Excrutiating breast and nipple pain *before* baby has arrived. Any reasons?

[MrsArchchancellorRidcully]

Hi. I am around 40 weeks pregnant and hopefully will go into labour anyday. For the past few weeks (and now on a daily/multiple daily) basis I am getting excruciating breast and nipple pain - like someone is digging a knife into my boobs, especially around the nipple.
It lasts for around 5-10mins and when it stops it's like it's never happened.

I have no idea why this is and tbh, I'd rather have labour pains as my boobs are actually more painful and I have no idea when they will stop.
I am worried that it will either make bf this baby very painful or that there is something wrong with me. I have no other symptoms eg temperature.

Can milk start to come in before the baby arrives?!

This is No2 and I really want to feed this one as with DD it all went pear-shaped after an EMCS.

Any advice gratefully received.

Bump

Sorry I cant help, but in the last few weeks I have started getting leaky nipples and they are also incredibly painful at random times. I am only 22 weeks though so was planning on mentioning it to the midwife when I saw her next week.... I'll let you know what she says!

hi there
I don't know much about this but didn't want your post to be unanswered. Your milk can definitely come in before your baby is born. Perhaps you are experiencing a very painful letdown? Although in that case, you would probably be leaking as well.

I always thought that the milk 'came in' once the placenta had been removed .

I found this on kellymom. If you look about half way down it talks about vasospasm in the nipples which can occur during pregnancy.

I may be way off the mark here, but it might be worth a look.

I had nipple pain exactly like you describe when I was pregnant - excruciating aching, stabbing pains, often worst in cold weather or a hot shower! I remember reading somewhere at the time that it was quite common and nothing to worry about, something to do with the breast changing in preparation for milk production, although I can't remember any more details of what caused it. It stopped once I'd had my baby. (I had nipple pain during feeding, but it was a very different pain, caused by my baby's latch, not my nipples.) I'm still feeding at 7 months.

Actually, reading that kellymom link that crikeybadger posted, that sounds exactly like what I experienced. I wonder, in retrospect, if it might have been related to some of the problems I had in the first couple of months of feeding. My son had a tongue tie which caused pain, but I also had vasospasms. Maybe it's worth finding out about your local breastfeeding support services if you haven't already, and talking to them now about it, so that you can access them easily if you have problems after your baby is born?

Thanks for all the comments. I'm not sure about the vasospasms - my nipple never goes white, although it is eased by warmth.

I don't think my milk has come in before giving birth, although my boobs are very leaky, especially if I hand express.

I'm seeing the mw on Tues (unless labour starts), so will mention it.

If you are leaking I would think it might be a strong let-down pain? My let down hurt like a bugger at first but the good news is it gradually gets better and better until it is gone.

I had this too MrsArch, but before I was pregnant as well. It went away while I was feeding DS but has come back this pg. It's flippin sore eh!

I have assumed it's Raynaud's phenomenon/vasospasms as I know my Dad has Raynaud's in his fingers and toes!

Hope it goes away after the wee one is here for you too.

Good luck :) :)

I was crouched in front of a heater with a jumper and fleece on last time, warmth really helps.

I'll speak to my midwife I think. I'm having a homebirth with an independent midwife so she'll visit every day for the first week then as often as needed, so I'm much more confident bf will succeed

it definitely didn't affect feeding at all for me anyway. :)

Good luck with the homebirth MrsA, sounds like a great plan to have an independent midwife.