Ups and downs meeting

It was lovely to see new faces as well as familiar ones at the last meeting at Lorraine's house. We covered lots of ground on the subject of breastfeeding challenges.

Thrush was one of the areas we talked about. This can occur at any time during breastfeeding and if undiagnosed can be a source of soreness and even shooting pains in the breast. It also can cause babies to be fussy at the breast and sometimes refuse to feed because their mouths are sore. There is a leaflet written by LLL on thrush which you can get from the website, http://www.laleche.org.uk/ (Quickfind number 2806) or you can ring a Leader if you want to find out more.

Another source of difficulties in latching on a young baby that we talked about is tongue-tie. This is not always spotted at birth and it can vary in its severity. Tongue-tie is when the skin attaching the tongue to the base of the mouth is too tight for the tongue to stretch out far enough to cover the lower gums and therefore to draw enough breast tissue in to the mouth. Less commonly it can affect the skin between the upper lip and the gum. Babies with tongue-tie can struggle to latch on, coming off and on the breast repeatedly. In young babies it can be treated simply and it is worth checking out if you have had help with positioning your baby and still struggle to latch them on.

Which brings us to positioning! This seemingly simple act of positioning your baby at the breast to enable them to feed effectively can be straightforward for some mums and newborns, and a struggle for some babies for weeks. Many of the mums at the meeting talked about ways in which they had managed to find positions that worked for them, and how they had needed help in the beginning to learn the art of breastfeeding. Seeing other babies feeding is a good start, but also getting skilled help when you need it can make all the difference. It is very possible to talk through getting a good latch on the phone, so if you are having difficulties, do ring a Leader for help. Some good leaflets are 'Nipple Know-How for Breastfeeding Mothers', 'Beginning Breastfeeding' and 'Positioning Your Baby at the Breast', or alternatively a 'New Mum's Pack', all from the La Leche website above.

Several mums talked about how they worked hard to identify their baby's early feeding cues such as rooting, putting a fist to the mouth and nuzzling in to mum, so that they could get a feed started before their baby became upset, when it became more of a struggle.

Many mums talked about the vital importance of getting the support needed to see them through the difficult times. Friends, family and other breastfeeding mothers can offer help, encouragement and ideas that can make a huge difference when everything seems a struggle. Seeing how other babies latch on, getting tips on various ways to hold and carry your baby and building up confidence to feed in public without a mountain of pillows can make a big impact on the life a woman with a newborn. This support can be found at La Leche meetings, through the website (especially the forums) and telephone helpline. If you want to meet up with local mums outside the meetings, then add your comment to the post about 'Connecting with other mothers' and go for it!