Breastfeeding?

[Twounder1]

Could not for the life of me find the right category so I've posted here 😥
I attempted to breastfeed with dd but I didn't have the correct support and visitors made me feel uncomfortable. I made it to 5 weeks with not much joy and had to supplement her so in the end at 5weeks, I stopped.

I have birth to ds 3 days ago and I'm breastfeeding him. But the pain that comes with it is agony. He's properly latched on and he was a big boy so my midwife who delivered him did advise me to supplement if I needed to. He's latched on well, everything is okay it just hurts. Do nipples harden up to it? It's getting so sore too :(

I know people say that if you're doing it right it shouldn't hurt, but honestly it hurt me for a couple of weeks until my nipples 'toughened up'. I breastfed DD until a year and still going with DS and both times I had a burning pain whenever they fed in the early days, it gradually just got less painful though, we didn't change anything, and they both put weight on well (both managed to put weight ON at first weigh in at home from hospital!).

Yes, hurt like hell, and I used to be a bf counsellor so was reasonably sure I had a good latch. It does ease but takes a while. Try going topless to air your boobs, cabbage leaves in your bra is also an old wives tale that does work. I resorted to nipple shields when the pain was really bad.

Lanisoh is your friend! It got better for me. Hope it does for you. Don't stress and do what ever you feel is best

Thank you all :) I feel more relaxed this time as I've banned all visitors until I know what I'm doing and so I'm less stressed. It doesn't help my daughter is 12 months old and likes to grab my nipples to pull herself up (ouch) are nipple shields worth looking into? Sounds odd and TMI, whenever they're out should we say, it's so painful

Ouch! Maybe sign your 12mo old up for bouldering lessons! I never used shields as I felt I could get better control if it was as natural as possible. But I have had friends who have used them with success! Trial and error I reckon!

Check that baby isn’t pinching tiny bits of excess skin with their latch, this can happen even if latched correctly and it’s agony like a sharp stabbing pain. You can ease it out gently once they are attached. Are they leaving any marks on the skin? That could be a clue. Nipples do toughen up. It’s really hard in the early days if you have existing soreness as there’s not long in between feeds for them to recover but baby will be come more efficient at feeding quite quickly and feeds will likely be less time. Good luck, if you want to b/feed I really wouldn’t supplement. It’s not recommended whilst you are establishing feeding patterns and supply is meeting babies demands.

Get the latch checked out if you can, and also ask your midwife to check for tongue tie.
Other than that, if you want to and if you can then try to stick with it as it does get easier but those first few weeks are the worst and definitely painful!! For me personally it was a good 3 weeks before I felt anything near to comfortable, by week 2 I was wincing only on first latch for the initial few seconds
Week 1 was agony all round with both my children!

3 days in your milk will have barely come in but you don't need to supplement if there's no medical indication to-put baby to the breast as often as possible though

Meant to add, avoid nipple shields unless absolutely necessary-babies tend to use these just like a bottle teat
Yes to lansinoh but wipe excess off before baby latches otherwise it can be a bit too slippy for them

This isn’t advice on the match or anything but Multi mam compresses helped me with the soreness.

www.boots.com/multi-mam-compresses-1-x-12-pack-10078094

I'm having some problems :( I couldn't breastfeed at all yesterday. He just wouldn't/couldn't latch. My midwife told me to substitute for a while as he's such a big boy. My breasts were leaking a bit yesterday night but I've been trying all day again with no luck :( also my left breast, it's so swollen and painful. The nipple has doubled its size and its all pale and veiny and so painful.. Any more advice ladies? I'm worried at this rate my supply will just vanish :(

Mine was very sore at the start and there were nights I was nearly crying with the pain. But now (4.5 months old) I hardly feel anything. Try and get as much boob in as possible. I sort of pinched my skin then waited until she cried and pushed it in as far as possible! You can put your nipple to their nose and they should do a big O mouth

Have you had the latch checked? Or baby checked for tt?

My last baby was nearly 11lb and breast milk alone filled him up, so not sure about the big boy needing supplemented theory, but obviously if he is refusing the breast that is different.

Can you express at all? It will stop you gettin engorged if nothing else.

Breastfeeding was awful to start with, I was crying in absolute agony every time.
Use nipple shields. They were a life saver. It even hurt with them on after a while, but nowhere near as badly. It does get better!

Have you tried calling breastfeeding network? I've attached the number as a pic. They can offer advice and may have an advisor near you that can do a home visit to check latch and for tongue tie. Have you tried a different hold? Rugby ball hold maybe? Expressing may relieve engorgement for now.

Forgot pic!

My advice would be to see as many different bf advisors as you can. It took me quite a while to find someone who genuinely engaged with the problems I had rather than giving pat answers. I'm sorry you're in pain with it, it can be so wearing

Hang in there. It hurts so much at first but your nipples will toughen up soon. I remember it hurting a lot at first then after a short while it was fine. Do check the latch- while nipple should go in mouth. Nipple cream helps. Good luck to you!!

Meant to say whole nipple should go in baby's mouth. Not while!

My son struggled to latch in part because my boobs were just too full - I had to hand express a bit off first each time until he was a few weeks old.

Also worth contacting your health visitor to see if there are any lactation support workers - I saw one when DS was less than a week and it just wasn’t working. They talked about positions etc but generally also made me feel less shitty. Lasinoh was great and my nipples I think generally become less sensitive after a few weeks. I hope it improves for you

Both times it was absolute agony for 2-3 weeks. Nothing wrong with latch it’s just fu*kinf painful. I wish more people said this/Id been told this!

Just push past it and come week 4 you’ll be laughing. I did express so That my boobs had a break between 7pm till 1am (husband did the 10pm feed with a bottle)

I agree laniosh is your friend!!

Your midwife is giving you terrible advice. I’m so sorry. I would try to find a Lactation consultant (google IBCLC and your area).

It might be pricey but will save you a lot of money in formula so if you can it would be worth a try. Also ask your health visitor to refer you to an infant feeding specialist. Say you are worried about tongue tie.

Has baby been checked for tongue tie. My son was supposedly checked but it was later found he has quite a bad tie. He was 10lb8oz and gained weight in the first week from breast milk alone, I don't think the big baby needing supplement is true personally

Agree with pp's, hand express some so the breast isn't too full for him and try the rugby ball position. A few midwives told me that my ds was latching correctly but it didn't feel right to me- lactation consultant recommended the rugby position and it improved his latch straight away- a few days in the rugby ball position and I was then able to get him to latch in any position. 1 badly latched feed can leave you hurting for days!

I've breastfed all 3 of mine (still feeding DS 9 months) and it hurt so much when I started with all 3, i felt like I could actually feel my nipple skin eroding! I had to bite down on muslins when I was getting them to latch, but after about 2 weeks(ish) my nipples became as thick as rhino hide and fine now. Hope everything works out for you, it's bloody hard work!

Definitely try to express a bit before feeding, even just hand express till you feel less engorged, mine struggled to latch if the breast was too full