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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Help me keep bfing! 3 day-old feels like he's ripping my nipples off

14 replies

Chulita · 27/07/2010 17:14

I've had the latch checked by several people and they all say it's fine. I bf'd DD for 11 mths so I know it hurts to start with. DS wants to suck all the time but doesn't necessarily feed, my nipples are so sore they sting/burn all the time whether he's on them or not. I'm using Lansinoh but am so close to going to the shop and buying formula - I really want to bf but this is agony...

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 27/07/2010 17:18

Has thrush been considered?

Chulita · 27/07/2010 17:32

he's only 3 days old, would it have set in already? I've thought about it cos the pain does go right through to my back on one side...

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 27/07/2010 17:38

no it dopes seem quick - tbh i don't know. what does your MW say?

BigMommaOfAlmost4 · 27/07/2010 17:45

Chulita - I have the exact same problem with DS3 also 3 days old! Last night I swore DH would have to go and get a FF kit this morning as I was so miserable! I have got to the point where I been actually dreading feeding him .

While in hospital, I was told the latching on was OK and the midwife yesterday insisted it was fine but I have really bruised, bleeding nipples now which is agony. Until this morning, DS has been constantly on the breast! He falls asleep after what seems like 5 mins sucking, then when I take him off, he immediately wakes up and screams to go back on. Hence he and I are absolutely knackered!

Had a different midwife this morning who showed me a different technique and DS had a really good 30 min feed and will not feed now as he must be full (been fighting me off)! The midwife got me to use the rugby hold with his feet behind me (use a V pillow) so he approaches the breast from underneath rather than in front. Then put the nipple to his nose and let him lift his mouth up to it so it reaches the back of his mouth with his lower lip curled over the lower part of the aerola (sic). That feed was still painful but not half as sharp as before. DS has been asleep ever since and seems very contented for once. I will keep on using the Lansinoh and hopefully it will get better in the next few days.

I have been told that thrush is a more constant stinging pain whilst incorrect latching on is stabbing pain whilst feeding.

Chulita · 27/07/2010 18:02

Mind you, I have constant tingling like I'm getting let-down except my milk isn't in yet so it can't be, and having anything touching them is really painful. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it's thrush...so next question, I've got a one day dose of Fluconazole left from when I had thrush with DD - should I take it? or suffer...argh!

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 27/07/2010 19:07

is there an OOH GP service near you?

Chulita · 27/07/2010 19:11

Good thought, they're not close but I could give them a ring

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 27/07/2010 19:37

Thrush is very unlikely this early, although some of the symptoms do sound right.

If you are treating for thrush, you need to treat your DD and you.

Who has checked your latch? MWs and HVs are not always that good with latch. Is there specialist BF support where you live?

DorotheaPlenticlew · 27/07/2010 19:41

No idea about the thrush but have you tried calling the National Breastfeeding Helpline? I had a painful start to BF with dc2 recently and tried the helpline for the first time ever, and it was fab. Was someone on MN who suggested it actually.

0300 100 0212 is the number. Even though they aren't there with you it is really lovely to have a live person on the phone to talk to about whatever bf issues you're having.

DorotheaPlenticlew · 27/07/2010 19:42

also what are those silverettes people always talk about on here supposedly very good for painful shredded nips worth looking up?

daxibaby · 27/07/2010 20:37

could your baby have a tongue tie? i would suggest seeing a qualified lactation consultant ASAP!!!

NumptyMum · 27/07/2010 22:23

Sympathies - I bf my DS until he was over 2 so expected no problem with newborn DD, how wrong have I been! At first I got the latch wrong, as a newborn is very different to a toddler who knows what they are doing. However it takes 2 to tango and she doesn't open her mouth very wide... so I suspect things are only really going to improve once she grows more. Other possible causes can be tongue tie (as suggested already) or high palate. However as my DH said, my nipples also needed to 'toughen up' again, they'd reverted to being soft after 9 months of resting.

What the MW suggested to me at the start (when I was around day 6?) was to express from the sore side and rest it. This means less rest for you though - your partner can feed your DS an expressed feed but you'll need to be expressing to keep your supply up. You don't need to do this for long - perhaps 12 hours might help you get through the worst, or 24hrs. You can cup feed the expressed milk, if you want to avoid using a teat. Do watch your breasts though in case you get a blocked duct (will be hard and red) - this can lead to mastitis.

In the meantime to help your nipples heal, ask MW if they can prescribe you Jelonet - it's basically a vaseline-impregnated gauze, but it is quite soothing and has helped me heal up.

Ibuprofen might also help, if you have any idea when your DS is going to feed you can take some around 30mins before.

But probably the main thing is to work on the latch. I'm still not there, it's getting better but some feeds are better than others, depending on how frantic DD is for the milk... tonight I'm back to expressing.

Good luck!

Chulita · 28/07/2010 11:55

Thanks for the advice. I've had the latch checked by several midwives and a health visitor. I need to get to the bf support group but post cs I'm not ready to leave the house on big outings yet!
The only reason I was thinking thrush was because I had it the whole pregnancy and the symptoms sound right. I've got a permanent burning sensation like let-down feeling but all the time. When DS latches on it's agony, gets progressively worse and continues to get worse for about an hour or so after he's stopped feeding. My nipples don't look too bad, they're a bit grazed but you'd expect that for the first week. It's more the constant burning and it's so painful to wear anything against my nipples. The burning sensation is more in my breasts than in the nipples once he's stopped feeding my boobs just burn for hours...I've got some stuff though from the doctor's today so hopefully it'll work. The latch looks ok to me on the whole but then I'm no expert

OP posts:
NumptyMum · 28/07/2010 16:53

Hmm - I've got that feeling too on one side but it was after a bad feed last week (was a bit engorged prior to it as she slept longer than I anticipated). I'd put it down to bad latch giving nipple damage, or because of milk from engorgement leaking into breast tissues. The feeling does ease though, so it's not constant, I feel it more during and after feeds but sometimes it feels OK. For myself, I was wondering whether GP could do culture on milk sample (if that is possible) as I'm really reluctant to get thrush treatment if it's NOT thrush... as the pain is only on one side even after a week, I'm thinking it's nipple damage.

Unfortunately our bf support group is just other mums, we seem to be VERY short of anyone who is actually a specific bf advisor where I live. No wonder bf rates are so low . Hope you have more support where you are.

Anyway, hope it gets better for you soon!

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