My Breastfeeding Journey

My pregnancy was considered low-risk, so I made the informed decision to begin antenatal expressing late in my third trimester (36 weeks), and began to store some colostrum in our freezer, before my son was born at 39 weeks and 5 days.

He latched soon after birth, but over the next 72 hours, my nipples became grazed, bleeding, blistered and bruised. It was incredibly painful, so I gave them a rest overnight . I pumped every time he had a bottle feed, so that my body knew that it needed to make the milk for him, even though he wasn’t feeding directly from me that that time. My husband paced fed our son using the colostrum that I had collected during my pregnancy while I pumped – I was very lucky to have him stay overnight so we could share the load.

It was suggested by a midwife to use Lanolin on my nipples, which I chose to do (I’m not sensitive to it) and it was very helpful for my wound care, but the stinging on my nipples during showers was agony and it’s a pain I’ll never forget. That and the pain of nipple vasospasm I would have after feeds or if I left my shirt off for too long in the air conditioning (which was on frequently – my son was born in the middle of Summer!).

I was really lucky during my hospital stay, one of my favourite midwives from when I was a student was caring for us and she showed me how to feed in side-lying. This was the only way I could really get comfortable. We were discharged home, into the care of my wonderful midwives from Kindred Midwifery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, who visited weekly for home visits. His weight gain was great, thanks to my abundant supply and he was already back to birthweight by day 7.

Breastfeeding my newborn in the side-lying position.

Unfortunately, feeding continued to be incredibly painful and when I got home my husband went into “problem-solving” mode and googled how to do the ‘Flipple’ or ‘Thumbs Up Technique’, which one of my midwives had suggested would help me to get a deeper latch. It took me ages to figure it out, as I couldn’t mentally process how to position my hands so they weren’t in the way of where my baby’s chin needed to touch the breast. We found a video where a lactation consultant showed how to use only one finger/thumb to “flick” the nipple in, and it made a huge difference. I also was restricted to feeding in side-lying for about a week, as that was one of the only positions I could manage without pain while my nipples healed. I think it got to about 8-10 days of age before I figured out how to get him latched again in cross-cradle. I cried the day I figured out how to sit upright and feed him – it was like my entire world view had shifted (literally)! My nipples had finally started to heal!

Photograph of the first time I was able to breastfeed my baby upright, without any pain.

Around week 3 is when the wheels really started to fall off again and one of my midwives suggested seeing the wonderful Dr. Rebecca Baxter at for Brisbane Osteopathic Centre. At this point I could clearly see he also had torticollis, and he preferred feeding on one side over the other. Breastfeeding for me at this point involved a lot of loss of suction, clicking, milk leaking from his mouth during both breast and bottle feeds (he would have one bottle of expressed breast milk overnight), vasospasm, lipstick shaped nipples and he was very windy. My husband was very good at paced bottle feeding – but taking a baby taking an hour for a bottle is just a bit too long. 

By 7 weeks, we also noticed that his poos were becoming more green, mucusy and he was covered in a rash that was like “newborn acne”. We also noticed blood in his stool the day after I ingested soy milk for the first time. I spoke to my GP and we decided to exclude dairy and soy, and saw a gradual improvement in his stooling and skin. I remained dairy and soy free to a degree for almost 11 months, and now at 3+ years my son tolerates dairy and soy in all forms.

Several midwifery colleagues recommended seeing an IBCLC trained in orofacial myology (the highly experienced Bridget Ingle) and I was so grateful for that advice, because she changed my life. Not only my breastfeeding journey, but my life’s purpose in terms of wanting to help parents the way she helped me. She identified oral ties, assisted me with positioning and suggested that my son may benefit from a release, so we chose that option. We were also given exercises by both our osteopath and IBCLC before and after his release to help with his recovery and learning to use his tongue again. 

Breastfeeding gradually became more functional after the release, and we have been feeding ever since. I’ve been fortunate to breastfeed him through my wedding, through three surgeries, returning to work and attending daycare several days a week.

