He feeds ok from the other side but complains abit but is just refusing to feed on her right. I said to use the breast pump on that side and to keep trying him but dont want to give wrong advice.

Hi,  Karen. Thanks for posting and sorry to hear about your little grandson's ear infection.  It's possible that on one side his ear hurts more, and this is why he is resisting. One thing his mum could do would be to feed him off that breast without turning him - sort of moving him across so he takes the breast with his legs under her arm ('rugby ball hold'), if you get me.

It's likely that not using that side at all could lead to discomfort for her, so she could gently hand express or use a pump - if breastfeeding is well-established, she has less need of being worried about her supply as it will just catch up again when he goes back to using both breasts, and the 'good' side will increase its production to meet his needs.

Best thing for her to do is to call the breastfeeding line 0300 330 0771, though  I should say there are technical problems on the line at present which engineers are trying to fix. 

I hope things get better for her and your grandson soon.

 

Heather Neil

breastfeeding counsellor

Hello,
My 15 weeks old son has been mix fed since he was 1 week old due to the fact that he was always hungry. He would have breast milk throughout the day and a bottle of formula at night before bed, then when he fed through the night it would be breast milk, I saw my health visitor 4 weeks ago as my son kept waking approx 5 times a night wanting more food. I intoduced another formula feed at lunch time on her suggestion as she felt my milk was not sufficent enough and this started to make a difference as he was taking calories on board through the day and only waking once a night for food.since sunday (5 days ago) my son has developed a cold and cough and has been refusing his bottle, i have tried on several occasions and ensuring that he is in the right mood. I am using Tommee Tippee close to nature bottles and teats, and he has always taken to them with no fuss. He also has very bad nappy rash and his nappies are now green. please can you help. thank you.

Hi, Lisa. Thanks for posting. Sorry you're having problems and that your little boy seems a bit unwell. Can I ask how keen you are to continue mixed feeding? It's quite hard to sustain - regular use of formula undermines the 'supply and demand' aspect of breastfeeding, and this can mean the breastmilk supply decreases - I am not sure if this has happened to you, but it is possible. He may be refusing the bottle because of his cold, and one option may be that you can respond best to the situation by increasing his opportunities to feed at the breast - more frequent feeds, using at least both breasts each time, will boost your supply and also ensure he takes more calories. 

 

Perhaps this is something you can discuss with your health visitor?  It's hard to make other suggestions, as we cannot give medical advice, and the bad nappy rash and green nappies may be a sign you need to ask the health visitor to take a look at him. 

 

If you want to continue bottles, she may also be able to suggest another brand of bottle and teat.

 

Sorry not to be a lot of help to you, Lisa, and I hope things get better for you and your baby.

Heather Neil

breastfeeding counsellor

Dear NCT expert,

I'm a first time mother with a 9 week old baby boy. He has never taken to breastfeeding. He was initially cupfed, and fis now fed with breastmilk as I express and has done
so for approximately 6 weeks. My problem is that my milk supply has dried up. As my milk slowly diminished, I gave him SMA as a top up. He is now 100% formula fed as there is not enough milk. I have not been expressing as often, which I don;t think has helped the situation. I am trying a course of fenugreek herbal capsules to see if my milk supply will increase. I use a medela mini electric pump, but I don't think it is powerful enough. Should I hire? Will I produce milk again? I really would like to gice him breast milk for a few more months.

Thank you for your time

Hello Christine

Thanks for your email.

I’m sorry to hear that you and your little boy have had such a tough time in these first months.

You’ve described how you’ve been obliged to find alternatives to breastfeeding from the very beginning, and how you have gradually moved further and further away from feeding at the breast. You’ve also told how you feel that infrequent expressing with a small pump may not be helping. I feel you intuition maybe quite right here. We know that a woman’s milk production is unlikely to respond to an artificial pump as well as it would to a real baby feeding. A baby will be feeding at least eight times a day in the early weeks, and ideally, a woman would need to pump at least as often to establish a milk supply – and one of these sessions should be during the night. Small ‘high-street’ pumps are not really designed for this level of pumping, and women find they have much more successful results if they hire a hospital-grade double pump. You may wish to read this Breastfeeding Network publication on products which may aid milk supply.

