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sounds like she are not getting a good latch on your b___st. did your hospital not help before you went home?

I had the same problem with my baby before. I was so frustated and ending up buying the nipple shields and pumping my milk. I know some people would say don't use bottle for newborn because it may cause nipple confusion, but I didn't want my baby to starve. What I did was alternate it with my b___st few times a day. I kept doing this until he was 1 month and was able to latch well. I hope it helps, or you can try to call lactation support in your area.

You may also havr forceful letdown and she can keep up with it. Some people pump a little right before they nurse to decrease thr force at which the milk lets down. Another thing to consider: are you eating anything unusual (spicy, etc) that may taste bad to her? i think it is probably what Dawn C. and me said, or that you are letting down faster than she can take in. You may want to call a lactation consultant for some help, too. Good luck!

Sorry, I meant that your dtr cannot keep up with the letdown, not that she can.

Have you managed to have any successful feeds with her so far? I just wondered, because my daughter used to do the same thing when she was tired. I would get her to sleep for a bit and then feed her, and she latched on fine the second time round. It could just be your teqnique that needs working on though. I fed my baby with b___st and pumped milk in a bottle, right from the start, and she did used to get confused, but I managed to feed her anyway. If your worried about confusion, they say cup feeding is better.

How old is she?

God! So much advice! Breast feeding really is a challenge, isn't it! How can something so natural be such a pain in the a__s? Hope you and baby work it out soon Lacy. Just a thought, but if your b___sts are very hard and full, it could stop her from latching on. If you pump a tiny bit to make them softer, that might help her. Good luck!

lacy--I know you are frustrated but it gets so much easier! My 3 month old had the same problem--she couldn't get a good latch--I had flat nipples on top of it! I used a nipple shield on the side she had the most trouble with for a couple of weeks; also I pumped maybe half an ounce before she nursed in the beginning just so my b___sts didn't feel like rocks! I'm sure you are doing great and you are providing so much nutritution to your baby---just don' t give up because b___stfeeding is seriously the most fulfilling experience of my life--and like I said, it gets easier. You and your baby just need practice. Good luck! And if you need any more help or advice, we're here to help.

Try to pump a little bit out so your b___sts soften up a little so she can latch on. The first week weeks I had that problem as I'd get engorged and then she couldn't latch on cus it was too tight! Or try pinching your b___st so she can grab on. This should relieve some of the milk also but hand pumping a little bit will soften your b___st up. I still get engorged but not nearly as bad as when I first had her.

Though our daughter never had a problem latching on the nurse showed us a nice little trick. She showed my wife to drizzle a little formula on her nipple so the baby gets some motivation. If you exclusively b___stfeed, then you can do this with pumped milk. Put it in a bottle and with your other hand let it drip down to her mouth when she's semi-latched. Eventually she'll get the hang of it.