Breastfeeding...Ouch?

[Mom050811]

my baby is 12 day old and into my second week breastfeeding... Nipples are sore feel like soneobes pinching them while I breastfeed...he is getting milk I can hear him swallowing... I jave been praticing a proper latch but its so hard... he also wants to be at my breasts all niight long =(... I dont remember that breastfeeding was this difficult with my older son (3)... Any advixe... I tried the lansinoh cream bit he dislikes the taste...

[AKMD]

He's still really little, he's feeding all night to build up your supply so don't worry about that. Are you able to breastfeed him lying down? If not, give your MW or HV a call and ask them if there are breastfeeding support workers or anyone else in your area who will visit you at home to show you how. It makes such a difference being able to lie down rather than sit up all night! They will also be able to have a good look at your latch to make absolutely sure it's right.

Things that helped me with soreness were:

• Applying Lansinoh liberally to the nipple area and the breastpad. You say your DS doesn't like the taste but AFAIK it doesn't really taste of anything - are you sure it's that?
  

• Chucking out the supermarket disposable breastpads and getting Tommee Tippee and Johnson & Johnson ones instead.
  

• Getting a pair of Lanowool Breastpads to go between my nipples and the disposable breastpads. They don't look like much but the soreness was gone within 2 days of them arriving.
  

• Going topless and bra-less as much as possible. The fresh air really helped things to heal up.
  

• I didn't know about them but my friend really recommends Tommee Tippee breast cooling pads. They are expensive but I've seen them in the sale at Babies R Us for £1.99 now and then and my friend says they're well worth it.
  

I hope something works for you! I remember the first few weeks being awful but as you know, persevering is really worth it. Good luck :)

[1catherine1]

Really good advice from AKMD. Just wanted to say that I hope it gets better soon. I think it is easy to forget how difficult BF is to start with. I remember thinking I would never get the hang of it. I remember at about 6 weeks I was still so uncomfortable sometimes that I couldn't even hold my DD against my chest.

It will get better! And when it does you will be glad you persevered!

[ascouser]

Remember that we breast feed....we don't nipple feed, so try to get as much of that breast in the mouth.
Applying cream just to the bit of the nipple that has trauma is the best idea. It's too expensive to rub in all over, it treats the sore, not prevents any soreness.
If your LO is chomping on the end and refuses to open up real wide, then perhaps try to squish the breast when he goes and opens his mouth as he is about go on. Squeeze the breast, imagine it's a club sandwich and shape it parallel to what you can imagine his smiley mouth to be...IFYSWIM. Bring him to you and try to be conscious of not 'backing off' for the fear of it hurting. Direct him to the breast, don't always expect him to find his way because they will sometimes take the first thing they get and chomp on that nipple.
HTH

[MaMattoo]

Putting some BM on nipples helps. Home made butter can also help or you coyld get ghee - clarified butter. Both don't taste bad.

Lansinoh breast pads made a huge difference to me. I expressed only,yet exclusively bf as DS did not latch on. That was painful abd going braless helped only if I did not wear a top either. Cooling gels help.