Breastfeeding at my Wedding (he was 5 months old here).

He is now over 3 years old, and I feel lucky to have had access to such good support to help me achieve this. If you would have told me when he was 3 days old that I’d breastfeed him for over 3 years, I would have thought you were insane. I’m really fortunate to have had people around me who supported me in seeing the big picture, and I hope to be able to do that for all the different families I encounter through my work.

Breastfeeding an older baby and toddler – they start to get into very creative positions!

Breastfeeding Positioning Tips

Breastfeeding should not be painful. Although there is an adjustment period while getting used to the sensation of breastfeeding, if you are experiencing a sensation that is beyond a gentle tugging during feeds – please reach out for support. Pain or discomfort during feeds is not normal, and neither is nipple damage or misshapen nipples after feeds.

When assessing if your baby is latching deeply during breastfeeding, the most important thing to take into consideration is your comfort. If you are in pain and someone tells you that your latch “looks good”, ask for advice from a different provider. Your pain should never be ignored. These positioning principles will help you get your baby stable against your body, so they feel supported and therefore more able to breastfeed comfortably and efficiently.

How to help your baby be comfortable at the breast (and more likely to get a deeper latch)!

  • Your nipple should begin at the same level as your baby’s nose/top lip – your baby should tilt their head backwards and look “up” at the nipple when beginning to latch.
  • Your baby’s chin should rest against the breast as their head tilts back. When the chin touches the breast, this triggers the GAPE reflex, which tells your baby to open their mouth WIDE.
  • Your baby’s head should be extended (tilted back) so there is space between their chin and their chest. They should not be looking down at the nipple (or have their chin against their chest). It is easier to drink when you lean your head back – it is the same for babies. To correct this – hug your baby closer to you, then slide them a centimetre or two centimetres towards their feet.
  • You should see more areola ABOVE your baby’s mouth than below during breastfeeds. This shows that more breast tissue has been taken from below the nipple, drawing it further back towards the soft palate for a deeper latch to the breast.
  • Your baby’s cheeks should be touching the breast or close to touching the breast and symmetrical. The cheeks should appear full – not sinking in or dimpling during breastfeeds.
  • If you can see your baby’s lips (from the side) they are likely too far away from you – apply gentle pressure against your baby’s shoulder blades to hug them closer to you.
  • Your baby’s tummy should fit snugly against you – this will help them to feel stable and supported.
  • During breastfeeding, your baby’s nose should be free from the breast, or slightly touching it. Tucking your baby’s bottom and knees closer to your body can help with this.
  • You should be able to draw a straight line from your baby’s ear, shoulder and hip – if your baby is twisted away from you at any point, this will make them feel unstable. Your baby will then want to shallow their latch or latch on and off from the breast, as they try to make themselves comfortable.
  • Use pillows to support your limbs and make you comfortable.
You can see that this baby has been able to get a deep latch while breastfeeding. He is stable and comfortable, and so is his Mummy. Full post can be seen on the Rainbow Road Lactation on Instagram. Original photograph by Fig and Valley Photography and Film.
You can see this latch is very shallow. The nipple has been sucked in like a straw and would be rubbing against the hard palate. This would be very painful and can lead to poor milk transfer and loss of milk supply, as well as nipple pain and damage. Photo courtesy of Rainbow Road Lactation instagram.

To correct a shallow latch, using the strategies listed above is helpful. For a visual description of how to do this, watch this fantastic video from UK International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Lucy Webber. Lucy explains different techniques you can use to adjust your baby’s position for breastfeeding.

Lucy also has a fantastic image on her Instagram that simplifies positioning strategies (and a whole heap of breastfeeding resources – she is just incredible!). Lucy Webber IBCLC 4 Ts of Positioning (Image)

I have a new post coming soon that will highlight different strategies for shaping and positioning the breast, to assist with getting your baby to open wider for a deeper latch for breastfeeding.

If you have any questions about this post, email info@rainbowroadlactation.com.au

If you would like to book a consultation, you can access my online bookings here.