When does breastfeeding stoo hurting?

[hodgepodge]

Ds2 is 3weeks old today. I am breastfeeding and he seems to be latched on correctly (midwives and health visitor agreed) and is gaining weight etc.
However it still hurts. Less so than first few days, but if he is on for more than ten minutes it gets v sore.

I know it's not supposed to but is it possible that actually it just does hurt for a while then gets better??

I winced at the start of every feed for the first 2 months or so. But not during feeds. To an extent, our nipples need to toughen up.

sorry it's still hurting but well done for keeping going.
It shouldn't hurt after the initial latch so maybe he isn't latched on well.
Could you get a bf counsellor or lactation consultant to have a look. try the NCT website for contacts or la leche. They may be able to watch waht is happening as he latches on.
Has anyone checked for tongue tie? because this can cause he to struggle with teh latch and on going pain.
or any chance you have thrush on your nipples? have you had anti biotics resently?

I used to count to 60 when DS first latched on and then it stopped hurting. It shouldn't hurt after that initial but. It may be worth taking him off and relatching, just to get the latch right.

Ouch ouch ouch, I suffered sore nipples for about 6 weeks and it the gradually got better. Whilst the latch is very important as is any possible issue with tongue tie for example, I think the simple fact is that for the first weeks, one of the most tender bits of your body gets more attention than they've ever had before! And you are learning, they are learning, and on top of that, the baby feeds loads.
Are you 'airing' your boobs after feeding? If you use pads tuck yourself away straight away,in my case anyway, I found it lessened the brief bit of healing time I had before feeds.
I used lansinoh religiously after each feed.
I also used nipple shields on occasion - usually every other feed ( ie one feed a boob would have it on, the next time I started on that side it wouldn't)
It gave my nipples a bit of a respite, and time to again heal a little
Try different positions, eg lying down suckling seemed to focus on a different bit of my nipple.

Lastly I tried to have a bath or shower every evening, a boob and tummy side down soak in the bath even for five minutes, seemed to sooth, finishing with a gentle air or pat dry with a dap of lansinoh to finish off

I did find the soreness settled down as DS settled into a longer time between feeds - like from 1/2 ly feeds to 3 hours between feeds. About 6-8 weeks. Thinking of you x

Between feeds not before feeds!

I think it takes about six weeks, then your nipples will start to become desenstized to it

Took me 6 weeks to stop hurting, then it was plain sailing all the way - hang in there!

About six weeks but it got easier and easier from three weeks.

It does get better. Honestly!

I found that one bad latch caused a little tear and feeding hurt then even when the latch was ok.

It does get easier - I found after 6 weeks it got better. I had a split in my nipple and it was agonising, but then it healed, I toughened up and it was pretty much plain sailing!

Is it the surface of your nipples or inside the breast that hurts? Do you have any damage that is healing?

Rubbing lansinoh or even a bit of breastmilk into your nipple before and after feeds can give you a bit of relief and help the healing.

Some babies slip off after an initial latch that looks good. MWs and HVs sometimes don't have a huge amount of knowledge of how bf works so it really is worth seeking out a bf support group in your area or calling one of the helplines to discuss how everything is going..

i had very painfull cracked nipples for about 8 weeks! i'd recommend the lansinoh nipple cream and if they get really bad the gel dressings help a lot.

don't give up, it does get easier eventually :)

Thank you all - I Will try and stick it out to 6 weeks, so hard to enjoy the baby though when you dread most of the time you have to spend with it.

lansinoh is your friend.

6 weeks maybe more for me. Recommend using lansinoh before & after feeds and nips out to air is good. I used to lie under a muslin cloth to get the air but but more modest & less chilly!

It does get better & is really worth it longer term. Bf is really easy especially at nights and getting an extra lie in as you do the morning feed. Sometimes ds would go off to sleep again & I'd get to sleep more too! I found the first 12 weeks really bad, and the 12 week growth spurt was a killer but I learned to feed lying down & it got easier from there. I really had to hang in there at the start but mumsnet really helps. There's always support to help however you feed your baby.

It shouldn't hurt if your baby is latched on properly. It doesn't matter how 'good' your latch looks- if it hurts then something needs tweaking. Please don't suffer for the next 3 weeks! Try phoning one of the BF helplines or contacting a local BF counsellor. Here is a list of LLL local groups.

Thank you! Will try to find someone to help this week, fingers crossed.