to want to cry my heart out at...

[InTheNightGarden]

Having such STUPIDLY sore nips!!!

Only had my baby Saturday so milks not even properly come in yet but my god they are sooo sore and almost look blistered after I feed!

Soo close to just giving up but Id feel like a failure if I did!

Totally don't know what to do and the midwife at the hosp seemed to think "attachment and position" were perfect....so why does it sting so much and why are they so bloody sore :(

OUCHHHHHHHHHHH :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

[SilverSixpence]

How are you doing Inthenightgarden?

[ArtsMumma]

I sympathise! I was in such agony with sore nips after my son was born that my mum had to hold him to feed while I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. I told my health visitor and showed her my nips. She looked in ds' mouth and was able to tell me we both had thrush. There was nothing thrushy to see on my breasts but ds' mouth had a white coating. The pain was unreal, truly horrible. I was given gel to put in baby's mouth and on my nips and it took a while to clear up (lots of fresh air and sunlight on my boobs and a very strict hot washing routine as well) but I was SOOOO glad I continued to feed. Get checked for thrush and ask for your positioning and latch etc to be checked by the health visitor or by other bf mums at a bf support group. Lansinoh is great and cabbage leaves help relieve achy breasts too. I had cracked, bleeding, swollen, deformed nips and the doctor was shocked to see them but I got through it and fed for 2 years. If you cant get through it, then dont let anyone make you feel like you have failed. Your baby needs a happy Mummy more than anything else. Good luck, and feel free to get in touch if you do find out it is thrush, there are lots of things you can do to help it clear up.

[InTheNightGarden]

Thank you sooo much ladies!

I got in such a tizz last night I rang the hv this morning and she sent over this lovely lady who was an infant feeding specialist, she had a feel and look for tongue tie but said there is no obvious sign of him having it unless it's a minor one but that won't be picked up until he's abit older/bigger. Also the latch wasn't right, he was only taking a small amount of my nipple in his mouth and drawing it to the roof of his mouth which was making them bleed! (Fingers crossed this will stop now) I've got lansinoh, the best advise I was given and it was by you lovely ladies!

Ones so sore that I'm having to express it and cup feed him it but the other I'm still attaching him too! Who knew feeding your baby the most natural way there is was so technical and hard!

It is still stupidly painful but I'm getting through the pain by counting, by the time I'm at 40 the pain isn't so bad!

Also now wondering about thrush as I had and properly still have that "down below" from pregnancy but the docs couldn't and wouldn't really do much for it till after he was born and after I've breastfed so I wonder if I've passed it to him and then back to my boobiesssss! I'll go to the docs and quirey this too!

For now I'm sticking at it the best I can, looking at my little boys face now I can't go giving up in him!!!

[InTheNightGarden]

jojobump I love your phrase, you can't fail because it's not a test! I will be saying this to myself in my head regularly :) and to others if I heard them struggling to feed too!!

[InTheNightGarden]

*hear, not heard! ... defiantly time to get some sleep clearly!

[ArtsMumma]

Im so glad you got sorted out with some lansinoh and a good specialist. Don't let anyone tell you that the natural way comes naturally- it doesn't! You have to work at it, I wish someone had told me before I started feeding my baby that it wouldn't just happen magically. Regarding the thrush, if you had it downstairs, get someone to check you and baby over. You can pass it back and forth to eachother over and over and it can be hard to detect. Keep up the good work, you have a fantastic attitude! x

[MummytoKatie]

Agree with the Lansinoh suggestion. Put it on both sides after every feed. (Even if you are only feeding on one side.)

Also find something that tells you the benefits of each day of feeding. At this stage every day makes a difference and I can remember staring at the chart and thinking "only 2 more feeds and I'll have made it to 4 days and that means.."

[SocialClimber]

10 second rule. Hurts like a bastard.

It will get better. Keep going. X

[Teafairy]

I could have written this when I had DD1!! In the hospital they were convinced she was attached properly and that 'some pain' is normal...i'd never done it before, so didn't feel I could argue that it just didn't feel right. I didn't want to sound like a wuss, it was really painful so stupidly kept quiet, after all, they kept telling me she was on properly and I was convinced they knew better. By the time I got home my nipples were cracked and bleeding and I cried every time I fed her. My midwife took one look and told me to stop trying and express for a few days until i'd healed , then the local breast feeding support person came out and spent some time with me, she spotted that DD wasn't attached properly, she just looked like she was thanks to her 'extra rolls' as she put it, once i'd healed, I was able to get her back attached really well and then she BF until nearly 2 when she decided she'd had enough...so there is hope! I also second nipple cream!! Lansinoh was really good for me!