Rebuilding a milk supply which has dropped is often possible. This is called ‘relactation’ – if you do an internet search for this you will find plenty of information and some inspiring real-life stories of mothers who have dealt with similar issues. Relactating can mean concentrating on little else for a chunk of time – and this can be a big commitment. It’s worth finding out as much as possible before you make any choices. You may find it useful to call the NCT Breastfeeding Line on 0300 33 00 771. You would be able to find out about pump hire in your area, and put together a picture of what relactation might mean for you, so that you could make some informed and supported choices.

Christine, it sounds as if you have worked so hard through a really difficult time. I do hope you can find a way forward from here.

Kind regards

Kirsty Nicol

Breastfeeding Counsellor 

I would like to breastfeed but am worried about breastfeeding in public. I understand there are some shops, like Boots, which offer Mother and Baby rooms. Do you know where I can find a list of all such shops? Many thanks!

Hi Oshy

Thanks for your email.

I'm sure that just about every new-mum-to-be shares your worries. Feeding when out and about can seem like a big step and exploring the options now makes a lot of sense.

The mother-and-baby rooms supplied by premises can vary hugely from place to place. Some are thoughtfully equipped and comfortable, others are little more than a plastic chair in a cubicle. This means that local knowledge and word-of-mouth recommendations can be really useful. Your local branch of the NCT may be a good point of contact, because you will be in touch with mums who have good local knowledge which is bang up to date. Some branches produce booklets of breastfeeding-friendly venues (often called "You Can Do It Here!"). Your midwife or health visitor may also be able to help, or give you details of local breastfeeding support groups who can be mines of valuable information.

You will find that all the large supermarket chains tend to have feediong rooms, as do lbig high street stores - such as the one you have mentioned - which sell a large range of baby-related items. Most shopping malls also have such rooms. But as I say, the quality can vary. You may find that chosing a friendly venue, and then selecting a sheltered table and seat may allow you to feed with confidence while still enjoying a coffee and a chat with friends.

While almost every mum finds the idea of breastfeeding in public to be quite challenging, I hope you will find - as some many do - that you can find ways to feed with confidence wherever you go, and so you and your baby can enjoying getting out and about together.

I do hope this helps.

Kind regards

 

Kirsty Nicol

Breastfeeding Counsellor

I am a first time mother and have recently attended my second appointment with the midwife. I feel very uncomfortable with this person and don't believe I am recieving even an average sort of care from her. At our first appointment she was a half hour late to start, at the second she didn't even turn up at the surgery until she was already a half hour late and then proceeded to do other things before even speaking to me. I've read the NHS guides on what kind of questions and tests to expect in the first appointments but also what kind of information the midwife should be giving me. Unfortunately I read this afterwards but in any case she has gone through the very bare minimum possible and hasn't even done that with the health checks. She is not at all friendly and I really don't feel like I can ask her anything (having already tried this and recieved a very sharp response). I'm quite upset by the whole situation as I had hoped she would be the one person I could definitely go to for information and reassurance as I have no family or friends in this country besides my husband. Is there anything I can do? I've looked for options in this area (North Herts) but I'm not sure if I'm looking in the right places as the options seem to be very limited. Can you give me some advice please?

Dear Erin,

Thank you for contacting NCT.

You have a number of concerns about the midwifery care you are receiving. An avenue you might like to pursue is to contact a Supervisor of Midwives in your area. These are midwives, who are not part of the management team, but are there to uphold good midwifery practice, and to help women get the care they want. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has a leaflet which explains fully their role, and how to contact one:

http://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=3773

Your local hospital will have the phone number of the supervisor of midwives who is on-call at any time. A starting point is to call the hospital and ask to speak to the labour ward. You do not need to say why you want their number.

I hope you are able to make some changes in your care and wish you the best for your pregnancy.

