Help, can someone save my nipples?!?

[Sadie789]

Day 10 of breastfeeding and I swear my right nipple is about to fall off. The other one is not far behind. The pain is excruciating!! When DC latches I have to kick and swear and wince for about a minute before it’s bearable but the pain continues the whole feed. Not ideal for feeding in the corner of Starbucks.

I’ve had midwife advice and she’s shown me about positions and getting the right latch which is fine but doesn’t address the existing pain.

I’ve googled and again there’s lots of vague advice on latches and top tips etc but nothing on what to do once the nipples are done in.

Does anyone have a strategy for me? Should I just start expressing? (Wanted to wait until at least 2 weeks) Should I only use the less painful one for a while?

I have breast shells which have helped a bit but cluster feeding means neither one is getting a real break. Nipple shields were rejected by baby.

So sore!!

Try nipple shields again. I used them for a week or two to help them heal. I also was much more vigilant about the latch, rather than ‘just getting baby on’, make sure that baby’s latch is correct every time. It’s tough for a while but then it will get better.

It does get easier.

This website is a great resource

kellymom.com/ages/newborn/bf-basics/latch-resources/

And here is phone line and web chat for you.

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/breastfeeding-support/

I'm sure it's been said but just quickly posting....

Make sure the latch is good. Once I mastered getting the latch right with hardly any of my areola showing with baby on it was much more bearable. My nipples toughened up and I loved feeding. Good luck.

If they're visibly damaged and bleeding try and be topless as much as possible. If you have to wear a bra I put clingfilm over my nipples to stop then sticking to breast pads/ my bra as it was causing more damage each time I had to rip them off.

YouTube the 'flipple' technique, I found it really helpful for getting latch better.

If you can feel your nipple rubbing during a feed then relatch baby.

It does get easier as you both learn together.

@Sadie789 Lanisoh. Lanisoh. Lanisoh. My LO is 15 days old. I had terrible terrible sore painful cracked bleeding nipples. Used Lanisoh before, after and in between feeds. For a few days. And I promise it worked. No pain at all now. I cried so much. Brought a pump. Was about to give up. Then the pain went.

I expressed once. With the pump. Not the best idea. The next day my breasts were huge. Over engorged. Wish I hadn't used the pump so soon.

Yes Lansinoh with is miracle stuff. Put it on every chance you can, lots of it and stay topless when you can.

Also look at the flipple technique on youtube, as someone else said you want to get the nipple as far back as you can. I squeezed my boob and felt like I was stuffing it in babies mouth, but it helped. That and laid back nursing saved my journey, and by 3/4 weeks it just miraculously stopped hurting and we fed for 14months. It’s so worth persevering if you can.

I think so much of it at the start is just babies mouths being small and them learning, and our bodies needing to “toughen up”. Good luck x

Lasinoh is great but I'm recommending a nipple shield as well to give your nipple a break.

I feel your pain OP. Takes a while for the nipples toughen up and remember wanting to scream for the first minute or so. There was nothing wrong with his latch, so I don’t believe when they say if it hurts your doing it wrong- in the beginning it just hurts. Honestly though that point was the peak and then by about week 3 it was gone.

Firstly, air those bad boys. Topless when you can. Lasinoh, all the time, after every feed. It’s safe for baby. Lying down feeding always felt most comfortable, that or using my pregnancy pillow to rest DS on at the prefect height. Going a group a breast feeding group on fb if you have it. Thousands of mothers with real life experience. I wouldn’t necessarily start expressing now, it might engorge you and you’re at the critical point of building your supply.

It will get better OP, promise. You’re doing fab

Join a best feeding group on facebook*

Damn typing on the phone

Oh yes, definitely agree with pp to air them as much as possible too!

I found lansinoh and lying down to feed and letting LO get on with it really helped me, but boy I remember those early days. The health visitor who ran my antenatal class said that it takes a while for your nipples to toughen up and that if they were used to that kind of treatment already, you must lead an interesting life.

I didn't have any issues like tongue tie to complicate things with my kids so she was pretty much correct and it sorted itself out as we both got the hang of it. I went on to feed for 16 months and 21 months.

But for the first few weeks, I talked like Beaker from the muppets when LO latched on.

