antenatal class says that proper latch leads to 100% comfortable and pleasurable BF. Is this true?

[deaconblue]

Went to antenatal session on breast feeding today where this phrase was repeated several times as a kind of guidance as to whether or not you've got positioning nad latch right. BUT I breast fed ds for six months and would not agree that at all times it was 100% comfortable and pleasurable yet I'm sure the latch was correct and I had no problems with damaged nipples etc
There was also no mention that let down can sometimes feel painful or strange until I mentioned this. I thought other mums might be convinced their latch was wrong when it was really just let down they could feel.
The figure 100% seemed unrealistic to me and worried me that women might feel they couldn't get breast feeding right if it didn't feel 100% wonderful.
What do you reckon?

I agree with you

I think it puts mums off because they will think 'hang on, this feels bad, therefore I must be doing something wrong'

I reckon more like 90% of mums will spend six weeks with their nipples falling off before they and baby figures it out!

I was also told that bf was neve rpainful if the latch was right. This certainly wasn't my experience! My lo's latch was fine, but it was still agony. Like many mums, I felt and still feel I was let down before I had ds. I hadn't found mn and believed all the rosy-eyed images the mw fed us about bf. If i'd had a more realistic idea of bf, I might have managed better!

Not that I'm bitter, you understand...

in my experience you are right, i got toe curling pain to begin with (letdown?) but sucessfully breastfed as it just disapeared one day

Oh good glad it's not just me then. I waited for there to be an opportunity for a discussion so I could maybe say something, but she finished the session early without opening any discussion really, just asked if there were any questions.
I think you need a balance between promoting breast feeding and also a realistic discussion about how it might be difficult at first but it's worth perservering and getting lots of help.

I think it was true for me. I thought my latch was ok but stil experienced toe-curling pain. After 3 weeks and mastitis in both breasts I went to a bf counsellor. The pain disappeared instantly, absolutely instantly.

For me it was eye wateringly painful for about 10 days, and then the pain vanished. And second time round no pain at all.

Agree with mp and nicky and others - I think health professionals are so desperate to get people breastfeeding that they can present an unrealistic picture of it - not just that it's never painful if you're doing it right (bollox), but also that it's always easy to establish (also bollox).

I breastfed my first for 20 months and only weaned him 3 months before my second was born, so getting my second son going on the breast should have been an absolute doddle - but I was still on the phone to the labour ward three days after he was born, in tears because I couldn't get him latched on.

A bit more realism, and a lot more on-tap help for new mothers, would be a more sensible approach.

Message withdrawn

Unless you are used to some sort of friction on your boobs it may well be sore no matter how good the latch imho. Should pass though and nipple creams/ebm can help. At first it is as mucha botu personal tolerance and snesitivity, becoming accustomed to unfamiliar sensations such as the baby nursing and let down, getting the hold "right" without feeling you have insufficient hands amd are clumsy as achieiving the perfect latch.

Totally agree with OP- I was in agony, and convinced I must be doing it wrong, as people kept telling me it wouldn't hurt if I was doing it right!! Just as I was considering giving up, I spoke to a friend who had successfully fed both hers, and she told me that it would get better within 2wks, and to hang on in there, so I did, and it did!! But I really wished I'd had this information earlier- would ahve saved me a lot of worry and stress. Despite feeding dd1 successfully for 8 mths, still found it painful again feeding dd2. This time round, with ds, it has hardly been painful. He was a bigger baby, and had a bigger mouth, so could actually fit more of the breast in there- I think that might be a factor, and so as babies mouths get bigger it gets less painful!

I don't think that is true, no. I only ever heard positive messages when expecting dd1 and the midwives I came into contact with 'pretended' (they must have known) that I was the first person they knew to have difficulties even though the latch looked spot on.

I really wish people had just been more honest with me.

I found BF incredibly painful, I had REALLY bad let down pains.
No one else I knew had it as bad, if at all, must have been me!...if you want a realistic version then read Libby Purves "How not to be a perfect mother" this prepared me better than anything and get some nipple balm, grit your teeth, after a while, yes it was a breeze and I'm so glad I persevered DD LOVED the boob, she really did. She was BF until she was 2!!!!
Hospital taught DH to see if the latch was good and that really helped as I had trouble doing that!

I think it's wrong, but at the same time helpful advice because it encourages people to seek help if they are having pain/difficulties. The most unhelpful advice is to just keep soldiering on, when in fact the pain can be an indication that the latch is wrong.

I don't think it's true to say if you are doing it right it's ALWAYS pain-free, but at the same time it's probably good advice to say if you are experiencing pain you should always seek advice.

I certainly experienced quite a bit of pain with letdown, I would say it was fairly severe pain for about 6 months and then mild to moderate discomfort for a further 12 months (and I have a pretty high pain threshold). But having said that (in contradiction to my last point!) I always knew that it was nothing "wrong" - I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was just enthusiastic letdown and nothing to do with my/DS's technique.

I agree with the OP. I found BF painful for the first few months and saw/spoke to a number of bfeeding counsellors, all of whom confirmed that the latch was fine. Eventually one suggested that it might be becuase I have very fair and sensitive skin. Letdown can also be painful.

Like theyoungvisitor I think it is a useful message as it encourages people to get support if the need it, but we discussed this on my peer support training last week and the bfc said you are looking for a reduction in pain, because if you have been having problems for a while and your nips are cracked etc. it's still probably going to be a bit painful, but if you have someone checking your latch you are looking for it to be less painful than it was.