To ask when your nipples stopped hurting - breastfeeding

[Pip1402]

Sorry, posting here for traffic as I'm desperate.

I've been breastfeeding my newborn since she was born 17 days ago. Multiple midwives and a feeding support worker have checked the latch and said it's fine but my nipples are still very painful and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Is this normal? Do my nipples just need to toughen up a bit more? I've ended up supplementing with formula and using nipples shields at times because of the agonising pain. I'd been clinging on to this getting easier after 2 weeks but it hasn't yet. I really don't want to give up but don't know how much longer I can take the pain.

Any positive stories of people who just needed to persevere for a bit longer and their nipples started to cope? How long until it stopped being painful for you?

Mine were agony for around 10 days and then started getting better from 2 weeks. I would recommend baby is checked for tongue tie as it doesn't sound good. It's ridiculous the amount it is missed and so many people I know have resorted to private clinics to get it fixed quicker.

Also I presume you are using the nipple creams as I was told I didn't need them and thats why it was particularly bad with my first. I also changed positions every time I fed to ease the pain.

Do they hurt for the entire feed or just the initial couple of minutes? For me the first few minutes were toe curling for about a month but I had no pain after those first minutes. If its the whole feed get baby checked for tongue and lip ties with a professional. Find your local breastfeeding support groups or la leche league and keep asking for help... if you want to keep going that is.
My oldest was a refluxy baby who my husband managed to convince me wasn't getting enough from the boob so I combi fed from 10 weeks and by 16 weeks he was point blank refusing the breast because its harder work. My other 3 were exclusively breastfed until they were 3 years old each and I can hand on heart tell you there's been no difference with the quality of their health, bond, intelligence or anything else. Make sure you enjoy your baby and don't spend the first few months in complete pain and guilt xx

Quite a while. It is worth ruling out thrush which isn't uncommon.
When DD latched on it felt like I was feeding a piranha.

I turned a corner about two or three weeks in. I really recommend the Multi Mam compresses, leave them in the fridge and pop on after feeding, they were so good!

Check for tongue tie - if it's not been done, apologies if it has. Ds2 had it bad & no one noticed cos his latch looked good etc. It was excruciating!! Bfing shouldn't be agony so something is amiss.

Don't beat yourself up though, you're trying your best, go back to your HV or midwife, there is absolutely no shame AT ALL in doing that.

It will get better. I definitely think there's an element of your nipples having to toughen up.

But the latch is also key. Is the baby's mouth wide enough to be taking in araola/skin around the nipple and not just the nipple itself?

Does the pain subside after a few seconds of latching?

Thanks so much for the replies. I am using the nipple cream and the silver cups religiously and they have been helping a bit.

The initial latch is very painful but then the rest of the feed usually continues to hurt, generally a constant pinching feeling. A piranha is a good analogy! Then my nipples are constantly sore afterwards, my left one is permanently painful at the moment even when I'm not feeding.

I have huge boobs compared to the baby (32G/H vs 6lb 5oz) so I'm wondering if that's having any impact. It makes it difficult to see much of the latch but I'm trying my best to make sure she's getting the areola at the bottom in her mouth and the nipple's pointing to the top of her mouth.

I feel like I've done all of the reading and watching and learning about it I can possibly do over the last 2 weeks and it's sending me a bit insane. I desperately just want to be able to feed her without dreading it each time.

With mine it was up and down for the first 6 weeks or so, but they didn't hurt constantly - it would be bad for the first few seconds whenever baby latched on but would then stop.

Agony for a month w/ DS1, then stopped. Fed for 2 years, not a single problem. Fed DD2 for 3 years, not a single problem, not a bit of pain.

The first month was horrendous and I cried every single feed. I have a reasonable pain threshold but this was something else. I would rather give birth unmedicated than go through that month. But it stopped on its own and it was SO WORTH IT. DKids are now 7 and 5 and have immune systems of steel.

Same for me, and the multimam patches are amazing, Expensive but they really helped me.

I also have huge boobs and found propping boob up with a rolled up muslin cloth, and feeding in rugby hold really beneficial too

It does still sound like latch isn't quite right.
When I breastfed DD, I didn't get the latch right for a few weeks and it was like razor blades everytime she fed, even when the latch was right I didn't know because they were so hurt from the bad latch.
I'm not sure what position you're feeding in but I found rugby hold the best to get a proper latch and then when she and I got a bit more confident I then moved her to cross body feeding.
Worth playing around with positions, don't be afraid to make up your own if it gets baby fed and a more comfortable latch.
Definitely keep using the cream and hopefully as the latch gets better, your nipples will start healing and won't be painful anymore.

