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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that breastfeeding mothers should be offered gas and air POSTNATALLY

109 replies

ReallyTired · 21/03/2012 10:18

Many women find that breastfeeding is extremely painful at first. Even if they are given good support and a bad latch is corrected breastfeeding can be still painful. It can take days for the damage caused by a baby latching on badly to heal. The memories of cracked nipples bring tears to my eyes.

Rather than bullying do think that decent pain relief would help mothers establish breastfeeding? Ie. if a mother is scared of the pain of breastfeeding then the offer of gas and air might tempt her. Grin

Maybe gas and air would not help, but good medical attention for cracked nipples might. I feel its almost misogyny to expect women to breastfeed without doing something about physical pain.

OP posts:
attheendoftheday · 21/03/2012 19:36

YANBU breastfeeding was incredibly painful for many weeks, much more painful than the birth. I had badly cracked nipples (due to an initial bad latch) than wouldn't heal, paracetamol and lansinol did not cut it! A week after dd's birth the end of one of my nipples became necrotic and the tissue died, and I was actually relieved because it hurt less.

That said, I stuck with it and now love breastfeeding.

MrFluffy · 21/03/2012 19:37

I think hcps should be more realistic about bf and what it entails tbh. It does seem to be painful for a lot of women.

RhinosDontEatPancakes · 21/03/2012 19:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GravyAndALumpyMashBaby · 21/03/2012 19:38

Yes yes and YES! Grin

On a more serious note - I was perscribed cocodamol and used the creams/cabbage leaves and was still in so much pain that I cried at the thought of DS waking up for a feed :( I had to walk around the house topless for the first 2 (possibly 3) weeks after birth (so obviously leaving the house with my baby was out). I still shudder at the thought and get upset that I physically couldn't stand feeding him for longer.

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 21/03/2012 19:40

Just for the record I didn't find BFing painful, not even uncomfortable !

Much later I had a mastitis like spell and that hurt and I felt generally unwell.

Also was uncomfortable and painful at times in a no milk there sort of way when BF throughout pregnancy (of DC2)

But basic point is that BFing isn't painful for everyone. You might be lucky dear reader !

FondleWithCare · 21/03/2012 20:03

Lansinoh did nothing for me, I was on paracetamol (c-section) and it was still painful. I think it just needs to be made known to women that yes it can be painful at first but it gets better after a couple of weeks.

DairyNips · 21/03/2012 20:04

I am due ds3 in June. I am honestly more scared of the pain of breastfeeding than I am of labour. I supposedly know what I'm doing too, know all the facts, have done a peer supporter course..

I'm also concerned about after pains, paracetamol hit the spot last time. What can I take this time that's ok to take whilst breasfeeding?

RabidEchidna · 21/03/2012 20:13

Holds boobs and backs away from thread

issimma · 21/03/2012 20:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Deflatedballoonbelly · 21/03/2012 20:20

I would have G&A for 'after pains'

After my third, I had totally forgotten about them and had over indulged in cake whilst pregnant. I remember being in agony whilst my mewling newborn was sleeping and ringing the buzzer thing and spitting/hissing at the midwife "There is another one in there" I got a Hmm and 'After pains love"

Quite embarrassing really...

DairyNips · 21/03/2012 20:58

Anyone know the answer to my question?Smile

dogindisguise · 21/03/2012 21:18

I think it would put women off. The thought of breastfeeding being so painful that you need G&A...(which it was for me at first and Lansinoh didn't do much).

WibblyBibble · 21/03/2012 22:25

Gas and air makes me throw up, useless crap it is. OTOH I didn't find breastfeeding painful until dd2 got teeth (dd1 was fairly well behaved), so swings and roundabouts or whatever.

emsyj · 21/03/2012 22:49

I am really Shock at how many people suffered such pain when bf - is it just that this thread is attracting posters with that experience, or is it statistically 'normal' to suffer terrible pain feeding?

I was really lucky that I didn't suffer pain feeding and didn't ever even use Lansinoh. Dunno why, maybe my nipples are made of animal hide? I have a close friend who bf her DS who is 2 years older than my DD and she banged on and on about Lansinoh and buying it in bulk before DD was born etc - I didn't have a clue what she was on about until she had DS2 and I saw her with blood all over her breast pad and a slice out of her nipple that made me wince. Is this what most women put up with???

attheendoftheday · 21/03/2012 22:52

DairyNips as far as I'm aware you can take paracetamol while breastfeeding, my hv told me to take it to help with bf pains.

