Flat Nipple - And baby refusing to suck - Pl help

Hi, I delivered a baby girl on Nov 9th thru c-section. For the first 2 days I didn't get any milk so the baby was fed with formula milk. On the 3rd day though milk came, only then we realised that I had flat nipple :( and the baby couldn't latch on... Even after a great struggle with the nurse and the pead squeezing and forcing the nipple into the baby's mouth the baby refused to suck. For the next 2 days it was a regular struggle and then I had blocked milk whihc caused lot of pain. To relieve I was suggested to express my milk and feed thru sungu (don't know the english equivalent). The baby is having my breast milk but not directly from me :( Even after coming home the same continues... When she is not that hungry if I keep her on my breast she sucks a little but then since the nipple is not big enough for her to latch she loses interest and then starts screaming... and drinks milk only from sungu... is there any way to improve my nipple? I have started pulling it every time I bath and before every feeding session but we are still not there yet :( Please let me know if anyone had similar problems and have overcome it...

CONGRATULATIONS on your baby!!!

Do you have both flat nipples or is it just one? I had cracked nipple after my first delivery. It was painful. So, I would feed first one side and pump on to the other one and give through bottle. I did this for few days. Once after about 10 days it healed then I slowly started putting her on the cracked one too. There was no direction of the flow of milk. It would spill all over her face sometimes. Doctor told me to hang on there and do it even though it was not comfortable for my baby. I would first feed her the good side and then latch on to the cracked one. Next time alternate it. That way she actually did fine eventually. She worked her way through.
You could try latching her on each time you feed her. And by doing this with each feeding she will eventually will get the nipple out...I guess. You could pump the flat side and feed through bottle. Pumping will relieve you from engorging and also pumping will put out the nipple with its strong suction force .
So, as of now I think first latch her on the good side and give her to try the other side and then alternate it. But first see if she is really hungry then first give the good side...you don't want her to be upset!


Adara

Even I had flat nipples. I struggled alot for a week and in the process my daughter lost around nearly 500gms making her look skinny. After her birth, the nurse guided me to feed my daughter holding my breast in such a way so that my daughter could suck. But once I came home I forgot how to hold in which the nurse taught me and my daughter used to scream for milk.then again I had to rush to the hospital to find the nurse.
But once my daughter started feeding it became normal. So it will be better if you seek the help of your gynaecologist or any other nurse in the hospital where you delivered your child. I have also heard about nipple shield, but am not sure how far it is effective. You can probably check the link here for some effective ways.

Lalitha, I was in the exact spot as you with my first one. I had flat nipples and the baby just would not latch.

Here in the US Medela sells something called a breast shell (Note: Not a nipple shield). It looks like a hard bra-cup with a hole in the middle. You have to wear it inside the bra and draw the nipple through the hole. It helps in drawing the nipple out. But you have to constantly wear it. Do you have something similar there?

Another suggestion is to pump a little before feeding. Pumping also helps in drawing the nipple out.

Hugs to you. I know how difficult it can be.

Thanks a lot Adara, Sherin and pavarun.. I have flat nipples both the sides :( I do try to pump a little to draw the nipple before trying to feed her but after say 2-3 mins the nipples go flat and the baby has nothing to latch on :( I do try to draw the nipple and I hope in the near future we will succeed... Pavarun, we do have a shop that sells all medala products and thats were I got my mini electric pump. In the brochure they have mentioned about breast shells... Let me check them out tomorrow. Thanks a ton again.

Hi lalitha.
Congratulations!!
I can understand ur problem.even i faced this problem but i had inverted nipples. Luckily my sister who came back from US bought the breast shells.i used them but didnt find any result.Then she suggested me breast pump(electric or battery ones) n it worked well.i used the pump n also fed my baby directly for first two months n then stopped using the pump as my nipple draws out when my baby sucks in.u can also use the pump when u have milk flow n store the milk in the fridge.before feeding just warm the milk by placing the milk bottle in hot water.dont keep it in oven or boil directly.

The breast pumps are available in baby stores n the pump name which i used was core breast pump.try using the pump n u feel happy by seeing ur baby happy.

hope this will help u.
bye
take care.
prasanna.

Lalitha, seconding what Sindhu and Prasanna said: Medela sells breast shells here, I see them in Landmark (of all the places ) Let me know if you are trouble sourcing them, they have their own unit in Eekattuthangal, can pull ou the address for you.
Was your baby fed formula from a bottle, it could be just the question of nipple confusion, then. Assuming it is so, I would suggest you try to latch on your baby after you express some milk and the letdown or the faster flow starts. She may have gotten used to a faster flow and prefers drinking from "sangu".
The other technique they were planning on using me - but did not have to - is using a syringe to pull out the nipples. I did start out with flat nipples, but with the initial few days of intense nursing it evened out.
I think you are doing good, the learning is somewhat challenging with flat nipples. I have a feeling, the more you put her on your breast (the way you are doing currently, after feeding and after bringing on a letdown) and have her suckle either nutritively or just to comfort her, I think your nipple will pop. Hang in there, things will become easier for you and your LO.
Hugs.

Thanks Prasanna and Kritikka for the comforting words... I was using the syringe method for the first 3 days but in a minute my nipple used to go flat as soon as I remove from the syringe :( Now I am using the medela mini electric pump and the nipple does come out but once the baby starts sucking the nipple retracts and the baby losses interest and starts howling. As of now whenever she is barely awake and just before she starts crying I try to give her breast feeding...Hoping that we will overcome this in the near future :)

I am sorry if I am posting something you already do, but have you tried the exercises... Flat or Inverted Nipples they are way down in this link...

One more thing that worked in getting the latch going for us was the breast sandwich.

kellymom.com :: Nipple shields

It may help if you compress your breast and hold it firmly about 1 1/2 inches from the base of your nipple toward the chest wall (usually at the edge of the areola just past where your baby's lips will be) - like squishing down a big thick sandwich on a roll to take a bite. Holding the breast this way makes your nipple more firm like the shield. Keep holding it like that until it feels like baby is sucking well, and then slowly release the grip

If you can get to a lactation consultant it may work well for you. Padmini Balagopal runs a clinic on Oliver Road in Mylapore (from another post of yours I am guessing you dont live very close to those parts.. for whatever it is worth)

Thank a lot kritikka for the links. i will try contacting the lactation consultant you have mentioned. i am willing to do try everything to get my daughter nurse from me directly.