Breastfeeding

[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...

[Sillyness]

i only have one child so dont want to sound patronising, but i reckon its just a case of him still learning what to do. also he's too young and his stomach is too small to feed efficiently so he will be attached to you for now.

someone said to me how it can take up to 3wks to establish breastfeeding. i found this very encouraging. my ds is 10wks now and the first 2.5 wks were torture with feeding, but by the time he was 3wks, everything had clicked and it was easy peasy. hope it gets better for you!

[Mom050811]

Thank you sillyness I am hoping itll get better by three weeks =)

[rubyslippers]

are you nipples sore the whole way thorugh a feed?

is he having plenty of wet and dirty nappies?

[BertieBotts]

Try posting on the breast and bottle feeding section too, there are lots of experts on there.

Sorry to hear you are having difficulty :( Has your son been checked for tongue tie?

[Mom050811]

Ruby... Yes he is pooing n peeing diapers well... N pain is here and there... Mostly when he begins to suck...

[Mom050811]

Ooooo tongue tie whats that...?

[PipPipPip]

It sounds normal to me!!

My baby was breastfeeding just fine but it still hurt for the first few weeks. All the other Mums I met at antenatal classes had the same experience - it hurt to begin with, but eased up gradually.

Stupid midwives say "oh, it shouldn't hurt if you're doing it right" but I think that is a bit misleading!

Also, babies at that age always want the boob!! So you're probably doing everything just fine, and your poor boobies are just taking a bit of time adjusting.

I agree with RubySlippers - heavy nappies are a good sign.

Good luck and keep it up. Nothing wrong with bottle feeding, mind you, but the boob is so wonderfully easy once you're into the swing of things.

[Mom050811]

Thank u so so much.... Pippippip =)

[BertieBotts]

Tongue Tie is when the little bit of skin under the tongue (we all have one, you can feel it) is too long and attaches the tongue too tightly to the base of the mouth, making it difficult for baby to latch correctly. You can usually tell if a baby has tongue tie if they can't stick their tongue out properly, or if when they do, it looks heart shaped with a little dip in the end of it. If they do have tongue tie it can be easily corrected with a very simple operation which doesn't require anaesthetic and is over in a few seconds.

It is normal for it to hurt a bit, if you count to 10 at the start of a feed (I think with DS is was more like 13-14, TBH) then the pain should go by the time you finish counting. And the counting helps you remember "It's nearly over... it will stop soon!" BUT if you are getting pain all through the feed, then something is probably wrong, and you really need to find some real life help. Are there any breastfeeding groups near you? (Are you in the US? If so is there a lactation consultant at your hospital you could get in touch with?) In the UK the best places to look are La Leche League (these have meetings all over the world, so you might be able to find one wherever you are) NCT, or ask your health visitor.

UK LLL helpline: 0845 120 2918
US LLL helpline: 877-4-LALECHE (877-452-5324)
US LLL Leader Locator: 847-519-7730 (To find your nearest la leche league leader - who is likely to be a breastfeeding expert)

Kellymom is a fantastic support and place to find information as well. But in your case I'd prioritise getting some real life support if you really can.