flanged lips

i'm still working on trying to get my boys to latch without a nipple shield. i realized today that when they take bottles they don't flange their lips, they clamp down with them. which is probably why it's so painful when they use the nipple shield. i've been reading through all of the tips and tricks on getting a proper latch and every single tip says, "make sure their lips are flanged." but what nothing tells me is what to do if they're not. do i slip my finger in there and try to get their lips pointing out? because i tried that with their last bottle and they jerked away from me.

any advice would be appreciated. how do i correct this?

 

QUOTE(piccologirl @ Oct 29 2008, 07:46 PM) [snapback]1047880[/snapback]
i'm still working on trying to get my boys to latch without a nipple shield.  i realized today that when they take bottles they don't flange their lips, they clamp down with them.  which is probably why it's so painful when they use the nipple shield.  i've been reading through all of the tips and tricks on getting a proper latch and every single tip says, "make sure their lips are flanged."  but what nothing tells me is what to do if they're not.  do i slip my finger in there and try to get their lips pointing out?  because i tried that with their last bottle and they jerked away from me.any advice would be appreciated.  how do i correct this?
I doubt this is what you should do, but we always twisted the nipple a little and it corrects their lips.  They still bite down on the nipple though and consequently the nipple shield.  That's about the time I became extremely determined to wean from the shield.  I only weaned my DS from the nipple shield, my DD went on a month long nursing strike and when she started nursing again, she just nursed without the shield.  With my DS, we started out with a tremendously bad latch, bad latching technique and it just got better every day.  The trick that really worked for me was to push on his shoulder blades, rather than on the back of his head while I was latching him.  Pushing on his shoulder blades caused him to drop his head back and open his mouth wider.  Wishing you the best of luck!

 

My boys do this too. What finally worked for me was to kind of let them latch themselves. This helped with Bob especially because not only does he clamp his lips, but he sticks his tongue to the roof of his mouth. But once it was more on his terms his latch has improved so much! On a whole though I try not to stress it. Some feedings it's a perfect latch, sometimes, not so much, but if they aren't getting enough they let me know!

 

In the beginning (first month or so) my babies would do this a few times a day. I just pulled down a bit on the chin, just under the lip area and it would flip the lip back out (if that makes sense). If it was the top lip, I tried to pull up a little and correct it. As they got a bit older, it happened less.
Congratulations on your new babies!!!
~Erin

 

I had this issue too. I sort of would drag the nipple from just above his upper lip as I popped it in his mouth while the nipple is pointing up towards his nose. This gets his mouth to open. Also, the sandwich grip on the breast as he is sucking on it keeps his lips properly flanged out somewhat.

The website pumpstation.com has a good video that you can watch.