Please help me - its day 4 i've got sore boobs & baby blues...

[liznay]

Hi,

Its all in the title really. I'm struggling with the pain of breast feeding, both my nipples have blisters on them and this is despite me checking every feed whether my dd has the 'latch' correct.
I've had a fair bit of support from the midwifes whilst in hospital to show me how -but every feed hurts to the point where i'm dreading the next feed and tensing up my shoulder on the corresponding boob.
It doesn't help that my milk is coming in today and i'm feeling a bit down, tired and achy and altogether sorry for myself
Is this normal? Does it hurt everyone like this? My baby is so good, she latched on straight away seconds after being born, and suckles with a vice like grip - so no problems there.
My boobs are huge (36E) so it often makes it difficult as they are twice the size of her head.

Sorry for all the rambling, any advice would be fab xxx

Hi liznay, congratulations on the birth of your dd , I'm sure what you're feeling is normal, I felt very sorry for myself the day my milk came in, my boobs were as hard as rocks and looked like torpedoes!

Breastfeeding did hurt for the first couple of weeks, but I found putting this on after every feed helped enormously with sore nipples www.mothercare.com/Lasinoh-Lansinoh-nipple-cream/dp/B000IVT03Y

I got shooting pains down each boob before each feed, they felt a little like strong pins and needles but they stopped after a few weeks. My dd3 is 11 weeks old now and she is the only one of my children that I've managed to feed this long (I've 5!). Good luck .

Sorry to hear you're struggling.

I have big boobs too, and I found the football hold the best way to feed.

I'm sure someone will be along soon with good advice.

Congratulations by the way!

not sure it's called football actually....imagine a rugby ball on the side..

it really does get better and i think you get blisters with there latch properly or not. if you just started constantly rub any part of your body you'd get one the trick is not to let it get infected.
when you finish feeding rub some breast milk over the nipple and let it air dry leave your bra and top off, this really helps and is far better than any nipple cream.

don't worry everything your feeling is normal but it will be worth it.

your boobs should clam down and if you find it difficult to position her coz of there size try laying on your side with her next to you this means she won't be pushed in to your breast.

everything always hurts at first i found swearing loudly when it hurt as she latched on really helped relieve the pain and the baby blues or what ever works for you.

good luck let me know how you get on.

Hi - congrats on your baby and sorry you are a bit down. I had big boobs too - and the midwife suggested using an (empty!) toilet roll or similar underneath when feeding, just to lift it a bit. It worked for me.

Reading this back it sounds really weird that I would have used a toilet roll tube so close to a tiny baby (what about germs?!!) but I did - it was the right size and shape.

Yes, it's not just about latch, it's about positioning, especially with big boobs. I found DS could latch better when I got rid of my feeding cushion. It's worth playing around with positions to find something that works for you two.

thanks for the support. There's some good tips here I'll try and see how I get on.
I think part of the problem seems to stem from very flat/flaccid nipples - so its hard to get a lot of the areola into her mouth. Once she has the nipple in her mouth she clamps her jaw around it before I've got time to push more of the areola area in (does that make sense?)

Anyway, I'm off to hunt for a toilet roll innard - I've got some Lasinoh, so thats good.

thanks again

Liznay It will so so so get better, I felt exactly the same as you, I was in toe-curling pain for the first couple of weeks, I even cried a few times whilst I was feeding but I just took every day as it came and I got through it and all of a sudden I realised I'd been feeding without it hurting. It's nothing to do with latch at this stage, your boobs are under assault! At 4 months if it starts hurting then yes it's probably latch, but not at 4 days. My DD felt like she had fangs for the first couple of weeks but I promise you that it doesn't last and having had this setback you will feel so proud of yourself if you manage to get through it.

congratulations on baby

you will feel better again in a few days, maybe even tomorrow........tis just the drop in hormones and the adrenaline rush from the birth has gone too (which is also triggering a 'withdrawal').

as for your boobs........I have been there (five times), and it feels as tho you have torpedos strapped to your chast and if anyone bumped into you, you would impale them. they do get better again.......especially once baby regulates your supply. I remember well just how big my boobs were compared to my babys head......like comparing a beachball compared to MY head!

fret not my dear.........tis early days and in a another week you will be over this and into the next worry

thanks everyone, your responses have really helped (and made me a bit teary, but in a nice way), its just nice to know i'm not alone.
I used a nipple shield for the last feed and that really seemed to help.

I have big boobs too (I went up to a 36K after birth!!) and would say go for the rugby/football hold. Also hold the end of your breast so that you can get your dd to grab a big mouthful. If she sucks on your nipple it will be hurting a lot, so instead aim to get some of the bit around in as well and it will be much better. Bf will change your nipple-shape eventually, and it does all get easier anyway. I saw a bf counsellor with my dd and she gave me great advice. I know everyone always says not to hold your boobs while feeding, but if they're big you have to.

You can roll up a muslin and put it under your boob to lift it up or you can use one or two to make a sling for your boob if that helps.