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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

All I Want For Christmas Is...a less painful letdown

12 replies

puntasticusername · 23/12/2013 18:18

I'm five days into breastfeeding with newborn DS2. All going well so far except that when he first chomps on, it's REALLY painful for the first few seconds.

Does this get better as time goes on? I can't honestly remember how it was with DS1.

OP posts:

pinksummer · 23/12/2013 18:28

Do you mean the let down is painful or baby latching on is painful? For me it took a short while for baby latching on to not be painful. Just a couple I'd seconds but I just had to breathe through it!

Original poster

puntasticusername · 23/12/2013 19:36

Oh, I thought I meant the letdown but perhaps I do just mean the latch. I told you I'd forgotten things since last time

Yes, here it's a matter of bracing oneself and muttering vile obscenities under one's breath for a bit...

OP posts:

QuietNinjaTardis · 23/12/2013 19:44

After the first few seconds it shouldn't hurt. If it does then take him off and re latch. And dd is now 3 weeks old and think my nipples are starting to toughen up. Sometimes I still wince when she latches on but mostly its ok.

MigGril · 23/12/2013 19:49

if it's just at the start of the feed then it could be the latch. if they haven't got a good mouth full of breast then they will initialy suck on the nipple.

I'd recommend going back to basics with positioning. You could ring one of the breastfeeding helplines they are open over Christmas and they can talk you through it. Or have a look on the breast beginnings website and Dr jacknewman. who both have videos that may help.

Original poster

puntasticusername · 23/12/2013 21:16

I think the latch is ok - I've been paying attention to it, after having a horrible experience with DS1 where he wasn't latching properly for weeks, I got very sore, I used nipple shields - badly, as a result of poor bf advice - it didn't improve, he still didn't gain weight, it was all horrific...

DS2 was weighed today, and having lost 8% of his birthweight at 3 days, he's now regained 2oz in the last two days, which seems like an ok gain and hopefully indicates he's getting enough food? All the other signs seem right too - he's feeding every 2-4 hours, he settles easily at the breast and comes off looking satisfied, he settles for long sleeps in between feeds, he's clearly drinking (lots of jaw movement, and you can hear loads of swallowing), he's filling endless nappies. The nipple comes out of his mouth well-shaped (not the dreaded lipstick-end I used to see with DS1) and I'm not generally too sore - just a little tender, but then it's only five days in.

Oh (so as not to drip-feed), the hospital midwife said DS2 has a very small tongue tie, so we should keep an eye on it and get it treated if it causes feeding problems. As I say, we seem ok so far...

...but I will certainly keep an eye on things. I've just realised in the course of typing all this out that I'm really quite anxious to make sure things go better than they did with DS1.

(If anyone is interested and/or is having similar problems - there was a happy ending! We persisted, sorted the latch out, he promptly shot up to the 91st centile and has remained there ever since. He was EBF for 7.5 months in the end, before I chose to stop).

OP posts:

QuietNinjaTardis · 23/12/2013 21:36

All sounds good then. I can't comment on the tongue tie as I know nothing about it but if its just the first few seconds of latching in then yep that will get better. Just keep gritting your teeth for a little bit longer.

Knackeredmum13 · 23/12/2013 21:38

For me the let down pain lasted a month or so. Now I'm 4 months in I no longer get it and had forgotten that I ever did until this thread.

MrsPennyapple · 23/12/2013 21:40

I used to have a painful let-down with DD, but the pain was always gone by the time I had counted to ten. It did stop after a while, but I can't remember exactly when, I think it was a few weeks.

Eletheomel · 23/12/2013 21:52

I had painful letdown with DS1, was a nightmare, used to joke with DH that I'd developed sudden onset tourettes. After 10 days it got better, and by 3 weeks in, it was fine. DS1 was a bit of a milk guzzler and my supply was built up so much that once he latched on it would spray accross the room (often the velocity was too fast for him to take it).

I think that contributed to the pain. Pleased to say that DS2 was a totally different feeder and while I had discomfort for the first month (his latch was lazy) my letdown was much slower and much less painful.

You have my sympathies!

soupmaker · 23/12/2013 22:30

I had really painful let down with DD2 until about 4 months when my supply started to settle. I still get the odd painful one if DD not fed for over 3 hours.

Original poster

puntasticusername · 24/12/2013 01:38

Thanks everyone, reassuring to hear it's probably fairly normal.

OP posts:

Orchardbeck · 24/12/2013 05:46

Sorry OP, this made me giggle a bit as I had the same, just about nearly took DH's hand off clenching and swearing in pain with the let down! Turned out she was trying to slow the flow down by chomping on my nipple (I could fill a 2oz bottle in about 15 secs, no hands!). It was still a bit painful even when she wasn't latched on. It did get easier, but I feel your (let down) pain!

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