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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Take away the pain pleeeaaaassseee

17 replies

iamwhaticallpregnant · 03/03/2013 05:34

Hi all. I had my little boy 3 days ago so completelynew to this. Thank fully he is so good and wants to latch on and feed. But my nipples / breasts are in agony. It hurts so much I could cry.
ANY advice to take away the pain???
E45? Sudocream? Lamisil?
Anything ?? Please help

OP posts:

MangoLangoTango · 03/03/2013 05:40

Poor you. I think I posted a similar despairing post when mine was the same age. You need lansinoh. Apply before and after feeds and don't be afraid to use painkillers like paracetamol to get you through the first couple of weeks. Also get your latch checked at a breastfeeding clinic if you can.

Homebird8 · 03/03/2013 05:44

I second the Lansinoh cream. It really helped.

Also La Leche League helpline

The ladies at La Leche League were great. The local help was brilliant.

Good luck and I'm really glad your little one is so enthusiastic. Get that latch right and you'll both be happy

noblegiraffe · 03/03/2013 05:46

It shouldn't hurt after the first few seconds of feeding so get a midwife to check your latch. The sooner you fix this, the less damage you'll do to your nipples. Look for videos on YouTube of a good latch in the meantime.

After every feed put some Lansinoh on your nipples to help them recover.

ChunkyChicken · 03/03/2013 05:57

It's great that your LO is wanting to feed so often, it will really help your supply but it does feel like torture to begin with doesn't it?

I preferred the Multi-Mam Balm (from Boots usually) better than Lansinoh, especially if your nipples are sore (rather than preventing soreness iyswim).

Def get your latch checked. With my DD, everyone said her latch was perfect, but it still took 2wks for the pain to stop. With DS, I wasn't sore, despite a tongue tie, as I was using cream straight away.

If LO is not opening their mouth wide enough, thus only really sucking on your nipple rather than the whole areola, that will make you sore. The exaggerated latch (sometimes called the 'flipple') will almost force more boob in. You use your boob to almost push on their chin and lever your nipple into the roof of their mouth.

If it still doesn't feel right, with cream, checking latch & the flipple, make sure LO is checked properly by an expert for tongue tie. This is often missed & causes a lot of latching issues & therefore pain. It is under-diagnosed due to lack of skill in HV & MW but affects about 1 in 7 babies, and twice as common in boys as girls.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby. It will get better - keep doing what you're doing :)

ihavewhaticallababy · 03/03/2013 06:43

THANK YOU all - it didn't hurt one bit for the first 2 days but now on 3rd i can barely bare to put him to my nipple it is so sore - i 'think' he is latching correctly but will try and get him to take more of the nipple. When i really think about it he used to take more nipple at first...
So it would seem Lamsinoh is the way to go...

Qs
1 - Last night he fed for about 9 hours straight - more or less - with me alternatng nipples for hours - normal?
2 Another woman said get a dummy for him to keep him from using you as a comforter?

3 and do i need formula milk for times like now where it has been at is for hours and hours but i cant physically take the pain? He still wants more...

ChunkyChicken · 03/03/2013 06:56

Newborns are programmed to feed frequently, to get your supply up. If you're worried he's just comfort sucking, check whether he's actually drinking - can you hear him swallowing, is his throat moving etc? If you Google something along the lines of signs of drinking breastfeeding, you might be able to get a better idea. Good sites are LLL (as mentioned) & Kellymom.

If he is just comfort sucking, it could be he is 'slipping off' slightly, so not stimulating your milk, but making you sore. Please don't introduce a dummy at this early stage, as it will affect your supply & could affect the latch, causing more problems & even end your bfing journey. They usually recommend waiting 4-6wks, but I introduced a dummy at about 2-3wks with my DD & it was fine.

If you are really, really sore & cream, letting your nips get fresh air, using cool packs &/or soothing things (tommee tippee make some I think) doesn't help, then you could try a tiny bit of formula. But again, at this stage, introducing a bottle could impact on your supply & his latch, & if he has too much, the larger volume of formula taken, compared to the colostrum/early milk, might stretch his stomach & result in a greater hunger.

It is hard, the first 2-3wks are a massive learning curve for you both, but every feed you provide now really sets you up for continued BFing. Hth.

