Will my nipples hurt as much 2nd time round?

[poisondwarf]

Hi,

Just found out I'm pregnant this week . DC1 has just turned one and still breastfeeds on demand day and night.

I've always had sensitive nipples, especially before my period, and last time I was pregnant I had to strap my breasts up so they couldn't move at all otherwise the pain would keep me awake at night. This lasted for the whole pregnancy, although it was much worse in the first trimester.

When DS1 was born I had a really hard time breastfeeding and found it unbearably painful for the first couple of months (although I don't know how much of it was because of his tongue-tie). However, feeding is now enjoyable and totally pain-free.

It's early days in this pregnancy and I have no symptoms at all as yet apart from very slight nausea a couple of times at the beginning of breastfeeds. I can't remember when my pregnancy symptoms kicked in last time, and I'm just dreading the nipple pain.

I'd rather not wean DS1 and wanted to wait until he's ready - however, if my nipples get as painful as they did last time I don't see how I can continue.

I'm kind of hoping that as my breasts have already undergone the changes necessary for breastfeeding and are already "primed" they might not be as painful this time. Has anyone else had experience of this? Is there anything I can do to lessen the pain and/or prepare myself and DS1 for the possibility of weaning rapidly? Is there anyone who's breastfed through the pain and if so, how long did it last?

Thanks for any advice.

Can I ask you a question. DD is 13 and has a tied tongue, I breast fed her as well as her brother (who wasn't tongue tied) who was born when she was 4yr 7m. I had initial pain with both my babes when I started breast feeding although that was only for a month or so while I was establishing breast feeding (it was a while ago so I am a bit hazy with the time span). I have never heard that tongue tied babies struggling to learn to breast feed (although it makes sense) did some one tell you this or is it a new discovery.
My dad was also tongue tied, is it genetic with your son to? and did you have his tongue cut or not?
Sorry there was more than one question in the end.

Yes I did have it cut, and it made a huge difference. I don't think I could have carried on much longer if it hadn't been done. It wasn't diagnosed until he was 6 weeks old though, and it took him probably a week or two to learn how to feed properly with his new mobile tongue and for me to heal, then another 6 weeks to increase my supply sufficiently to be able to stop giving him formula top-ups. During the first 6 weeks I lost count of the number of midwives who told me the latch and positioning were perfect and yet they couldn't explain why my breasts were in ribbons, I was in agony, feeds were taking up to 2.5 hours and he was still not putting on enough weight. When I took him to have it cut most of the other babies were about a week old (it was a conveyor-belt system) and almost all the mothers noticed the difference immediately.

As for whether it runs in my family, it's hard to say as tongue ties generally rectify themselves during the first year. Certainly none of our relatives are tongue-tied now. However, I do wonder because I'm one of 5 and my mum only managed to breastfeed us for a few weeks each as she kept getting mastitis over and over.

I did do a lot of reading up about it at the time and it seems that although it can cause problems breastfeeding, it doesn't necessarily. Also I suspect a lot of people switch over to bottle feeding without realising that tongue tie is to blame and so the true extent of the problem is hidden.

DD's tongue is still tied and to be honest it is not tied that badly; although she can not stick her tongue out of her mouth at all, it doesn't get further than her lips, her speach and feeding was never a problem. What is worse is that she was six months old when in a space of a day 3 of her great grandmothers all told me she had a tied tongue. The HV dx her that afternoon when I ran around there and asked in a panic. My dad had his cut practically straight away and ended up having to have speach therapy.
Thanks for the info, I would never have realised.
Good luck with the breast feeding, and I would ask your midwife to check the babies tongue asap after birth.

my friend has an 8mth old who was tongue tied. she had such trouble feeding her - nipples still bleeding at 6 months, feeds taking ages, having to wear shields. her HV and GP told her they don't cut them. she then read an article in (i think) the observer in which the writer said that she had exactly the same experience until her child's tie was cut. my chum went back to drs and demanded to see a consultant who cut it there and then. result? easy, shorter pain free feeding instantly!

Sussies - I won't need to ask a midwife to check 2nd time around. Wouldn't trust them to either to be honest! This is what I find so frustrating - it's actually really easy to spot if you know what you're looking for so why it was missed by so many of them I've no idea. It makes me angry to think how miserable those first few weeks were when it can be so easily remedied, and that right now there are mothers and babies suffering unnecessarily because of sheer incompetence or ignorance on the part of health professionals. Sorry - rant over!

Liz - 6 months! Hats off to your friend for persevering. It does have to be said though that tongue tie is not necessarily at the root of all breastfeeding problems. A friend of mine had her DS's cut and it made no difference. She had to wean at 6 months even though she wanted to carry on, and never got to the bottom of what was causing the pain - this is after successfully feeding her first child with no problems.

I am currently 25 weeks pregnant and still breastfeeding my 19 month old. Keep hoping he'll self wean but he doesn't seem too keen.

I found it extremely painful for the first three weeks bfeeding ds1, he fed every two hours without fail and I used to cry at the prospect of another feed! There weren't any problems with latching on or tongue tie, I think my nipples were just really sensitive. It suddenly all got better after the first month and was totally pain free for a long time.

Unfortunately it has got more painful again now I'm pregnant. Not as much as before or maybe I'm more hardy than I was. It also helps he's only feeding on a night(several times but that's another story!) and on a morning.

I never thought I'd end up being a long term feeder, I'm not your typical "earth mother" and went back to work 3 days a week when ds was 6 months. Friends are shocked that I'm still feeding but I really don't understand why people are so eager to wean at 6 mnths as if feeding is such a trial they're glad to be over it. IMO it makes life much easier to always have some comfort on tap with an accident prone, eczema ridden toddler!

Good luck if you choose to carry on, hopefully it won't be as painful as it was the first time. I'll let you know what tandem feeding is like in July!

Poisondwarf: I am in exactly the same position. My son who is 2 was born with tongue-tie and breastfeeding was excruciatingly painful. As he was gaining weight rapidly, all the breastfeeding team and midwives thought the latch on was fine. It was just me who was suffering. I cried every time I had to feed him & said on numerous occasions that it was then that I needed gas & air most!

We really pushed our GP hard to get us a fast referral to a consultant so that I could get the tongue tie divided before I gave up on breastfeeding. With the NHS waiting times as they were - I ended up driving 3 hours to a private hospital to see a consultant that is on the UNICEF web-site who especially supports women wanting to continue breastfeeding but who are in agony from their babies' tongue-tie. I must say that once the op was done, things didn't improve much as he had adapted his technique to chomp with his gums but eventually he got better & I exclusively breastfed for 10 months as he refused a bottle point blank.

I'm now pregnant again with my second - 24 weeks, and I have had terrible nipple soreness all pregnancy and am also worried that the unbearable pain will start again once I try to breastfeed. One thing I do think that was never diagnosed properly at the time of breastfeeding was that all the cracks and bleeding of my nipples led to thrush- which also contributed to the agony. I just read a decent article on this - think it was on a bbc web site link. I'm worried this may be contributing to nipple pain now in pregnancy?

I liked your rant by the way. When I think how hard those first few weeks were & how easily it could have been rectified! I said this time I won't leave the hospital until they do the frenulotomy if this baby is born with tongue-tie. I've heard it can run in families and we have it on both sides