Not latching at all

A friend of mine had her baby girl a couple weeks ago. As soon as she was born my friend tried to BF but her baby wouldn't take her nipple. She refused the breast so my friend pumped until her supply came in the next day(she fed her the colostrum from a bottle). The baby has no issues taking a bottle but she still won't latch to the breast at all. She tried using a sheild to show her baby that the milk came from her & not just the bottle but baby wouldn't latch to that either. What should she do? Has anyone else had this issue?

I had this same issue. I HAD to use to nipple shield to get him to latch.
She should pump to keep her supply up, but try latching with and without a shield every feeding. DS didn't latch until about a week after he was born (and that was with a shield. He still won't latch without one and he's three weeks old)

I had that issue with both of my sons. With my oldest, I pumped until he finally got it. My youngest was pretty much strictly pumping. Tell her to find her local La Leche League or call the nursery. They can be a big help.

She needs a really good LC to come work with her. Sometimes it's too hard to do without help. I'd never have bf this baby without the wonderful
LC in the nicu.

Tell her not to get discouraged, it took me 6 weeks to get my DS to latch. Here's a post I put up about it: http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about2373981.html

Contact your local La Leche League or see if your health insurance covers seeing a Lactation Consultant. Don't try to force baby on if they are resisting and crying and pulling away.

Good luck to her, and it's very nice of you to post on her behalf.

Also, check out some videos on YouTube or DVDs at your local library for more tips.

Thank you ladies! I didn't have this issue so I wasn't sure what to tell her other than keep trying & try the sheild. She lives in the middle of nowhere so I'm not sure what resources are available to her but I will give her the number for one of the local La Leches & the LC that helped me through latching with painful thrush/bruising/improper latch

<blockquote><b>Quoting ~The Lunar Flower~:</b>" Thank you ladies! I didn't have this issue so I wasn't sure what to tell her other than keep trying & ... [snip!] ... the number for one of the local La Leches & the LC that helped me through latching with painful thrush/bruising/improper latch"</blockquote>


Our Wic has LCs.