Bubble Palate

Click, click, click is the sound of a baby with a high palate nursing at the breast.

My second daughter Abby, was born with a high palate ( I know because remember I am a lactation consultant), small lips and a tight maxillary frenum. Made for a mommy with sore nipples. My nipples HURT bad for 5 weeks. With every single latch, I gripped the chair, tensed up or cried. EVERY SINGLE LATCH. It was very painful but I could not quit, come on, I am a lactation consultant. I must say that my I never had one day of pain with my first child who was born with a great palate and frenum.But then like magic, when she went through a growth spurt at about 5.5 weeks, it just stopped hurting and clicking. Maybe her palate widened, tongue lengthened… who knows. But suddenly, breastfeeding was enjoyable for both of us.

A high palate can easily be assess by a breastfeeding expert: a lactation consultant. If in doubt consult your local LC.

Here are my suggestions for clicking while breastfeeding:1. Get checked by an expert: a lactation consultant. They can assess for anatomy problems, infection and basic latch/position issues. Then the proper referral can be made.

2. If the lactation consultant is unable to isolate the problem, a referral to a speech pathologist may be in order.

What about using a nipple shield? Although a nipple shield may provide some immediate relief for nipple pain, it does not address the root problem. In my prenatal breastfeeding class, I tell my students to NEVER use a nipple shield without first being assessed by a lactation consultant.

If you do not address the underlying problem, it will likely never resolve. Also, a shield can introduce its own set of issues like thrush and babies becoming unable to nurse without the shield.

All in all, the main theme here is anytime you are having a problem with breastfeeding, consult a lactation consultant for help.

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