I know they say that it won't hurt once the latch is right but if damage is done then it can take a few days for them to feel better regardless of the latch.

It's tough but you're doing great.

Before they start feeding, wait for them to open their mouth wide, then once latched - feed more of your nipple into their mouth with every suck so they are getting a deeper latch. Use your thumb to sort of push the top of your nipple in. Learnt this on baby number 3. Helped immediately. Wish I'd been told to do this earlier!
May or may not help you, but it was a game changer for me.

Thank you I will try this! Would you hold the breast when they first latch on? I've been told not to do this but it feels like the only way to make sure they don't just clamp on to the nipple by itself.

Thank you for all of the supportive replies, they really mean a lot. I had no idea this would be so tough.

DC1 was like this, had her tongue tie snipped and it hurt until the day we stopped (4 months when I returned to work) was told that I was just overly sensitive.

Subsequent DC a little painful for the first few days then not a thing. So turned out DC1 never had a "good enough" latch.

I can't remember when it stopped hurting but I think mine was at its worst about the time you're at. Its very normal if that reassures you at all and it really does get better (doesn't hurt at all now 7 months in and hasn't hurt for ages). I think by 3 months it was fine maybe even a bit sooner?

Two to four weeks.

They do become completely numb then.

I remember the pain - toe curling.

It does subside.

I held the breast even though the lactation consultant kept moaning at me about it but it worked for me. I still hold it and we’re 20 months in!

I remember my toes curling and squeezing my husbands hand in the early days, it was awful. I’d had so much help (midwives, lactation consultant and HV) and they all told me everything looked fine and it still bloody hurt so I don’t think there was anything wrong.

The bigger and stronger your baby gets you’ll find them start to correct the latch themselves.

This is all so reassuring, thank you very much everyone

It's given me the motivation to keep persevering and curling my toes.

No pain at all, sounds like a bad latch to me.

My first born had a terrible latch for first few weeks and I had pain, mastitis and vasospasm. Spent nearly two weeks in hospital. Second baby didn't feed for two weeks as was very poorly at birth but when she was allowed she just naturally latched on and never had a problem.

36 years ago so this may not even be a thing any more, I ended up using silicone nipple shields. I don’t know if I could have continued otherwise. Babies 2 and 3 were no problem.

I was told 10/10 as a rule of thumb.

It's normal for it to hurt at first, but it should be about the first 10 "sucks" of each feed for about 10 days. If it's continuing for the whole feed (at any level) or continuing past day 10 then it's worth looking for some experienced support with latch because it's possible to have a latch which works well enough for SOME milk to be transferred, but not enough to be pain free, and this can then go on to cause issues either with milk transfer, leading to weight gain/worries about supply or just with discomfort for you, which makes it hard to keep feeding.

Don't think that it's something you have to just push through - there should be support with this issue. Unfortunately it can be you need to seek the support out.

After about 4-6 weeks. It was quite uncomfortable at first and I was gritting my teeth and then it just stopped hurting. You know how those balloon modelling balloons are hard to blow up at first, but once they've been blown up it before it gets much easier? I think your pipes are just a bit like that for a while.

I was really glad I persevered, anyway, because it was a great way to settle an older baby quickly.

When I say experienced support BTW, midwives and feeding support workers aren't always the right person to ask. I had good help from a La Leche League leader, an NCT breastfeeding counsellor and I heard good things about ABM (association of breastfeeding mothers) and my Sure Start Centre (I know not many left) had a group with a trained BFC.

One tip that I didn't find very intuitive is that just as they open their mouth and are about to latch on, use your arm to pull them towards your body. I kept trying to pull the boob towards the baby. You need to pull them towards you.

It shouldn't hurt at all really*

Its worth seeing if you have an infant feeding team or LLL group nearby. Midwives and HVs often have very little breastfeeding specific training and as you're finding just because the latch looks good doesn't mean it actually is.

Breastfeeding should be like a new pair of shoes, a well fitting pair may be a bit uncomfortable until you're used to them but shouldn't be agony.

You can absolutely hold the breast if that works for you, think of it like you eating a big burger or sandwich, you squish it a bit it make it fit. You can do the same for baby. Just make sure you're squishing the right way for the angle of is mouth 😁

*some pain on first latch can be really normal and as someone above said if there's damage the pain can linger a little.