Still in pain...HELP!

[samoa]

Hi,

I have been bf for just over 2 mths now and am still in incredible pain. I have been to get help with the latching several times. tried to go again this morning but the lady is not there.

Its just continuously painful and then on thursday I woke up with my left breast rock hard and the nipple swollen and quite deformed. I was in incredible pain and tried to calm it down with hot flannels etc. The next day my boob was back to normal. Then on saturday get blocked duct in right breast, so I massage it etc. The next day boob back to normal. But the nipple on left breast keeps on going from swollen and deformed one minute and normal the next. And since a month now I get these deep pains in my breast nearly every hour, it is even waking me up at night. This is becoming quite painful and brings tears my eyes This is not the milk coming in, as when that happens I get an electric shock feeling in my breast.

I need help as I don't know what this is and am seriously considering of giving up bf. It is not possible that after 2 months I should be in so much pain.

Thanks

Sorry you are having such a dreadful time. I'm afraid I don't have any practical advise - but do you have a breast feeding consultant or midwife or health visitor who can check you over and provide you with some one on one support?

Is your baby feeding properly from the left breast? ie is the breast getting emptied properly. or going hard because you are favouring the other side?

My baby was mildly tounge tied - this caused me lots of pain (esp in right boob) for over 2 months. I still fed through the pain, but would also experience a shooting electric kind of pain when I fed from that side.

No one diagnosed DD as tounge tied until 2 months. I'm glad I stuck it out & was able to work through the problem and everything corrected itself at about 2.5 months once she matured a little.

So really just wanted to offer you a BIG HUG! Please seek some proper one on one support and I hope you work this out.

Thanks Downdog. I just went to the bf consultant and she said that I am getting pains in breast because they are too heavy! I find this extremely hard to believe. I have always had massive heavy boobs but it has never led me to waking up in the middle of the night in pain. doesn't sound right to me. she has also given me yet another cream to try on my nipple. I am going to see somebody else tomorrow because this is not possible!

Ouch - are you wearing soft feeding bra or support top to bed so you are supported while you sleep?

I went to the dentist with tooth pain - what I thought was a cavity & she told me I was just brushing too hard. I've always been told by dentist I was a great brusher so I thought what rubbish! That night I caught myself - thinking through a problem while I brushed teeth & I was scrubbing frantically away! Sometimes it is the strange & obvious - I wonder if other big boobed MN'ers had same problem?

Good luck with getting the support you need.

Hi, samoa, sorry to hear you are having a rubbish time. BFing may be the most natural thing, but IME also is certainly not necessarily the easiest thing to do.

Could your distorted nipple be engorgement/oedema?
It sounds like you have recurring blocked glands/ducts which can make a whole segment of breast rockhard, v sore and, personally, made me feel sick and panicky. Mastitis is the next 'step' if you do not get the blockage resolved. Getting baby to feed lots with chin pointing to affected area is most effective way of clearing it. You obviously already know about massage and hot/moist heat. Feeding baby in the bath is said to be good too, however watch you don't drown your LO - I've never managed TBH.

It sounds like you have a problem with poor milk transfer - look that up on Kellymom as well. Also google 'Dr Jack Newman' - excellent BFing advice and videos.

I agree with you after 2 months of BFing it should not be that hard for you anymore. It is NOTHING to do with breast size, what piffle .
Is the actual latch painfree? Do you see your baby doing proper suck-pause-swallow cycles (listen out for a 'gulp')? Does your breast go soft after a feed?

Might be worth your while to contact NCT or LLL for experience BFing supportter.

Sorry, must dash, also have hungry gannet (took me to No 4 to get the BFing sorted, BTW...)

Good luck!