I've been having a lot A LOT of pain when I brastfeed my little newborn, but yesterday I actually had to jus tstop doing it because the pain is unbearable :-( Is there anything I can do?
2007-02-14 06:19:27 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Yes GET HELP FROM A QUALIFIED LACTATION CONSULTANT!
It is NOT normal for it to hurt. Yes in the begining it can be uncomfortable and your breasts and nipples can ache as they are not used to constant work. But if it is painful, particularly unbearable there is something wrong. AND IT CAN BE FIXED.
I had a horrible time with breastfeeding because of numerous things I won't go into because if I do there will be 10 paragraphs or me ranting about how retarded doctors and nurses are. But EVERY time there was pain I went back to a professional and we fixed it. Yes if there is a lot of damage it will take awhile to get truely better, but if after 8 hours it isn't a lot better, then the latch or other problems still isn't right. If your latch is perfect it could also be something as simple as thrush (yeast) and antifungals will clear it right up.
PLEASE call La Leche League (free), or a lactation consultant (maybe free), WIC, a public health nurse, go back to the hospital and beg to see the lactation nurse. Anything. But don't let this end your breastfeeding relationship when a breif appointment can get you back on track, or at worse a series of appointments. A La Leche League leader may even be willing to spend 8 hours with you to get you back on track!
Please get help ASAP and pump or hand express to keep your supply up.
La Leche League:
http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html
(Change the country at the upper right if you are not American)
2007-02-14 06:39:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the type/location of the pain... I have inverted nipples that became bloody because my little guy couldn't draw them out on his own. I started using the Medela Contact nipple shield (doesn't affect your milk supply because it is so thin - I am able to feed him and still pump 4-8 oz a day) and that really improved the problem. It also helped because it took awhile for my son to learn how to suck properly - he was "chewing" and "biting" furiously instead of rhythmically sucking.
I also get clogged ducts sometimes - a portion of my breast hardens and really hearts - when he eats I gently massage that spot and it goes away within the feeding.
Some women use warm, moist washcloths before the feeding... Also try to be as relaxed as you can!
Also, your positioning can make a difference - I had to correct my positioning when we were having the chewing/biting problem. It didn't solve the problem, but it definitely helped. I would recommend calling or visiting a local lactation specialist. There should be one at or near the hospital where you gave birth, or you can try lalecheleague.com or kellymom.com for more resources. Don't give up! The pain is always worst in the first 1-2 weeks. It should subside some after your nipples toughen up and you get used to it. Hang in there!
You can get the Medela contact nipple shield at Target, or online at drugstore.com, babyuniverse.com, etc.
2007-02-14 08:21:00 · answer #2 · answered by JadeAMurray 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a newborn? you may just be experiencing "latch on" pain...which is intense pinching feeling for about the first minute that baby latches on....MOST women feel this...it lasts about a week or so and then we ALL forget it ever happened....is this lasting the duration of breastfeeding? like...more than two minutes or so? i would check and re-check the latch...can you see a lactation consultant? the hospital will have a reference for you....they can be a bit pricey...call your insurance ...they MAY cover it...if not...get to a La Leche League for more help with the latch. Most of us did experience some pain at first...even a little chapping and sometimes bleeding...you want to get this FIXED FAST i do not advocate 'seeing what happens in a few days' i think you should get ANY hands on help you can ...(i dont mean that literally of course! lol) if you have any friends who nursed...ask them to come on over and look at the latch.....If baby has a 'tongue tie' you will need some professional advice
2007-02-14 07:07:34 · answer #3 · answered by motherhendoulas 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm no expert but once heard of this solution, it really helped my sister when she was having problems with this. Hold the baby differently. Its natural to automatically hold the baby's head to the breast with the body across the mother's chest. Instead, arrange a pillow under either arm, and allow the infant to feed with her head at the breast and the body of the baby extending away from the mother's chest, supported by the pillow, in other words, the baby's body is under the mom's arm, not across her chest. This changes the angle that the infant will suck and really helps ease pain. Pay attention to the other answers as well, there's loads of good information here. Hope this helps.
2016-03-29 06:27:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the pain and where it is. If it is on your nipples, use some Lasolin cream (you can get if from your pediatrician or the hospital) and after feedings, express a little bit of milk, rub it on your nipples, and let it air dry. That will help cracking and things. Also, the baby may not be latching on correctly. If you talk to a lactation consultant, they have these little plastic nipples they can give you. All you have to do is wet it a little bit, stick it to your nipple, and then nurse the baby. It makes your nipple feel bigger in the baby's mouth and helps them learn to latch on right. It will take the pain away from you too because they will only have a little bit of your nipple in their mouth. Most of it will be the plastic nipple. My first baby didn't latch on right. The lactation consultant that came to my house to help me gave me one of those. After a couple of weeks of using it, he learned the proper way to latch on and I didn't need it anymore...breastfeeding was not painful after that.
If the pain is in your breast, you may either have an infection or a clogged duct. Hot compresses and feeding from that side more can help with a clogged duct. If it is an infection, you will need to see your doctor to get some antibiotics. You'll know it's an infection if your breast is really red, swollen, and hot. If that's the kind of pain you are having, give your doctor a call and see about some antibiotics.
2007-02-14 06:29:18 · answer #5 · answered by gtam4 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like cracked nipples from a bad latch, or yeast infection. You can get a good nipple cream which will help with the cracks, they will heal in a day or two. Speak to the hospital lactation consultant about yeast, creams and latch.
