BF - Lots of pain in one side only

[alex8]

Have a 10 day old baby and the pain on one breast is really bad. Its excrutiating for a few mins then just goes down to just about bearable. The midwife in hospital helped me with my positioning and gave me jelonet to help with the soreness and 2 midwives have said positioning ok. I have tried different postions, lying down and that under arm rugby hold. Evidently I have v big nipples and its hard for him to latch on. (on that side he sometimes goes on and off 5-10 times to begin with which only adds to the pain). The other side is fine and I breastfed my older child for a year with no pain. I'm getting so depressed and feel ill at the thought of him feeding on that side. For the first few days before my milk came in he bf almost 24 hours round the clock which must have added to my soreness.

The nipple is still sore the rest of the time and I get the odd bit of breast pain and tenderness.

I was thinking of getting a bf counsellor but of all the organistations only the nct are in my area and am not a member anymore and I need to see someone not just talk on the phone. There are bf sessions at my maternity hospital but the woman who runs them is on holiday and I don't know how much longer I can go on like this.

Any ideas?

think i'm in your club now, yellowrose. Feel like a ninny for deffo assuming ds didn't have thrush due to no white patches. grrr . what a pallaver.

alex - relocating to your thread to answer your post, since it sounds like we have v. similar problem (so not worht supporting 2 threads).

Thing I'm a little cheesed off by is needing to go 'off piste'. Really, not great to be shoving random things in my baby at the express counter recomendation of my doctor. I'm not a doctor. I'm just trying to follown givernement health Aadvice and bf.

sigh

Let's see how it pans out.

yes I know what you mean about doing things off piste. I was very worried but felt better when a bf midwife backed me up. She also said that printing off the bfn guidelines would be good to show a gp cos they were a well respected organisation rather than just something off the internet. I haven't actually got the stuff cos I think it may not be thrush now. Is there another gp you can see?

For a wide mouth, I used to trail her bottom lip along the breast towards the nipple, and when she opened her mouth to take the nipple in with her top lip, latch her on quickly. Does that make sense? It's hard to explain in words! It's the bottom lip which seems to need more areole(sp?)in. It actually sounds as if you've got it sorted anyway now. GOOD LUCK and WELL DONE again! xx

oh kif - so sorry about the thrush thing. hope it gets resolved for you.

kif - I have also posted on your own thread now -

its hurting a bit more again, bugger! Not nearly as much as when I started the thread though. I may go and buy all the thrush stuff tomorrow as my latch seems ok.

alex8 - if you can get to that meeting once a week, it might really help you.

Keep working at the latch, it needs practice.

I have big boobs, so had to do lots of work, propping cushions, etc to get latch right.

In the end I ended up lying down most of the time because I had bad pelvic pain after the birth, this was the best position for me with big boobs.

It is hard work, I understand you.

Did they recommend putting Lansinoh or your nipples ? It is excellent, keeps your nipples moist and will help with dryness, cracks, etc. You can get it in Boots, Mothercare, it is expensive, around £10 but I just wouldn't bf without it, not in the first weeks.

It is a natural product, not medicated, it won't harm you or baby as it has been designed for bf.

yes I have been using that too. Just did a lying down feed, seemed a bit better but I seem to be losing perspective on the pain getting better or worse.