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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

OW OW OW is breastfeeding meant to hurt like this? (2days old)

37 replies

Purdicles · 08/12/2011 23:25

DS born 2 days ago and today I am really finding it painful when he is feeding. Last night he fed pretty much solidly from 8pm til 3am - I think he iss latching on well - midwife said he has a good open mouth, full cheeks etc so I'm fairly certain he is getting enough. He does suck like mad though and the suction is something else.

Just wondering if anyone had any advice or pearls of wisdom to keep me going as I am beginning to dread feeding which feels totally wrong!

OP posts:
workshy · 08/12/2011 23:33

no it's not meant to hurt ( but many women find it does until you settle into it)

I found that I would get a sharp pain in my nipple when they didn't have enough of the nipple in their mouth (you would have thought that by the second one I would have paid more attention)
you should barely be able to see the areola but it was definitely a problem for me and it litterally felt like I was being stabbed

try breaking the suction with your litttle finger and repositioning

also if you lift your breast when you are positioning him as they can look correctly positioned when you look down on them but it can be a very different story for the part of the breast you can't see

good luck for tonight and keep trying -it does get easier :-)

MoTeaVate · 08/12/2011 23:34

If it hurts like that then I'd get a second opinion on whether he is latched on well. Have you rung one of the bf helplines? do you have any local specialist bf support?

Try looking at some of the videos on this site to see if you can spot any changes you could make to his latch.

nettlemummy · 08/12/2011 23:35

It does hurt at first, the idea that if it hurts then it is not working is wrong and for me at least I found that I had to go through a bit of a pain barrier to get breast feeding going properly. It won't always hurt like this and you can use nipple shields if you need to. Well done for establishing a good latch and best of luck for keeping the breastfeeding going for as long as you can x x x

MoTeaVate · 08/12/2011 23:37

You could also try geting naked from the waist up, leaning back whilst sitting propped up at about a 45 degree angle (eg cushions or pillows behind you and feet up). Put baby face down on your chest between your boobs and basically let them get on with it. Support them behind their bum and preferably have them skin-2-skin in just a nappy, but with a light sheet/cellular blanket over to keep them warm. Babies can and do 'crawl' into the right position and attach themselves. It can take a while and they often do a lot of lurching around and woodpecker bobbing first. Hope you have an OK night Smile.

NeedAnXmasList · 08/12/2011 23:37

Weird but...
I found that holding my breast with opposite hand as if holding a burger bun, thumb on top and fingers underneath, helped. I did this and it helped control where the nipple was going.
It was a tip I read on MN when I was desperate for help and wondered if I could get through the next feed or not.

trulyscrumptious43 · 08/12/2011 23:40

Yes both of my DCs hurt me terribly at first, was advised to stop BF by the midwife as the blood DD was drawing from my nipples wouldn't do her any good...didn't do me much good either but that was not the issue!
I didn't stop, persevered for weeks (nipple shields, etc) and BF for 13 months and 18 months in the end.
The old nips just toughen up eventually but no one tells you that in the brochure, do they?
Best of luck I'm sure you'll do it.

Original poster
Purdicles · 08/12/2011 23:40

Thank you - I have just emailed my nct bf counsellor with a photo of what I can see as he feeds but didn't think about the bit I can't see - d'oh!

OP posts:
RJRabbit · 08/12/2011 23:41

I agree with Nettle. The idea that if it hurts you're doing it wrong really upset me, because I wasn't. For ds1, it hurt for five weeks and for ds2, it didn't hurt at all.

Don't despair - everyone has different experiences. Lansinoh is great and worth the money. It won't hurt for ever and is worth a little discomfort, trust me! So much more convenient Grin

Original poster
Purdicles · 08/12/2011 23:42

Stupid stupid question... can they suck too hard?

OP posts:
RJRabbit · 08/12/2011 23:43

Feeding lying down is also a really good relaxing thing for both of you. Ask your HV to show you how.

MayaAngelCool · 08/12/2011 23:45

Congrats on the birth of your lovely baby!

If you are experiencing bf pain, then he is not latched on correctly. You need to see a bf counsellor, not a midwife, as they generally don't know much about bfing (as opposed to bf counsellors, who train for...is it two years?).

Ooh, just seen that you've contacted your bf counsellor. Brilliant. And well done for having her contact details so easily available two days after giving birth - great move! Make sure she sees you in person, whether at your home or by you going to a bf clinic, asap.

Best of luck!

