Breastfeeding Problems & Solutions- Latching

Improper latch is probably one of the most common problems that we mamas have to learn to deal with, especially in the beginning. In my opinion, it's also probably one of the biggest reasons people jump off the breastfeeding bandwagon (most likely clutching their boobs and screaming, I might add). If your baby isn't connected correctly, you will most likely be in pain and your baby might not be nursing efficiently or effectively.

If your baby is latched correctly, your nipple should come out looking pretty much the same way it went in. If it comes out and looks compressed or mangled in some way, chances are your baby has a latch issue. 

Here are some common latching issues:

- Shallow latch: No fun, no fun at all. Basically, if you don’t get a deep enough latch, your nipple gets smashed against your baby’s hard pallet or gum ridge. This causes PAIN and damage. Since bleeding nipples are never fun, make sure to get the little one to open really wide and literally shove the boob in there. Sounds weird, but you have to be speedy with these little guys. 

- The gummy latch: This is what happens when your little one decides not to flip his lips out like a fish and chooses instead to roll them under and try to gum you to death (like E did). If this happens, just stick your finger in there and flip the lips open. 

Some suggestions for fixing latch problems:

- Speaking of sticking your fingers in there… Don’t be afraid to latch and relatch until you get it right. It’s a learning process for everyone, and it helps no one to just grit your teeth and sit there through a bad latch. You can unlatch your baby by sticking your pinky in toward the corner of the baby’s mouth and gently pulling back and up to break the suction. I always pushed in on me first and then pulled back and up to avoid scratching him with my nail. If you don’t break the latch before trying to yank the baby off, the baby will likely not let go, leading to a disturbing, painful Gumby situation that you and your nipple won’t soon forget.

- Sometimes, latch problems can be due to issues with tight frenulums (frenula? frenulae? I don't know- whatever the plural of frenulum is). You have a frenulum at the bottom of your mouth that connects your tongue to the bottom of your mouth and one at the top that connects your top lip to your gum line. If either is tight or too short, it makes it very difficult for the baby to open wide enough to latch properly. When a baby has a short bottom frenulum, she is said to be tongue-tied. This can usually be fixed with a quick, relatively painless surgery. I had it done at age 5, so I actually remember the experience and promise you it will be harder on the mama than the baby. Kellymom.com has lots of information on tongue-ties and breastfeeding. Check it out!

I hope I haven't freaked you out too much with all this information. Hopefully, you won't experience these issues, or if you do you will be able to correct them quickly. If breastfeeding is something you believe is essential to your parenting, there is almost no issue that can't be corrected or circumvented. So hang in there, stock up on gel pads and cream and have faith. You can do it!