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Original poster

Breastfeeding & Cheese Graters

115 replies

YuzuSake · 04/10/2024 15:50

I heard a comment in a show that breastfeeding felt like running a cheese grater over your nipples. I have never breastfed and this comment has stuck in my brain as it really made me wince. Is it accurate? Or sometimes it can be and sometimes it isn’t? I figured if anyone had a good idea of this it would be MN!

OP posts:
BurbageBrook · 04/10/2024 18:39

I actually had tubes of nipple cream I never opened as I never even had a twinge of pain.

MyTaupeHare · 04/10/2024 18:43

Whereas I was slathering Lansinoh on, getting DH to buy cabbages so I could shove cabbage leaves in my bra, and using nipple shields. We got there in the end, but it was undeniably painful. And NO it wasn't because his latch was wrong, I had midwives telling me it was fine.

MadKittenWoman · 04/10/2024 18:46

Notreat · 04/10/2024 15:53

Definitely not true for me. If the baby is latched on properly it doesn't hurt!

This.

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Breast & bottle feeding Families
MyTaupeHare · 04/10/2024 18:51

MadKittenWoman · 04/10/2024 18:46

This.

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This for you.

Mynameistallullah · 04/10/2024 18:53

Ew no, I've never experienced that and breastfed both of my dcs. The thought is making me wince 😂

DancingPhantomsOnTheTerrace · 04/10/2024 18:54

No, I didn't experience anything like that.

mondaytosunday · 04/10/2024 18:55

No. It was not the 'love bubble' that some go on about but not at all unpleasant.

strawplait · 04/10/2024 18:55

No, breastfeeding was painless for all three dcs. Breastfed until age 3.5 and never needed nipple cream or shields or breadt pads, it was all pretty easy.

TheNoodlesIncident · 04/10/2024 18:57

I found it hurt for the first couple of days, but the midwife/HV came round to see how we were doing and she repositioned DS to be supported a bit higher up, which seemed to sort it out.

I'd recommend giving it a go and also pumping if you can. I used to pump late at night and put the milk into ice cube trays and freeze it, then put the milk cubes into a bag in the freezer. It meant that DH could bottle feed DS with it and also we could take a feed out with us (eg to a party) without me having to whip out me bosom.

PolaroidPrincess · 04/10/2024 19:00

The only time it hurt was when DS took up biting at around 7 months. With the help of one of the BFing Helplines it was quickly sorted though.

No cheese graters here thank god.

Enoughwiththisshit · 04/10/2024 19:02

The 'if you have a good latch, it shouldn't hurt' line is absolute bullshit. Might be true for some, but definitely not for others. Apparently, my babies had a 'perfect latch' so I 'couldn't be feeling that much pain'.

Same as the 'your cervix doesn't have nerve endings so this isn't hurting you'.

I hate medical gaslighting.

Toomanytesticles · 04/10/2024 19:20

Was more akin to what I assume being slowly devoured by hundreds of tiny piranhas feels like 😂

Eventually, after nipple shields during , tongue tie snip for LO, silver nipple covers for inbetween to heal we are now 9 months along and no pain , but it was a good while before the discomfort entirely went.

however you choose to feed your baby is great, but I do feel like the pain element for some women is ignored / not mentioned.

minipie · 04/10/2024 19:24

I had awful cracked and bleeding nipples for a few weeks due to an undetected tongue tie. Feeding through that was incredibly painful as the crack would re open with each feed.

However, this is not everyone’s experience by any means. DC2 also had a tongue tie but thanks to early detection and snipping I never had pain.

I believe there are a few people who get a strong sense of revulsion or dread when BF but that’s pretty rare.

ReadWithScepticism · 04/10/2024 19:26

My memory of it was that it was lovely, lovely, lovely and only painful at the beginning (when your baby's feeding stimulates the necessary womb contractions post-childbirth) and towards the end (when your stronger and toothsome older child thinks it's a giggle to clamp down a bit).

AlmostCutMyHairToday · 04/10/2024 19:29

Sounds pretty accurate for the first few days, and then it gets better and doesn't hurt at all (that being said, my DS had tongue tie, so maybe its not painful for everyone). Sounds weird but I thought bf felt more painful than giving birth. Wish they let us take home a bit of gas & air.

Perfect28 · 04/10/2024 19:46

If the latch is bad then yes it can hurt like hell. Take them off and get a better latch!

RedRobyn2021 · 04/10/2024 19:58

No that is horrible

Why would someone say that

RedRobyn2021 · 04/10/2024 19:58

And bf my DD until she was 3yo

Cherubs4 · 04/10/2024 20:03

I have bf 4 babies and the last had a shallow latch for the first 3 days, that was agony - once my nipples got used to it, and the latch improved, it felt good again.

GameOfJones · 04/10/2024 20:13

RedRobyn2021 · 04/10/2024 19:58

No that is horrible

Why would someone say that

Errr, I breastfed both of my DDs until they were 9 months and I'd say it felt exactly like that to start with. It was extremely painful to begin with. DD1 would make my nipples bleed. I got through it and I'm glad I breastfed them but I'm really hating some of the gaslighting happening on this thread. Just because it didn't hurt you doesn't mean others didn't struggle.

ohpoowhatnow · 04/10/2024 20:14

No ? It hurts for maybe the first week but after that it's fine ...

TeabySea · 04/10/2024 20:50

Only when I had mastitis. Other than that, it was okay.

girlonfiree · 04/10/2024 20:57

Been breastfeeding for 7 months, hasn't felt like that for me!
It must feel like when the nipples are cracked I presume which happens to a lot of people. I've never experienced it thanks for lanisol nipple cream (a must have!)

MrsSunshine2b · 04/10/2024 21:11

No, a good latch should not be painful. It can be slightly uncomfortable when you're getting used to it.

TripleCarber · 04/10/2024 21:18

Yes I’d say for the first 4 weeks that a pretty accurate description. Then in my experience it’s not painful, apart from if you get a milk bleb, mastitis or thrush etc