Anyone else got a child that sucks the breast like a hoover?!

[munchkinmum]

We have a had a long and arduous road to get where we are - ds is 10 weeks old and I'm BF him. Have had very cracked nipples at the start but they haven't been cracked for at least 6 weeks but have always had pink nipples from the amount of sucking they have to endure!

Have noticed over the last few days that he is sucking noticebly harder now (don't have a problem with supply by the way - he's just a hungry little man and putting on loads of weight) and my nips are starting to suffer again! Not cracked this time so latch OK but just achey and tender from the suction.

Anyone else experienced this? Does the nipple acclimatise? Feeling a bit fed up tonight - just wanted to share this with some women have been there IYKWIM?

It took ages for my nipples to acclimatize sp? after DS1.

For 6 weeks it was agony.

Then it was winter and I had some kind of wierd thing where the blood supply suddenly cut off and they went white and were agony.

If it's any help, I went on to feed him for a year.

And am still feeding DS2 after 18mths.

I kept the Lansinoh for a few months with DS1 (didn't need it all the time but occasionally). Didn't need it at all 2nd time round.

can I just mention thrush? Never had it and you probably know more than me, but if you don't, worth considering.

my ds was like that. my nips didn't crack but I had blood blisters! By 2 weeks I think he'd sucked all the nerve endings off though so no more pain. Until teeth, that is!

Sorry for you, munchkinmum. Do wonder if it's worth having a chat/look with a BFC about the latch though - they can go wrong any number of ways and at different stages, I believe. Hopefully one of the BFexperts will turn up here for you soon...

oh yes, spb clever!

could also be a blockage, though ime that feels stabby/raw, rather than achey.

Yes, do get someone to look at the latch. I got it corrected at 6 weeks with DS1 but still needed to sometimes unlatch him and get him to open wide enough and latch on again.

Again with DS2 he just did it right after a couple of days.

[queasy]

?

have had support from bfc's in the local hosp when we had probs at the beginning and they said latch fine. I d have to correct it sometimes though but ensure that nipple round with no wedge shape. May go back again to check all ok though....

oh, and have had thrush which has cleared so don't think its that.

sorry about typing, am feeding now so using one hand. Latch feels good and suck not too strong!

good

The queasy comment was to blood blisters!
Hope it continues to be OK!

OH; Was being totally over-sensitive and thought it was somehow directed at me hauling out my own experience TWICE

oh yeah, I remember the wedge. HV's I saw insisted despite this his latch was fine .

If your nipples are just achy and tender, don't think there is much you can do about it. It gets better though!

I think that it may have something to do with the level of hormones which tends to settle down. Mine started the feel better at about 10 weeks. Everyone is different though.

sounds similar - cracked and bleeding nipples, blood blisters etc. My nipples have finally got used to the sucking but not until around 12 weeks...

dd was like a crocodile, it absolutely killed.