I’m breastfeeding my third, having breastfed my first to a year and my second to 2, and Ive switched to expressing each time it’s reached the pain point you describe in your OP. Once I’ve given them a break to heal I find we can work on latch etc a lot better. Even the right latch will kill when your nipples are done in! Also I use enough lansinoh to make breastfeeding as expensive as formula feeding in the early days.. have never tried nipple shields tho.

Another vote for nipple shields, keep trying with them. Lots of lanolin , the mam multi compress dressings are great- you can keep them in the fridge and they are really soothing . Look up the flipple technique to get a deeper latch and ask HV to refer tin BF specialist.

I whacked nipple cream on after every feed in the early days. My nipples were pretty sore still at one point and then after a bit they seemed to toughen up and I stopped using the lanolin.

Hi I had this both times both my girls had a tongue tie so please get that check if you haven't already I also swear by silver nipple covers you express a little milk into the silver then wear. I knew when my nipples were healing as they were as itchy as hell I got mine on Amazon not cheap but I feel they are super worth it x

Me too!

Am 4 weeks in, had a massive crack on one nipple which has just about healed, still hurts but almost bearably...

Multi mam compresses (SO expensive but they feel amazing) and the ‘flipple’ technique healed my nipple, I think.

Ridiculously I think we’ve finally got close to a good latch on the bad one, he seems to no longer be able to latch on properly to the other one...

www.amazon.co.uk/Silverette-Nursing-Cups-Soothing-Breasts/dp/B00D4MWKNQ?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Head to the pharmacy and ask for burns plasters. No idea whats in them but they made my nipples heal really quickly

I couldn’t get on with shields at all. What helped was a breast-feeding counsellor checking my latch.
The midwife had insisted that it was good, but the counsellor explained that the baby’s lower lip must be turned out or it will rub and cause cracks and bleeding.
She demonstrated by popping her little finger into DS’s mouth as he fed and gently flipping his lower lip outwards.

I would also get yourself and your baby checked for thrush because that will cause soreness, too.

Have you had baby checked for a tongue tie? I was in agony and nearly gave up breastfeeding after a week. Then went to a breastfeeding support group and they diagnosed a severe tongue tie and referred us back to hospital. We had it cut and OMG the difference was amazing, no more pain.

You poor thing! They do get better with time but cluster feeding always makes them sore and in my experience doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem with the latch, despite what experts sometimes say. It just blummin hurts! My survival technique was to wear an open cardigan with nothing underneath for about 6 weeks as I found anything touching me horrible and they healed much better when not covered up. A bit of expressed milk on the nipples which is left to air dry supposedly helps and then lots and lots of lansinoh and time!

I feel your pain, i remember having weird sleep deprived daydreams about going to a spa retreat for my nipples, where basically nothing touched then including water in the shower. My toes were in constant discomfort from the regular curling.

Nothing I did helped, I got loads of help too... But ds grew out of it (basically flow was fast, he was too small to cope in the beginning). Obviously I know it's not advice for now, and loads of reasons why it may hurt, but I had over a year of blissful breastfeeding after I persevered. In case you need hope. I feel your pain

Lansinoh after every feed and use pads so it stays damp. Sorry, it's so hard when there's pain, usually takes 24 hours max to feel ok if you've had pain (mine has only been from accidental bites since those early weeks, your nipples get stronger so they can cope without anything I promise!). Squishing more nipple into the baby's mouth and/or turning the baby 90 degrees on the nipple will mean your baby's mouth is exerting pressure in a slightly different place, which can make the next day or so manageable.

In case it isn't just sore from feeding, read up on thrush and mastitis symptoms. Just in case.

I had major problems with cracked nipples that bled. I too used Lansinho and also used the rugby hold to alleviate some of the pain. The rugby hold was best for cluster feeding. I remember how toe curling the pain was.

Hope the pain eases soon

Hi,
My nipples got so sore that I felt I couldn’t go on - I would dread the baby wanting to feed and was miserable. I bought a breast pump (although you can hire them) and after expressing for a couple of days they were much more comfortable. My baby was happy to take the bottle or breast. I ended up feeding a mix of bottle (sometimes expressed/sometimes formula) or breast until six months when I chose to quit breastfeeding. I was so pleased I was able to continue and quit when I chose to on my terms and not because of pain.

If you feel the pain is too much to go on breastfeeding expressing can keep your supply coming while you rest your nipples. By ten weeks your baby will still know what to do after a couple of days.