4 day old feeding constantly- nipples bleeding

[Nuttypops]

Just wondering if anyone has any advice to relieve the pain from constant newborn feeding please?

This is DC2, now aged 4 days, and currently EBF. I fed DC1 for 9 months but had no problems at the beginning so this is new. He has fed pretty constantly for the last 24 hours since my milk came in which I know is normal but my nipples are now peeling and bleeding despite his latch apparently being ok.

Airing nipples and applying lasinoh after every feed but any other useful advice would be much appreciated. I am seeing the HV and midwife tomorrow so will try to see a breastfeeding counsellor at the same time.

You poor thing

I used nipple shields for the first couple of weeks. It still hurt like a bitch but at least the cracks got time to heal without my son gnashing directly on them. His latch was a bit shallow but no-one seemed to be able to suggest a way to improve it - it was seeing advice on MN about the "nipple flipple" that improved matters in the end.

Some HVs and breastfeeding counsellors are a bit funny about nipple shields but I still managed to BF my son for 15 months so I kind of think you should do what works for you.

I have the same problem and started using nipple shields yesterday on the advice of my midwife. So far, so good - my nipples are healing well and DS has had no problems adapting to them, thankfully.

Has he got a tongue tie?

My DS had a tongue tie, but they couldn't cut it until he was 2 weeks. The instant difference in feeding right after it was cut was immense!

Otherwise, take paracetamol and ibuprofen (which you may already be doing) and wait until your nipples callous over! Can you switch up between different feeding positions?

You have my sympathy, the first few weeks of breastfeeding for me were so painful. It did get better though.

I breastfed my first two children (and my fourth) so fully expected to with DC3 too. I really had never considered not breastfeeding a network as an option.

DC3 had different plans though...

Dispute me being a competent breastfeeder, attachment oarenting through the early weeks and having good match, no evident tongue tie and no issues... DS kept losing weight.

And loosing weight and losing weight. Ours wasn't a case that he wasnt regaining his birth weight, it was that he was not gsining at all.

He went onto formula at 21 days old. You have no idea how hideous that made me feel. It's was awful. So unexpected.

But then I realised what formula is there fore. It's exactly for children like my DS who would have become very ill and could have died if he carried on losing weight. Formula is there for te babies who need it. And it's not evil or terrible stuff plus they sleep better.

So of course investigate ways to keep going with your breast feeding. If baby is gaining weight and you are happy, fantastic. If you are in pain and baby unhappy - it's just not worth it. Formula is a godsend.

"network" = newborn (autocorrect fail)

Also, agree with Fate, one of my friends persevered like mad with the breastfeeding though it was painful and baby was loosing weight. They're now mix feeding and both doing much better for it!

Hey, hope your HV and midwife appointments go well.

Thanks for all of the replies, sorry it has taken me a while to come back.
Useful suggestion to use the shields, they made a big difference, thank you!

We ended up being sent to the hospital to have DS checked as he had lost more weight than they were happy with, and was showing signs of jaundice. Thankfully all was well but they suggested I might want to consider combination feeding earlier than planned (I was planning to combination feed anyway as I found it helped with DD). So we started that on Tues, my nipples have started to recover as a result thankfully and DS when weighed today and put on a bit of the weight he had lost so it seems like it is working for now.

Thanks for all of your help!

And apparently no tongue tie, he has been checked by numerous people who all agree so I presume they are correct. Hoping it is just early feeding issues.