Your single best tips for painless breastfeeding please

[pommesdeterreetfromageblanc]

Hello

I have started breastfeeding on Tuesday and my milk came in today which is great but now my boobs are sooooooo sore, I am dreading the next feed. When she latches on it is almost as bad as having contractions, each suck is excruciating.

Have you got any amazing tip about position for painless breast feeding?

I am putting cream on etc, I just think it must be the angle that is wrong or something simple.

I will love you forever if it works!

I was shown the nipple flick technique and after that it was painless.

I used to cup boob with hand under boob and pull nipple with thumb away from me. When baby is open mouthed use thumb to flick the nipple quickly into the baby's mouth. This seemed to get enough boob into dd's mouth to stop her chewing on the nipple.

Sorry, it's really hard to explain in writing but hope that helps. Have you got any bf support nearby? It was a brilliant lactation specialist who showed me that technique.

Is it sore in the latch, or just because you are so engorged if your milk just came in? Does it get easier as the feed goes on?

If it is sore all the way through, you need help with latch and positioning, probably in real life to be honest.

If it's just that your milk has just come in, it will settle down in a day or two and you could try expressing a wee bit if they get too hard.

If its that painful then something prob isn't quite right with the latch. If its thru rock hard boobs as milk is in then that will go. I think its fair to expect a bit of pain for first few sucks in early days but it should not be agony. I would get latch and position checked

CONGRATULATIONS!!! painless breast feeding. Well. Position Position Position. Have you got regular checks from the mid wife? get her to check your latch every single time. Getting a good latch is the one way to painless feeding.

Remember, Bring baby close, tummy to mummy. is baby inline through, head shoulders and hips against you.
babys head should be free to move supported by the shoulders.

make sure babys nose is opposite your nipple
wait for the baby to open mouth wide and quickly bring the baby to the breast.

if its not right unlatch with your finger and try again.

get out and meet other b/f mums. seeing it in action is sometimes the best way but keep pestering your health visitor/midwife to watch you latch on until you are hundred percent confident. youre doing brilliantly and giving your baby the best start by b/f. well done you x

I agree about getting your latch and position checked, and also you could try expressing a little bit before every feed, as very often in the early days you are so engorged that the baby will find it difficult to latch, especially if you have a small baby (who therefore has a small mouth).

Do you have anyone from LLL near you? Or could your health visitor refer you to anyone who could come and actually sit with you and physically do stuff with your positioning that would help? In the meantime, before you get that sorted, Kellymom is an excellent online resource for breastfeeding.

Thanks everyone! My milk has just started today but I would not say that my boobs are engorged or feel painful because full, it is just the nipples that are burning like hell during the whole of the feed. I put cream on so thank God they are not cracked. I think it is the positioning that is wrong. I will look at your advice GEM33 and ask the mw to help me tomorrow and I will also go to a group on Monday. My baby has lost weight so I must get it right as I don't want to supplement with formulae. I will also check Kellymom.

Early days, probably latch position. But if weight loss is an issue and pain is ongoing get checked for tongue tie. TBH I would do this anyway as it is much more common than health care practicioners seem to think and causes no end of problems even if it is judged to be minor or not worth doing anything about. This is the single first thing I will do in the future if I have anymore dcs and I would do it privately due to rubbish NHS.

Well done - hang in there - loads of cream on nips and fresh air to boobs - as everyone has said its the position/latch however I had perfect latch (hubby helped) and it really hurt at the start and we could only do it with cushions...then after a few weeks it just hurt for the first few sucks and we didnt need to be so strict re way I was sat and cushions...then 6-8 wks in I suddenly realised it never hurts and we can pretty much do it standing on our heads. Today I fed one handed waiting for the bus at the bus stop. Just want to put it out there that it can take time. My DD was very colicky 5-8 wks and was on me all afternoon though.

It is sooooooo worth hanging in there not only is it an amazing feeling, I find it do helpful in the middle of the night or when out and about or when baby bored/grizzly when you're out.

Good luck x

It's definitely worth hanging in there. I also found it painful for the first 6-8 weeks, but actually looking back on it now that was such a small part of our breastfeeding experience that it pales into insignificance compared to all the times of contented close quietness and also as SquidgersMummy says all of the times when it was just so convenient to be able to bung him on the tit without faffing if he got bored or restless or hurt himself or whatever.

I had a lot of pain - really a lot - for 8 weeks with both children. After that it seemed to magically go away. Most people I know were out of pain after the first two weeks, some earlier. Positioning is key and watching - getting someone to help you several times will make a real difference so go to several groups/ Sure Start centres/ Hospitals with BF clinics for advice and practice. NCT counsellors and La Leche League advisers can also be called up and can even come to your home to help. I got a huge amount from Mumsnet and Kellymom when I first started - mainly due to late lactation issues with my DS1 but there's lots of stuff about normal pain issues. (The GP eventually told me some women just are a bit extra sensitive - I think looking back part of the pain was due to a painful let down reflex rather than the nice warm feeling most women seem to talk about - but then it often lasted for at least half of a 50 min feed so who knows?)

On creams I remember some are better than others - There's one with a purple tube which I think was the best one I used and others recommended. I also used breast shells to protect them from friction when clothed and tried not to wear a top quite a bit at home when it was too painful. For cracks - if they do come - silverettes were v.helpful, making a real difference in 24 hours. You need to google them.

hopefully this won't be an issue in another week or but good luck. Use music/ labour breathing techniques and other distraction if you know you're doing everything right and just need to grit your teeth for a few days. I ended up feeding DS1 for about 8 months and DS2 for 14 months even though I admit that BF is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life - after the first two months it was (mostly!) ok.

good luck!

dont forget pommes that babies are born overhydrated and it is normal for them to have a small weight loss (about 5%) after birth but they need to be regaining their birth weight within a couple of weeks. If your baby is within this then try not to stress too much about it. If you are feeding on demand and your baby is having 8-12 feeds a day this will help your milk supply get established (takes a good 6 weeks remember).
As long as your baby is then gaining weight and having lots of wet and dirty nappies then you know he is getting enough. I think in the early days everyone worries about how much baby is getting but if baby is content, waking for feeds, and as i say about the nappies and weight then be confident that he is getting enough.
As some mums have said, sometimes it is just a bit sore for a bit when you get started but if you carry on with a good latch this will go away and you will end up feeding without thinking twice about it.
There are so many health benefits for you and baby through b/f. x

Lansinoh nipple cream - applied before and after every feed
(and all of the things mentioned above too!)
The pain does go eventually...