Remember to bring the baby to the breast, not the breast to the baby. The baby should be opening his/her mouth really really wide and taking in a big mouthful of breast, not just nipple. Don't give up on breast feeding if you can. I went through this with my first and the pain was just incredible! But in a couple of days, with treatment, the cracks healed and I was able to breastfeed comfortably. Good luck and congrats!
2007-02-14 06:29:16 · answer #6 · answered by bugged to death 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This sounds a lot like mastitis. If you are having a shooting pain (through the nipple especially) when your baby nurses, and you have any flu-like symptoms (fever, achy muscles, headache), get yourself to your ob-gyn IMMEDIATELY. Mastitis is very painful but very easy to cure (you just take antibiotics). You do not need to stop feeding your baby, in fact as painful as it might temporarily be, nursing your baby is the absolute best thing you can do to help clear up the mastitis (it is caused by a clogged duct in the breast). I found that clutching a stress ball while nursing and trying to hold a conversation while nursing helped to ease the pain and take my mind off of it. In the meantime, and while you wait for the antibiotics to kick in, take lots of hot showers if possible and massage the sore part of your breast(s). If you can hand express any milk in the shower, this will help to clear the clogged duct. Take ibuprofen (although it is not recommended that you use Advil for any length of time while pregnant or nursing, they will let you use it for a short time while healing from a c-section or definitely with something as serious as mastitis). If you stop nursing, you will only be in more pain as you become engorged from milk production without a nursing baby.
If this does not sound like the problem you are having and if it is more of a nipple pain from cracked or sore nipples, get in contact with a lactation consultant immediately. Breastfeeding should NEVER be painful, and when it is, it is due to a problem that can be fixed. No nursing mother should have to feed her baby in pain!
Please, please, please email me if you have any more questions about this or need any help at all with breastfeeding, I'd love to help you if I can!!!
2007-02-15 16:38:15 · answer #7 · answered by calliope_13731 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've gotten some good advice and some horrible advice here so far I see!
I'm going to assume you meant your nipples are sore, since if it were your breasts they would be sore more than just when baby nurses.
The truth is, not every mom gets over the initial nipple pain as quick as "a few days!" For my daughter and I it was 3 weeks. After that time though, breastfeeding became so comfortable and such a joy. I feel so close to her when I'm nursing her! It was worth the 3 weeks of pain.
I want you to know that you are not alone. I remember wondering if there was something wrong with me or my baby. I remember when I'd nurse her during week 2 I'd be crying and digging my fingernails into the arm of the couch when I was nursing her, the pain was so great. The pain was worse the second week than the first and then got progressively better after that.
Myth #1: If your nipples still hurt after a few days, your baby definately isn't latching on correctly.
The truth is, that alot of things can cause sore nipples other than latch problems. You could be using too harsh of a soap in the shower and it's making your skin extra sensitive. Your baby could be being very rough with you. You could have flat or inverted nipples, causing the baby to get mad at them not being easy to latch onto and baby biting or gnawing on your nipples in frustration. Baby may latch on perfectly and suck for a few minutes, then pull back as if trying to rip your nipple off.
Myth #2: You can pump and feed baby a bottle every other feeding to ease the stress on your nipples for a week or so.
NO! Please don't do this!!! You'd be setting yourself up for other problems! Nipple confusion, milk production problems, insecurity in the future wondering if baby should be on formula... The cons WAY outweigh the one and only pro. I WISH I wish I wish so hard I'd known better than to feed my little girl a bottle at 1 week old! The nipple confusion screwed up her latch and she had to be retaught after every time I'd give her the bottle! Basically equalling me going through that few days of excruciating pain over and over until I figured out that it was the bottle confusing her. No pacifiers either. If I could go back I'd save myself 2 weeks of pain and uncertainty by not giving her a bottle or pacifier. Not until she was at least 2 months old. If I could go back... But I can't. All I can do now is warn YOU not to make my mistakes.
Also don't pump because this is the time when your body is getting used to how much baby drinks and adjusting the amount of milk you make to the amount your baby drinks. When you pump, you can only get out about 75% of what your baby can get out. Plus, baby will drink MORE from a bottle than she would from your breast because the flow is faster and she won't know she's full until she's REALLY full. This increases spitting up, short term. So, you have to pump twice as long at least to get enough milk to bottle feed your baby. The constant "sucking" of the pump for twice as long as the sucking your baby would do can irritate the nipples just as much when they are already sore! Then the extreme lenth of time you spend pumping will cause your milk production to go up. Engorgement central. OR, you will not be able to get enough milk out with the pump before it's time for the next feeding. Baby will be getting less from the bottle than the breast and will be crying in hunger. Your milk production will go down. You'll feel like you can't nourish your baby and want to give up breastfeeding.
So, please don't sabotage yourself by pumping and giving baby a bottle so soon!!!
2007-02-14 06:59:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe the baby isn't latching on properly...depends on what type of pain you are having...is it the nipples or around the tissue area. You can go see a lactation consultant at the hospital where you had your baby. They can help.
My son had a hard time latching on and would pinch the nipple. The lactation consultant said it's not supposed to hurt. They taught him how to latch and the easiest way to hold him. Some women hold their babies in front. My son latched on the best on the side of me with his head coming out from under my arm. It was more comfortable for both of us.
2007-02-14 06:22:50 · answer #9 · answered by Groovy 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
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2017-02-08 23:49:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