BF Feels like needles in my nipples!

[Lorralaffs]

Have a beautiful 2 wk old baby. Have breast fed other three children without any trouble but this time it's eye-watering agony for roughly the first 20 seconds.
She's thriving - gaining weight quickly, nappies are full and she's well latched on but...it's bliddy tough going. Incidentally, my nipples aren't cracked or even sore apart from at the start of feeding.
Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks!

Mine were like that too. Try adjusting the position the baby is feeding it. Also (merely as a coping strategy) try counting as she's latching on and stop s the pain subsides. You might find th every day the number that you get to will go down & you'll realise that its getting better.

Otherwise, try the NCT or la leche league helplines. I found them fab. Good luck & congrats on the new baby.

Ask someone to make sure doubly sure there is no mild tounge tie. Or have a look yourself for any sign of one.

If not then I guess the latch needs looking at. Wide wide wide open mouth and good position at the breast. Try feeding in front of a mirror to check positioning, there isn't an easy to spot problem with how her head is lined up.

Then check out your nipple for clues about the attachment, is it pinched, white, different shape to when you started feeding.

Kellymom website is utterly brilliant.

Congratulations!!

Can I just say that nipples can hurt even when you are doing it right? I've had my latch technique inspected by numerous midwives and my nipples still hurt. I am only saying this as sometimes you are made to feel you are doing it wrong when you have nipple pain, and it doesn't always mean that.

Sometimes its just that they are being used a lot and its just plain flipping sore! The pain can be excruciating but eventually it does go, you just have to work through the pain barrier for a while.

My midwife recommended Jelonet by the way. Its kind of gel/mesh padding used by burns victims among others. Lansinoh helps me a bit.

Nesta please get some help. Jelonet or Lansinoh will help ease the soreness but will not address the underlying issue. Midwives do not always have enough training on bf (incredible tho that may seem). My community MWs were great - really good - but 3 of them gave me similarly duff advice on what was supposedly a good latch. It wasn't. Nipples do not get sore from being used a lot. There will be another reason. You are not doing anything wrong. You are not getting good advice. Please consider ringing the NCT bf line, La Leche, the ABM or Breastfeeding Network so you can speak to someone rather than having to suffer.