 Best wishes

Barbara

 NCT Antenatal teacher

I have been breast feeding my 5 month old daughter from birth but now she is older she has begun to claw, scratch, and bite me during feeds. She seems perfectly happy and sometimes even grabs a handful of my skin and digs in her nails while sleeping against my breast. My breasts are becoming so painful it makes me cry to feed her and if she makes me jump with a particularly sharp bite or scratch then it makes her jump too. I have expressed milk in the past but she refuses a bottle and a dummy. I have tried her with a little tippy cup of breast milk but she just chews it the same as she does a bottle and gets nothing out of it. This is also a problem because it means no one can feed her except me. Please help me as I want to continue breastfeeding indefinitely but the pain is getting too much.

Hello Beth

Thank you for your email. I’m sorry if there has been a delay in replying.

You’ve described how your daughter is very unsettled at the breast, and how her behaviour is causing you pain. There could be a number of reasons why your daughter is behaving like this - of course she can have no understanding of the distress she’s causing you! For some babies it is pain – such as earache or teething pain (even if there are no teeth showing yet) which causes a baby to flinch and bite. Other babies are feeding surprisingly quickly by this age, and once their initial need to feed has been satisfied, babies may start behaving like this as a distraction or amusement – and it can then become a habit.

If you have not already done so, you may want to have a chat with your health visitor or a supportive and understanding GP at your health centre, just to rule out any issues which may be enough to affect your baby. It may also be useful to call the NCT Breastfeeding Line on 0300 33 00 771. You would be able to talk through how and when your baby is scratching in biting in so much more detail, and you may well be able to work together to find some possible solutions.

In the meantime, here are some options which other mothers have found useful:

• Feeding your baby for short periods of time and being ready to remove her from the breast at the first sign she is not concentrating solely on feeding
• Feeding your baby as she is falling asleep, or just as she starts to wake up
• Changing to a different feeding position, so your breast is in an ‘unexpected’ place
• Wearing a chunky but safe necklace and encourage your baby to hold that instead
• Distracting your baby with a toy, or a soft cloth in their hands, giving a cold teething toy before a feed

Beth, do please feel free to call, and we’ll supporting you in looking for a way forward. I do hope you and your baby can work through this.

Kind regards

Kirsty Nicol

Breastfeeding Counsellor

At 37 weeks I received the NHS leaftlet 'Reduce the risk of cot death' from my health visitor, which stresses that 'The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a cot in a room with you for the first six months'. This was the first indication I had received of this advice and I had already planned to have a baby monitor next to the baby (in its nursery) and sleep in the next door room (so that I could keep my husband's exhaustion to a minimum). My baby is due any time now (EDD end Oct 09) and I need advice on how to apply this advice to my situation. The leaflet doesn't mention baby monitors and if I have to do what the leaflet advises I need to purchase some extra nursery equipment quickly!

Hi, Jennifer. Thanks for your post. It's certainly the case that all expert opinion is agreed on this - that parents should be advised to share a room with their infant for the first six months as the figures show the risk of cot death is increased with the use of separate rooms. What is not fully understood is precisely why this should be the case - one possibility is that attending to the baby straight away is easier in the same room, and that parents are more likely to be responsive to the baby. Another possibility is that parents and babies are 'in tune' with each other if they share a room - probably because of things like smell, sound, breathing. A further possibility is that separation at night makes breastfeeding more difficult and people who are with their babies at night tend to breastfeed for longer.

 You might want to consider that responding to your baby promptly at night may be less disruptive to your sleep, or your husband's.

 

Sudden infant death is rare in the UK now. The causes of it are multi-factorial, and advice these days accepts this, and counsels parents on reducing the risk rather than pretending the exact reason for individual deaths is known. In any case, some individual situations may need individual responses. For example, if you or your husand routinely smoked in the bedroom, a separate room for the baby might actually be a safer option (I don't know the figures on this, so I might be wrong - it's just an illustration of different factors!). 

Perhaps you can speak to your midwife or health visitor and talk this one through, so you can be comfortable you have made an informed decision.  You can also find info at http://www.sids.org.uk

 

I hope this helps, Jennifer.  I hope all goes well with the birth and I wish you and your family all the best.

 

Heather Neil

breastfeeding counsellor

 

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