Difficulties breastfeeding 2 year old. I'm in a lot of pain!

[jessieagain]

In the last couple of weeks it has become very painful to breastfeed my toddler and I am trying to discourage him from breastfeed in an attempt to end it altogether but I'm not having much success.

His latch is terribly painful. His suction feels like it has increased a lot and it feels like he is not opening his mouth as much as he used to. My nipples are very painful all the time and have become swollen. I have tried asking him and showing him how to open his mouth more and I've asked him to relax on the sucking but I don't think he understands. Also does anyone know if the swollen nipples could have long term damage/implications?

Also how on earth do I go about stopping breastfeeding without upsetting him :( he still wakes at night for feeds and in some ways I think he actually needs the comfort more at this stage. I had been shortening feeds but this failed recently when he went through period of more night wakings and late bedtimes which i think are both linked to him needing to have a shorter nap. We are working on this but it still seems that going back to shorter night feeds (and just the one night feed) is still a long way off.

The night wakings I'm dealing with by ending the night cosleeping (which interestingly we never managed to do while he was a baby ) so the lack of sleep is not a problem, the problem is more with the breastfeeding and the painful latch.

[dyslexicdespot]

Could you be pregnant?

[AnotherStitchInTime]

Stopping breastfeeding is always going to upset them a bit.

I breastfed dd1 until the was 2. The first thing we did was fully night weaned. DH would offer water between midnight and 6am. It took a week, but then she slept through. Buy earplugs to use temporarily.

Then once that was sorted I dropped the bedtime feed. I created a sleep association by giving her a jellycat bashful to cuddle and played a lullaby toy whilst breast feeding. Then I would take her off the breast awake and put her in the cot with cuddly toy and lullabies. Once she settled that way I switched to cows milk in a straw cup (she already drank it during the day). That took a few weeks.

[IWipeArses]

Definitely check if you're pregnant, it can make feeding very painful for some women.
We had moved down to just the one feed by the time I wanted to stop, easier for reducing chance of mastitis, but easier I felt for DS too.

[BumgrapesofWrath]

I was going to say POAS as well! I couldn't feed ny toddler when I got pregnant...

[chocolatemartini]

I was thinking pregnancy?

I'm pregnant with a 20 month old who feeds (painfully) like a newborn day and night. If I refuse him a feed in the day he generally copes but at night all attempts to get him to sleep other than feeding to sleep result in him going absolutely apeshit, screaming, hysterical, and short of letting him scream to sleep, which I can tell would take ages I have no idea how to night wean him. We've never let him cry at any stage it would be a big shock to him now.

I will be watching this thread with interest for any gentle weaning tips. I can only say that for us, positive sleep associations will not work, he is too attached to the feeding to sleep.

[jessieagain]

No I'm not pregnant as I just got my period today, don't think it is hormonal changes either as I have had my periods back for the last 6 months and it wasn't painful with those. The pain would have started roughly around ovulation though, so maybe it is related?

I thought it might be teethbut I see no sign of any, he is due for his 2 year old molars though as he has always got teeth around the 'average' times. I thought those molars put toddler off breastfeeding as it was more painful to feed when they came through?

I will try getting him to relatch but it is not just the latch the suction feeling is so strong it hurts!

[AnotherStitchInTime]

It could be hormonal pre-menstrual and menstrual breast tenderness. Still check for pregnancy, I have just found out I am pregnant, but have been having monthly periods as usual. It can happen.

[NoNoNoMYDoIt]

could you have thrush?

[jessieagain]

Ok stitch I will take a test tomorrow, we were planning on ttc in the next month or so, so it would be a nice surprise :)

I know nothing about thrush I have to say. But I have just recently got a fungal infection on my toe which also coincides with the timing strangely enough, could that be related?

[jessieagain]

Ok I just googled for thrush and my only symptoms is sore nipples. They are more swollen but still the same colour no white bits. The pain is in my nipples and is a 'shallow' pain not deep in the breast. My nipples are very painful when he's feeding and are very tender feeling afterwards which I put down to being tender as they were swollen and pressing against my bra/clothes.

Does this sound like thrush in anyone's ezperience.

Other background info: have never had any issues bf before and have not had antibiotics since his birth.

[FadBook]

I've had similar problems with dd (23 months). It's teething our end definitely. Her latch is appalling.

She's been cranky for two days and Put it down to heat/weather. She's had calpol tonight and latch was perfect and she was back to her normal self. She's got no new ones but all front tip ones have come down more and back ones.

Thrush is quite painful. Can you see GP to rule it out?

[IWipeArses]

We developed thrush for the first time when DS was around 17 months. I didn't have any pain, but DS had it in his mouth.
Worth getting it checked out.
If it is diagnosed, you both need the treatment, even if only one of you is showing symptoms.

[jessieagain]

Is there a test for thrush that the gp does or is it diagnosed from just the symptoms?

[jessieagain]

Just wanted to update:

I'm not pregnant

And the pain and swollen nipples have gone away completely!? I think it must have been a (prolonged) prementral symptom, which I'm surprised at as it hasn't happened before.

So we are back to normal :) but im going cold turkey on night weaning.

[dyslexicdespot]

Glad you are back to normal!