MangoLangoTango · 03/03/2013 07:18

Feeding all the time is normal at this stage (I posted the exact same question!). It's exhausting and feels torturous at first but this set us up for a very good supply for the many many months ahead. I wouldn't introduce a dummy at this stage, as ther poster above said it will likely mess with supply.

Kittycatcat · 03/03/2013 07:25

Absolutely use lansinoh as others have suggested. It takes a few days for your nipples to harden. Also, and I don't mean to panic you, check for a tongue tie. (Far more common than i realised).My ds2's wasn't picked up until I was being discharged and explained the constant and painful feeding. It was corrected at 5 weeks and feeding improved lots after that.

Whirliwig72 · 03/03/2013 08:36

Firstly - some great advice here and secondly just to add:

Check your positioning all over. Baby's head and shoulders should be in a straight line with his chin off his chest but not tipped backwards iyswim.

Get your midwife to check for tongue tie. You can try also by sticking out your tongue (often even a little baby will copy you). If very little tongue emerges you may have thus problem.

Another thought is - is the pain concentrated in the nipple or all over? At about 3 days your milk will be coming in which can make the whole breast feel sore and engorged. To counter this feed often / express off a little before each feed if its really uncomfortable and put cabbage leaves in your bra to soothe!

stowsettler · 03/03/2013 08:53

Congratulations! I'm just 2 days ahead of you and suffering the same. I had an EMCS and am also trying to feed around my scar.
My friend said that the nipple pain lasted a few weeks for her but DOES get better. I"m finding at the moment that the nipple pain is merging with pain when my breast is full. I noticed this cos it went after feeding for a while! (Doh!)
Keep at it, you're doing the hard work now for an easier time later on xxx

tiktok · 03/03/2013 09:12

Can't write much as I am about to go out, but what is wrong with a baby using his mum as a comforter?! :)

It is normal for babies to suck for a long time, because i) it stimulates and establishes milk production even if there is not much swallowing going on and ii) it establishes an important emotional and psychological connection with his carer and iii) the baby gets comfort and reassurance from doing this

It's wonderful that a baby just a few days old can 'use' his mother for all this.

ihavewhaticallababy · 04/03/2013 00:26

Hi everyone! Well I feel a lot better today - day4 of baby! I got that Lansinoh people recommended and I think it might be helping. i am sure he is feeding correctly some of the time - but there are some times when I can 'feel' him batting the end of the nipple with his tongue back and forth. He is feeding well. When he puts the mouth on at first I would say the pain is a 10. in my head I am screaming expletives. Then after a minute it doesnt hurt. The afterwards he wants another feed and it .. is ... agony.
Anyway = I am getting the hsng of it - thank you!!
tiktok - think the person meant your nipple never gets a rest if your baby sucks it for milk and for comforting also (50/50). No clue though lop

ihavewhaticallababy · 04/03/2013 00:26

LOL - Not lop. i am falling asleep on the lap top.

tiktok · 04/03/2013 09:09

Glad things seem a bit better, OP!

Whoever said that to you about nipples never getting a rest can happily be ignored for all future bf question purposes :)

MangoLangoTango · 04/03/2013 09:21

Glad to hear you are feeling better OP. Enjoy your lovely squidgey baby!

MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 04/03/2013 09:27

If your nipples are feeling abused ( mine certainly did) then you could also try using nipple shields at every second feed. Allows you and your nipples some time off and really really dies help counteract aginst the agony of feeding. From the sounds if it though, by this time next week you'll be fine.

ihavewhaticallababy · 12/03/2013 14:19

Hi all - just thought I would give you an update. To my absolute HORROR - i found out through maternity support worker that i was BF'ing wrong and that my baby had lost a lot of weight. I worked very hard on it and now - thank heavens - he is above target. Just thought I would say that if you are in agony and have bleeding nips and baby is constantly wanting feeding you are not doing it correctly. I had no clue at all i was doing anything wrong! Now my nipples don't hurt at all (apart from in the first 3 secs he latches on).
Use your instincts - use any position that you want - not what one Midwife suggested. Use what works for you and your baby. It is so much harder than I thought it would be - and some days he feeds better than others - but as the other posters said - check with someone that you are doing it correctly and breathe and good luck!

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