DairyNips · 21/03/2012 23:00

Thanks attheendoftheday, that's what I took last time but I was wondering if there's anything stronger as I'm worried about the after pains being worse with it being my thirdConfused

SpiritOfTheSite · 21/03/2012 23:11

I think gas and air should just be available

blubberyboo · 21/03/2012 23:16

it used to really iritate me when ppl said that bf was only painful because "your baby isn't latched on properly" WELL BOLLOCKS! my babies all latched on really well and had extremely strong sucks but it was bloody agonising!!! and i was able to GIVE BIRTH WITH NO PAIN RELIEF TO A FACE PRESENTATION BABY....i just could not stick the pain of breastfeeding

i would go through labour anyday but the thought of the pain of breastfeeding makes me shudder
i had one midwife tell me that breastfeeding for many women is extremely painful for different reasons...some with cracked nipples, others just with strong sucking babies .......and she agreed that the message being given out that its only painful if you're not doing it right is incorrect.
my babies suckled for hours and hours on end getting very little out...when i expressed after 3 weeks i could only get 3 or 4 ozs i had to combine feed until i finally gave up after 7 weeks.
i think i always did have very over sensitive nipples as sometimes DH thinks its funny to tweak them and i find it extremely painful
we are all built differently it seems

Firawla · 21/03/2012 23:20

I found bf quite painful for my first, tbh i used to dread having to try to feed him as it would really hurt and also it would b a nightmare and a battle with him to even get him to latch on but don't see how gas and air would work as it makes u feel high and spaced out so how will you concentrate on the task in hand, especially when bf is mainly only painful for first time mums when the baby is quite newborn, and that is the time when u still have to concentrate when ur trying to latch them on, so i don't think it would help..
Apparently nipple sheilds help with the pain a lot? if you have v cracked or bleeding nipples that its too painful to feed from.. sounds a better suggestion than g&a. not that i have actually tried that..
gas & air is fantastic! but dont think it should be extended out for different uses, better kept for labour.
luckily i never had any pain bf my 2nd and 3rd though luckily but the afterpains on the 3rd one were soo bad that i even went back to hospital to get checked, i could not even stand up straight and walk so i didnt know wtf was going on, they just said its afterpains it gets worse with each child! dread to think how it would be in future then

CrunchyFrog · 21/03/2012 23:28

I remember cursing the injustice of it all when feeding DC2. I'd only stopped feeding DC1 9 months previously (had managed 13 months of that) and I was so surprised that it hurt ALL OVER AGAIN. Curse the gods of nipple sensitivity.

And then DC3, I was prepared for pain, but I was NOT prepared for thrush. 6 fucking months of the bastard, and mastitis three times. BASTARDS.

Anyway, YABU because it needs preventative treatment, not hiding the pain so damage can be worsened. My Mum swears blind she had a special 1970s spray that went on and deadened your nips before you fed the baby. It was probably made of asbestos or something, at any rate, you can't get anything like it now.

eeyore2 · 22/03/2012 00:11

I am going through this right now. DC2 one week old, horrible cracked, bleeding, mangled nipples. Have been seen by a breastfeeding consultant and community midwife who both say latch is fine. But it is so painful! I just try to get through one feed at a time. I wish there was some sort of local anaesthetic you could use!

startail · 22/03/2012 00:37

I wish there was some kind of pain relief. I remember having to steel myself up for every feed.
It was agony. Even with DD2 who clearly knew exactly what she was doing.

This was a bit of a shock because everyone says it only hurts if you do it wrong. Now DD1 was born without a clue of how to BF and never really learnt.

But DD2 clearly did, but it still hurt and that was very annoying!

startail · 22/03/2012 00:42

IT DOES GET BETTER!
Suddenly you'll realise it doesn't hurt and then there is nothing more magical than sitting quietly BF a baby who then falls asleep in your arms.

Of course shortly after they get teeth and then they learn to fiddle with your other nipple and their are new challengesGrin

startail · 22/03/2012 00:43

There not their, what is it with iPod keyboards, they make you forget all the grammar you ever learntBlush

5madthings · 22/03/2012 00:50

god i couldnt have bfed on gas and air, it made me high as a kite, i blood LOVED the stuff in labour and it got me through my deliveries but i was mad on it, couldnt have held and fed a newborn. despite having 5 i never had awful afterpains and was fine with just paracetamol, that toe curling pain when they are little and latch on tho is awful, but never lasted long for me, fortunately :)

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