Will it ever get better??

[LJH79]

I have been breastfeeding for 5 weeks as Ds is 5wks old and at no point is it getting any easier. He seems to be lathed in fine and nipples aren't particularly cracked but boobs are very sore. They almost feel bruised all over and nipple ends up white quite often after feeding. Thought maybe was to do with tongue tie but this was done last week and almost seems worse now as he is often clicking and coming off. He does tend to turn into a crazy baby come the evening and sucks like mad and almost forgets to breathe as he is quite colicky. Have seen lactation consultant who wasn't very helpful. Have bought nipple shields today but fell off whilst feeding so not sure what I did wrong there. Any advise as to why boobs so sore or what maybe doing wrong??

It definitely does get easier.

How often are you bf'ing? Could your breasts be getting engorged? Mine feel bruised when very full.

Do they full lumpy? I had a blocked duct once which was pretty painful but could feel a definite lump under the skin.

Are you in the UK OP? If so, please give one of the Bfing Support Lines a call. I think you need the help of a BFC

You mention having the tongue tie done...sounds like you need a follow up as it may not be completely revised or have reattached as the symptoms are still there (clicking, unlatching etc). Also a tongue tie release is best followed up with osteopath treatment to treat the tension caused by the tie.

But first as Jilted says, find a specialist in real life to assess what's going on - they could probably recommend an osteo too. You could try lcgb.org to find a lactation consultant.

hiya
sounds like it's most likely to be a latch or positioning problem. if the nipple is white this normally means it's being squashed whilst feeding, which can be rectified by getting positioning of baby optimised.
I would try either a breastfeeding helpline or a local baby cafe if you have a local one that has a b/f support group. they will have peer-supporters who can help you change your latch/positioning. You could also try your midwife and ask if they have a Breastfeeding Network worker in the area who can come and visit you to help you.
Most problems with bf can be sorted by changing either your or your baby's position when feeding :) It will get better

nipple shields are a funny one, good if you can get them to work and if you get the right size (its not a one size fits all job!) and tbh i used to wear them while NOT feeding- in order to protect my nipples from t-shirt rub etc :)
also evening cluster feeding apparently is very common- dd used to feed for nearly 3 hours virtually non stop in the evening- good job there was some good telly on when she was little- just have to sit it out...

I had pretty terrible latch / tongue tie / cracked nipple problems - even lots of BF cafes, latch and positioning work didn't help. At 6 weeks it went from bad to uncomfortable and then at 10 weeks stopped hurting! I think some babies will never get to a perfect latch / position - my DS just wouldn't open his mouth wide - but as they get bigger / more co-ordinated it gets better. I thought I'd chirp in as I remember having this exact question - will it get better or am I a lost cause? It did for me

Thanks for all the messages. I have seen lactation consultant but she didn't offer much advice. Latch always looks ok although I don't think his bottom lip always flanges out that well. Also think my nipples are a bit flat so not sure it can get better but the last post has given me hope! Seeing a paediatric chiropractor tomorrow so fingers crossed that helps. Feel abut or a lost cause.