Red head mums and problems with breast feeding

[lailasmum]

Hi
I am a red headed mum with pale sensitive skin and always found breastfeeding painful despite trying everything but now I am pregnant with baby two I have been talking to my midwife and she mentioned that she comes often comes across red headed women who find breastfeeding painful and its well known because we have more sensitive skin.

Has anyone else come across this? I still successfully breast fed but but it was never comfortable.

A boy - he's 21 weeks!!! So very close in age to yours!

Have you given your DS any solids yet? Mine is definately interested but I am trying to hold off for a little while longer...

How are you finding NZ? Are you settling in well?

Redheads have a higher density of pain receptors in their skin. IMO whether this is linked to feeling more pain is moot point as surely you adjust to the level of sensation you have always had.

I have heard the point about anaesthesia before so it's not just midwives telling tall tales. Indeed I had a hospital procedure on Thursday and I was given double the dose of pethidine the doctor initially planned. But that's merely an anecdote ;).

oh sorry foxcub, had to go to bed
Am trying to wait til 6 months with DS - he seems to be doing very nicely on breastmilk - he was weighed the other day and was a horrifying NINETEEN pounds (he was 10lbs 5 at birth though). I hate faffing about with solids so will leave it as long as I can

we are settling into NZ very well now, making friends and getting into the swing of it all. It's a nice place to have children. But I still do miss West London and hope to visit next year if I can (and really want to see Kewcumber's little boy, so sad I missed him)

im a red head too,as are my daughters. we all suffer with sensitive skin but i breast mine ok daughter had big problems bf

I've heard of those with pale skin (not just redheads) having problems. Both myself and a friend struggled to bf, I managed it once out of three (although there were other medical factors) and she once out of two babies. Each time we both had a great deal of discomfort in the early stages. We both burn in the sun very easily and have pale pink nipples rather than darker ones. I have to be very careful what bras and nightwear I use - any rough seaming or whatever and Iget really sore, even when not bf. HTH