MayaAngelCool · 08/12/2011 23:45

Also...as he grows and his mouth gets bigger, that will help with latching. But you should still be able to feed him pain-free at this stage, with good advice.

TheSecondComing · 08/12/2011 23:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

organiccarrotcake · 08/12/2011 23:47

purdicles some babies certainly suck harder than others, but it should be fine.

Can you get your NCT BF counsellor to visit you? That would be realy helpful as she could tell you whether there were other positions that might help you to get more comfortable.

Hang on in there as your milk will start to move to mature milk tomorrow or the next day most probably which will mean more volume and likely make things much easier.

Bfing CAN hurt to start with but it shouldn't continue to hurt. It's not possible to tell from here whether the hurting is something "normal" or something that can be improved, which is why you need RL support if possible.

Keep the faith - you should start to feel better very soon.

Original poster
Purdicles · 08/12/2011 23:47

Thanks Maya - yeah I did wonder about the mw - I buzzed her when I was in the on ward as it was suddenly hurting like buggery mad and she just said no that's fine! I thought I must just be being wussy!

OP posts:
Original poster
Purdicles · 08/12/2011 23:48

pn ward...

OP posts:
Original poster
Purdicles · 08/12/2011 23:49

TheSecondComing I am proper proper ginger! OOh I am a wuss...

OP posts:
organiccarrotcake · 08/12/2011 23:50

No you are NOT. NOT a wuss. You are in pain and you want to know whether it will stop or whether it is something that needs dealing with. That is sensible.

missnevermind · 08/12/2011 23:52

If he is feeding constantly then it is not surprising it hurts.
It gets better. It gets easier too and soon.
Try and get some lanisol or kamillosan on your nipples while he is sleeping.

Lucyannieamy · 08/12/2011 23:53

The suck can be hard,and it does hurt to start. You can take paracetamol if you aren't already. You'll get to know what pains are bad( squashed nipple, bad latch) and what are just there. For me it was like deep inside the boob on the let down and I got used to it. Also if you are day 2, hang in there and rest the next couple of days as your milk comes in, it's going to hurt a bit. Good luck and do try and see a bf advisor tomorrow if you can.

MayaAngelCool · 08/12/2011 23:55

"A wuss"? What a wussy thing to say. Wink

Listen. And don't let any blokes hear me tell you this. There IS something that hurts worse than drug-free labour. It is called Breastfeeding Pain. When it is bad, it is toe-curlingly unbearable. Take this from a Birthing Amazonian Wink. So the word 'wuss' is BANNED when it comes to breastfeeding!

TheSecondComing · 08/12/2011 23:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

organiccarrotcake · 08/12/2011 23:57

OP, I'm off to bed but will check in tomorrow.

Do try to get to see your BFC but in case you can't tomorrow, can you tell me:

  • What shape are your nipples after he comes off
  • Do YOU feel the latch is ok from what you know or have you any concerns (other than the pain)
  • Are you sore or damaged in any way?
MoTeaVate · 08/12/2011 23:57

The red hair thing is a myth! Widely spoken about, but absolutely no evidence for it.

I hope you hear back from the NCT counsellor promptly. It would be great if she could see you Smile. Is there anyway someone else could take a short video clip of the baby actually attaching to the breast and suckling for 20-30secs that you could email? Would skype be an option? It is watching as they go on that gives a lot of the clues (as well as what you say about how it feels). You shouldn't be able to see the baby's bottom lip at all really, your breast should be flush with their cheek. As the baby suckles their cheek shouldn't suck inwards (like sucking a straw). If you look at the site I linked to the clips on it show how to watch for the 'pause in the chin' that means baby is swallowing.

There are lots of little things to watch for. Have you got a hand or finger up the back of baby's head? That can restrict how far they can tilt their head back and maintain a wide mouth. Holding them round their shoulders and with your fingers by their underneath ear can work really well. Also the baby's top lip should just slide over your nipple, pointing at the roof of baby's mouth -NOT like a bullseye Smile.

Right, I'm off to bed now.

fridakahlo · 08/12/2011 23:58

With dd (my first) spent first two to three weeks in pain. Got nipple shields and by week seven left one was fine, right one was not, I had a huge crack so I phoned the bfn, don't remember what the very nice lady said but it helped and by eight weeks had no problems. DS took about two to three weeks to stop being painful.
My advice would be smear your nipples after each feed with kamillosan (or lasinoh if you prefer), really slap it on. And if it's really really bad use nipple shields for a couple of days. Good luck!

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