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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

painful letdown reflex

17 replies

janx · 21/03/2005 18:57

I am having pretty painful letdown reflex at the moment - sometimes it feels like my breast is going to explode! Anyone else had this? any advice? It seems to be one breast more than another and does not seem to follow a pattern as to the time of day

OP posts:

LittleRedRidingHood · 21/03/2005 19:04

Hi Janx - I had this problem too - sometimes it was really painful - always much worse in the right one and whilst barely noticeable with my first - it was horrid with my second - It did get better though - I think dd was about 3months when it stopped - I have no advice though!!!!!!! HAng in there!

hermykne · 21/03/2005 19:05

janx how long does it last? i get it and it can be quite sore, pressurizing on the lymphs whatever they are feel like they are bulging , but it passes quite soon

Original poster

janx · 21/03/2005 19:08

Thanks for replies hermykne and LRRH - the pain lasts about 5 mins and then goes - my dd is 6 months so not new to bf - I just wandered if I had a blockage somewhere

OP posts:

hermykne · 21/03/2005 19:13

janx, my ds is nearly 8mths and i still get it so i too wondered there must be something wrong but i think it can just stay with certain people thru out breastfeeding

Hayls · 21/03/2005 19:35

My dd is 14 months and I still get it when I'm quite full (mainly in the mornings) If it si really painful you should probably ask your gp or hv as like you say it could be a blockage. If one side is worse does it help to feed from that one first?
FWIW, I used to get it lots more than I do now and IIRC, it was worst when we were on holiday when dd was about 6 1/2 months

NotQuiteCockney · 21/03/2005 20:08

I get painful letdown, but it's generally pretty quick, and only on letdown. Feels like someone's poking my nipples with a pin. It was worst when the DSes were tiny, and now, with DS2 at 6 months, it's pretty faint.

Are you sure it's not thrush, or anything else nasty? (It probably is just painful letdown, but best to eliminate anything fixable before deciding that!)

Lonelymum · 21/03/2005 20:27

I had suspected thrush when I was first b/f dd and the pain was at its most acute when she first started feeding so that could be described as painful letdown. Could you get checked for thrush just in case that is the problem? You don't have to stop feeding if it is. I had a cream for my nipples and dd had to take some oral medicine (just a drop or two).

vicdubya · 21/03/2005 20:31

I had this and the pain was not around the nipple it was inside my boob IYSWIM, and only on one side.

It seemed to ease off after 2-3 months but I still sometimes get it if ds is sucking really hard on one side, I get it on the other!

I guess it's something to do with anatomy?!

Lonelymum · 21/03/2005 20:34

My pain wasn't in the nipple either but sort of behind it. Still think it might be thrush.

Original poster

janx · 22/03/2005 13:08

Thrush had not crossed my mind - never had it...the pain isn't in the nipple but in my breast - will book dr appt - thanks for replies

OP posts:

NotQuiteCockney · 22/03/2005 13:32

janx, I'm afraid lots of GPs aren't great on thrush - if you don't have any luck with yours, tiktok or mears should be able to help you figure out symptoms.

Lonelymum · 22/03/2005 16:44

To be honest, the doctor I saw wasn't sure I had thrush but suggested I had the treatment for it "just in case". I was in such pain that I was ready to try anything. I then moved whilst still on the treatment so I wasn't seen again by the same doctor and HVs but the pain did go away quickly and so I have always assumed I had thrush. If your GP isn't very up on it and you want to try the treatment anyway, perhaps you could suggest it to him/her.

Original poster

janx · 22/03/2005 20:35

who are tiktok and mears?

OP posts:

Laura032004 · 22/03/2005 22:24

I think they are NCT bf consultants who come on the boards.

NotQuiteCockney · 22/03/2005 22:29

mears is a midwife who really knows BF. tiktok is a bf counsellor - possibly NCT? I'm not sure. At any rate, she's trained and all that.

NotQuiteCockney · 23/03/2005 07:28

I've had a look, and found this . The later pages of it get into symptoms. Essentially, they say the symptoms should be after feeds, so this is probably not what they are. Also, look for white patches in your baby's mouth or on his tongue, which don't wipe off.

Sounds like you may just be having letdown pain. Apparently it's quite rare - I say apparently because I suffer, too. It's gotten better lately though (DS2 is 6m), and I'm sure it went away with DS1 by some point.

ghosty · 23/03/2005 07:43

I had strong let down pain too ... I started a similar thread somewhere .... I will find it.
I think by about 6 months I just got used to it ...
It was a sharp pain that made me draw breath and lasted a couple of minutes into the feed.
I knew it was let down because I got a similar pain only not as sore when I expressed ... and it came just as the milk came shooting out

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