One week in - does breastfeeding get less painful ?

[Rosemarybon]

Baby has good latch but my gosh the pain - is this how it is or does it improve / get less sensitive ?

@Whoknowsweknows

Gosh I had forgotten until reading this, but I remember initially the towel brushing me after a shower was awful. Nipples of steel now

Me too 🤣! Nipples Batfinked 🦇

I would agree - with my first it took a good 6 weeks of pain before it settled into discomfort then no problem at all.

Tbh the only reason I carried on was that I needed to take my baby abroad at 7 weeks and I couldn't be bothered with bottles and sterilising and all that. I told myself I was only doing it til I got home when he was 10 weeks.

By that time it was a breeze so I carried on for a year.

Good luck!

Not for me I lasted 2 weeks perhaps I did not give it long enough. But my bottle fed baby did just fine. Hope you find your way x

6 weeks until it wasn't painful with both my babies. I have sensitive skin anyway but hv recommended gel pads as nipples were shredded. Normally used as burns' dressings they definitely helped a bit.

Yes it really does!! I didn't feel any pain after the first two weeks, keep going, the flexibility when you're out and about is a dream once you get going

Yes by six weeks significantly better and by 8 weeks completely pain free!

It took 6 weeks with all three of mine for that initial sharp latching pain to go, it went overnight. Keep with it, it’s worth it.

It does get less painful
My Nan in law says when she was pregnant they got you to rub a nail brush on your boobs to 'toughen them up' !!
I had all the checks re positioning and attachment and my baby's latch was spot on I just needed a bit of time to get used to it
Lanisoh cream really helped and leaving boobs to 'air' after a feed, also tried things like cabbage leaves to sooth them and warm showers and baths of feeling a bit engorged and baby not wanting to feed or hand expressing just to ease the pressure

Can you take a photo of your baby's mouth? There is a change he has tongue tie. This would mean that even with a good latch, his tongue is chewing up your nipples and he isn't getting enough milk.

This was my baby. I didnt leave hospital until it was snipped. I went from cracked and bleeding nipples to a content baby feeding without pain almost instantly after he had the frenulum division.

Have you tried nipple shields to give you a bit of a break?
My midwife told me to go easy on the lanisoh as it stops the nipple toughening up.
Multimam compresses help if you have bleeding or wounds.
My son had a bad latch because of a lip tie that nobody agreed was there until his teeth came in. He tore through it himself the day before it was going to be fixed. It was too late to change the latch, so it was never painless feeding him, but I carried on until he was three so it can’t have been that bad.

Yes! 11 days for me.

Try nipple shields to give your nipples a break, and Mam compress pads (or something) in between feeds- expensive but awesome.

With my first it felt like needles were going through my nipples. I would cry before and during feeding her as it hurt so much. It took ages for the midwife to actually listen to me and then I and my baby were diagnosed with thrush. As soon as that was treated it was bliss.
Check your babies mouth for small white patches as it could be that.

So much better and easier. Keep at it. Breast feeding is wonderful.

My baby latched perfectly straight away (pure luck) but it still hurt very badly! I think it's mostly hormones and it definitely goes away after a few weeks. I'm pregnant and still BFing my 18-month-old. It hurts again now so I definitely think it's a hormone thing!

Nipple cream and nipple shields! The cream was the best thing ever

It does get easier op don't worry! Then you won't feel a thing and it'll be all worth it. Nipple cream and shields helped me until my nips toughened up

If anyone is reading this thinking breastfeeding always means sore nipples, it's not the case - I breastfed two babies and had all kinds of challenges but sore nipples was not one of them. I must have tough nips or something!