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Infant feeding

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

Not sure whether this ache/pain is normal - any ideas?

7 replies

precariouslybalanced · 20/04/2012 01:40

Hello,
DD is 4 weeks old, I am feeding her at each feed with the breast and, if she's still hungry, the bottle. She normally feeds for 10-20 minutes on each breast, and takes 0.5oz - 4oz of bottle afterwards, depending on what's going on with her. She feeds fairly predictably every 2-3 hours, slightly longer at night and tends to only take breast milk at and through the night.
For a couple of days now I have had a feeling, or sensation, in both my breasts, which I can't really call pain - it's more like a dull ache. Actually, it's just like a noticeable "presence" in both breasts. It comes on generally between feeds, in both breasts at the same time, and can't be ignored when it happens. It makes me feel as though my breasts have gone rigid, but I've never really checked as they're pretty tender at the best of times. It goes away on feeding. It kind of feels like a hard object has lodged itself in my breast tissue, near the ribs, almost like a hard disc.
I've googled things like plugged ducts, thrush and mastitis and don't think it's any of those - no fever, no pain as such, no redness etc. Am I reading too much into this? Is this all just normal breastfeeding stuff (never done it before this child)? As I say, it's not exactly painful as such, more like an ache or an unignorable presence in my breasts. I guess I could live with it, but it's not pleasant.
Thanks very much for your thoughts!

OP posts:
IHeartIona · 20/04/2012 02:02

Hi ther, to me this sounds like pain on letdown, I get it too, I get a tingling feeling followed by pain for about five to ten seconds. If in the bath/shower when it happens I then see jets of milk spraying out.

heliumballoon · 20/04/2012 03:18

I had that too OP. In fact, I'm always surprised by the weird sensations in my boobs when I have a bf baby- aches, fullness, presence, tingling, hardness and yes, pain in the early days. In fact, I was going to start a thread on here entitled 'How does bf feel to you?'.
If it's not the pain of mastitis or thrush (which you would know about trust me) then it sounds like my exerience. I found warm showers helped and very gentle massage (if you can bear it), as well as a really good bra and avoiding getting cold! DD is 11 weeks now and bf still makes my tits feel weird, especially tingly, but it is a great deal less than before. So relax and enjoy your lovely baby!

HateBeingCantDoUpMyJeans · 20/04/2012 03:26

I thought letdown also. Does it happen more often when she's going longer between feeds than normal? Or at times she would normally feed? You might notice that when you've had this and she feeds there is no delay in the milk coming.

babybouncer · 20/04/2012 09:00

I'm so glad to read this thread - I've been worrying about getting aches and pains (especially at night when DD goes longer between feeds) and if I mention it to DH he just says bfing shouldn't hurt (quoting our NCT classes!).

HateBeingCantDoUpMyJeans · 20/04/2012 09:17

Ah babybouncer, letdown can be very intense and feel differently. Sometime it's a tickle, or like an itch, sometimes I can ignore and hardly notice or times I need to get my hand in my bra Blush

precariouslybalanced · 20/04/2012 11:13

Hello again, and thank you very much for the replies. Seems like let down it is! I haven't been to any bf classes or done much research myself, but I kind of figure that feeding a baby with your own body can't possibly be without some sort of effect on the mother, right? It is such a change from the non-bfing norm, after all.
But definitely good to know this is all normal. I have the sensation at various points in the feeding cycle, and don't have an over-production problem (quite the contrary I think, hence the mixed feeding), but I guess the feeling could be one of super fullness.
Thanks again, and glad I'm not alone!

OP posts:
HateBeingCantDoUpMyJeans · 20/04/2012 14:02

Think someone mention up thread but if you are worried about not having enough milk then giving a bottle can make it worse. Basically your body will think that is all she needs whereas if she is feeding for longing and stimulating your body to produce more then tge body gets her regular order ready. And a feeling of letdown ime was tge body saying get where are you it's ready Grin

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