Three day old baby, every feed is excruciatingly painful - please help!

[Piccalilli2]

Dd2 was born by c-section on Tuesday, breastfeeding initially went well but since my milk started to come in yesterday every feed is so painful it makes me cry - shooting pains in my breast when she sucks. The latch appears to be fine and my nipples aren't sore to the touch. Will it get better? Is there anything I can do? I'm really not sure I can carry on like this as she's feeding every 2 hours.

[intravenouscoffee]

Argh. I remember this, felt like someone was stabbing me with a very long knitting needle. I found warm face cloths before feeds helped and after a couple of days it settled down. Doesn't help that milk coming in can make you feel awful and emotioal anyway so I was convinced I had mastitis, that I'd not be able to BF and that everything was going wrong (cue lots of sobbing and very worried DH). Have you tried the 'rugby' style hold? It is good for clearing the ducts and might be more comfortable. I tried it but DD was NOT impressed at feeding from a different position and refused to latch on. Am sure someone much more knowledgable will be along in a minute..

[MrsBadger]

ring a bfc - numbers on r hand side of this page - and see if you can see someone IRL to check everything is ok.

it sounds like letdown pains, which will get better, but that should only last for a short time at the beginning of the feed, not the whole thing...

[missorinoco]

ow ow ow i remember this.
it sounds like letdown pain to me too. awful pains than settle after about a min but had me in tears and dreading the start of each feed.

it does get better soon, and it is worse when your milk is just in.

would second getting someone to come round and check your latch etc. if not good sore nipples will add to the prob (they don't usually husr in between feeds).

congratulations on ds

[fettleandbabyfettle]

Don't give up Piccalilli just yet - these first few days are thw worst but it gets better - promise! You're 3 days post birth too - so you'll be extra emotional today.

Could be let down sensation - mine is very sore but got better over time. However it may also be a sign of thrush - unlikely though, but if continues maybe speak to MW for reassurance. I had awful shooting pains in the beginning - GP diagnosed too big boobs and muscle strain due to extra weight of milk! Told me to wear supportive bra day and night and it really improved it.

I do remember being in ffloods of tears wondering how I was going to cope especially with nipple pain but now at 7 months on, I'm desperately trying to get DS to stay BF! So it will get better!

HTH
xxx

[fruitbowl]

Congrats on your baby girl Picalilli. As MrsBadger says, it may be "let down" pains which is the milk being drawn down into your nipples. Does the pain last the whole feed?

8-10 feeds a day is normal for a newborn, it helps get your milk supply up and running even though it's hectic for mummy! Well done for persevering, I know it's not easy after a C-section.

Are you still in hospital? Get as much help as you can from the MWs or ask if there's someone that specialises in breastfeeding support. Or ring one as MrsBadger says.

It will get easier! Good luck x

[missorinoco]

eek, am going demented.
congratulations on dd.

[Amani]

Congrats on your new arrival. I remember being in your sistuation when I had both my DD's and I as in immense pain for the first three weeks with the let-down reflex - which went away on it's own after that period. Just hang in there, see a BFC and keep posting here..

[penguin2za]

Congrats picalilli. I am in a similar boat - any advice - my little girl was born on wednesday I am finding b/f quite a struggle as my nipples are VERY sore when she sucks (position has been checked by midwifes and they say she is sucking ok - I just have very sensitive nipples). Today nipples are EXTRA sensitive and boobs are slightly painful (shooting pains not when feeding though) and warm - does this mean my milk is coming in? Really ready to give up but don't want to.....

[MrsBadger]

penguin are you slathering on the Lansinoh?

when my milk came in my boobs felt huge and rock-hard rather than hot or painful but the timing is about right...
Do ring one of those helplines if you're worried though, and I promise it will get easier

[BirdyArms]

Picallili and penquin, it really will get better soon and it so worth perservering. I found that warm flannels before a feed helped a little bit and agree that lansinoh is the best for sure nipples.

[BirdyArms]

..... also is there a breatfeeding support group nearby that you could go to? I found that it really helped to know that I wasn't alone and I met people there with much worse problems that mine which helped me to get it in perspective, and made me thing 'well if they can carry on so can I'. Plus I met some really lovely people three of whom are close friends 3 years on. Not an immediate solution I know but maybe a plan for next week.

[Sparkletastic]

It should deffo get better quickly - can take a mild painkiller for let-down pain (paracetomal). Deffo get some support from a mid-wife or BF counsellor. First few weeks were pretty grotty with bf my DDs, and I was shocked and unprepared (should have got my support in retrospect) but after that it was really lovely and I kept going until they were 11 mths. You'll can get through it - hot flannels / baths / savoy cabbage leaves in bra if get engorged / I used Vaseline on nips but there are many alternatives. Basically feed feed feed and it get better all the sooner. Well done for getting this far!!

[Piccalilli2]

Thanks everyone for advice/reassurance - the pain is now subsiding so I think it was mainly due to severe engorgement as my milk came in but I am going to try and get my latch checked again by a breastfeeding counsellor as one of my nipples is a bit cracked and bleeding. I've tried the helplines but no-one answers. 12 different midwives and a breastfeeding support volunteer all assured me my latch was fine whilst still in hospital but then shouldn't it not hurt??

[MrsBadger]

cracked and bleeding nips mean something isn't right - dd may have changed her latch since it was ok'd by the mws.

as she's less than a wek old can you ring the ward and ask to see / speak to the bf supporter again?

[miffymum]

Agree with MrsB re: cracked and bleeding nips not being right.

Otherwise though - I got told by mws to put a bit of excess breast milk on my nipples as it's quite healing. They also said to keep them open to the air if they were sore - so i wandered round topless for much of the first week or so which scared the postman.