My god it hurts so much...

[calvemjoe]

I'm attempting to breastfeed my 4 day old dd and it hurts so much. My nipples are cracked and every suck feels like she's sucking out glass. Please help, I want to succeed so much but it's agony.

calvemjoe- hi btw- congratulations! see u on the sep babies thread!
i had this only a week or so ago. ds2 is now 12 days old.
one of my mws told me it was 'drawing pains'.
my latch was correct. excellent they all told me. after a week the pains stopped and i only get them occaisionally if i have a load of milk in there, say in the morning, but much, much milder than they were.
agree it feels like glass coming out! i didnt get sore nipples though.
the pains do get better. i havent read all posts, only yours, but i think the glass feeling is normal though im sure i will be corrected!

Echoing others here: you need proper help from someone who understands how to help mothers amend positioning and attachment so it doesn't hurt....one option should be your midwife. At 5 days, bf should not be agonising, and it is her job to ensure it isn't. PLease get help. You may find it hard to get a volunteer to see you, if there are none near where you live.

We have had a much better day today. Changing her to the rugby hold seems to have helped the cracks to begin to heal. A friend of a friend is a bf counsellor and she popped in today. She says the latch is fine and that the main problem is the amount of time she fed for initally, creating the cracks. I am determined to succeed and feel so much more positive today. DH has also been a star, I've spent most of the day resting after a lie in this morning. I've also found out that lansinoh is available on prescricption from the hv, so that should save us a lot of money

Glad you've had a better day. In a few months when breast feeding is easy for both of you you will ream the benefits.

Calvemjoe - have just read the whole thread and you couldn't get better advice than this - I had great difficulty with pain for over 3 months but was so determined to succeed that I drove myself through the pain barrier when I had to - (I can really sypathise with you in agony during night feeds - I would sit up in bed with tears flooding down my face night after night and used to dread the next feed.

My solution for cracked nipplies was actually to stop using the lansinol cream and after a feed rub some breast milk over your nipple and leave to dry in the air - bm has great healing qualities. The cabbage leaves also offered relief big time - keep a cabbage in the fridge for extra chill! I also tried to adjust to feeding from one side for one feed and then from the other side the next feed as a temporary releif for the worst afflicted nipple. Giving yourself another couple of hours break from the feeding can make all the difference.

Your thread has really stirred emotion in me and brought back the whole experience - I have often said my biggest achievement in life has been to breastfeed my child over giving birth!! I'm now expecting my second and hoping that the whole experience will be a totally positive experience this time - just keep going - you will be so proud of yourself - I finally felt comfortable around 5 months and continued until 8 months when my ds self weaned and i was actually sorry to see an end to it. Good luck!

god I wish I had of known I could have had lansinoh on prescripition!
glad you and your breasts are feeling better

Get in touch with your local breastfeeding support people through your midwife/health visitor and get some help to make sure your baby isn't feeding on the end of your nipple and has a good mouth full of nipple when she latches on.

You can express some milk onto your nipple at the end of the feed and let them air dry - that will help them heal, moisturise and protect them.

BF can be hellish at the startm but as soon as you overcome any initial problems - and you can!!! It is soooooo, sooooo, soooo worth it!

Keep coming to mumsnet for suport to. I know it helps lots of people!!!