breastfeeding problem....?

Question

ok well my daughter is now 3 weeks old and i am a ftm. i have been strictly breastfeeding her since she was born and it still hurts for the first minute or two after she latches on and then again for a few minutes after she is done feeding. i've checked her latch-on positioning and everything and that is good, so why does it still hurt alot? is this normal and will it ever stop hurting? please help...

Answer 1

I know this is an odd way to explain it but you know how you're hands eventually calice up when you use them a lot you're nipples will eventually do the same I know many will say that if there is pain you have a bad latch but in my personal opinion it takes time for the nipples to toughen up I'd say in another week if you are still having trouble look into it a bit more also have you considered thrush? You would most likely have itching and raw nipples and baby may have a white film on her tongue or the inside of her cheeks congrats and great job mama!! do not use cabbage leaves that is for drying up engorged beasts!! It will be painless soon !

Answer 2

That's not really normal, some women do experience pain during letdown -but that shouldn't happen after the feed as well. However the most common cause of pain at the beginning of a feed is a latch problem -and it doesn't matter how "perfect" or "textbook" the latch is -if it hurts or the baby doesn't get enough milk then it isn't right for you and your baby. There can also be latch problems you can't see related to the position of the baby's tongue.

Pain that starts after the feed can be a sign of nipple blanching, are your nipples white when the baby lets go? Also another key to checking the latch is are there any white lines on your nipple (particularly the underside) right after the baby pulls off?

Latching and Positioning Resources
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/latch-resources.html


Sore Nipples
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/03a-sore_nipples.html

Nipple blanching and vasospasm
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipple-blanching.html

Treatments for sore nipples and sore breasts
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/03b-treatments_sore_nipples_breasts.html


http://www.kellymom.com/newman/11some_bf_myths.html
2. It is normal for breastfeeding to hurt.

Not true! Though some tenderness during the first few days is relatively common, this should be a temporary situation that lasts only a few days and should never be so bad that the mother dreads nursing. Any pain that is more than mild is abnormal and is almost always due to the baby latching on poorly. Any nipple pain that is not getting better by day three or four or lasts beyond five or six days should not be ignored. A new onset of pain when things have been going well for a while may be due to a yeast infection of the nipples. Limiting feeding time does not prevent soreness. Taking the baby off the breast for the nipples to heal should be a last resort only. (See handout #3a Sore Nipples).

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/01starting_out_right.html
A proper latch is crucial to success. This is the key to successful breastfeeding. Unfortunately, too many mothers are being "helped" by people who don’t know what a proper latch is. If you are being told your two day old’s latch is good despite your having very sore nipples, be sceptical, and ask for help from someone else who knows. Before you leave the hospital, you should be shown that your baby is latched on properly, and that he is actually getting milk from the breast and that you know how to know he is getting milk from the breast (open mouth wide—pause—close mouth type of suck). See also the websites www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml for videos on how to latch a baby on (as well as other videos). If you and the baby are leaving hospital not knowing this, get experienced help quickly (see handout When Latching). Some staff in hospital will tell mothers that if the breastfeeding is painful, the latch is not good (usually true), so that the mother should take the baby off and latch him on again. This is not a good idea. The pain usually settles, and the latch should be fixed on the other side or at the next feeding. Taking the baby off the breast and latching him on again and again only multiplies the pain and the damage.

Answer 3

It's normal and it will eventually stop hurting. Just be patient and grateful that it only hurts the first minute. Try using lansinoh cream. It is ok to use while breastfeeding and won't hurt the baby. Your nipples just have to adjust to this new and frequent suction. Also, your baby will eventually figure out the best way to get the milk out. Even if the latch looks good, your baby will increase her nursing skills and your boobs will be better for it.

You are giving your baby the best food possible and you are a strong woman for sticking to it. You should be so proud of yourself. The first 6 weeks are always the hardest. Once you make it past that point, it becomes like second nature. You are a great mama! GO YOU!!!!

Answer 4

First of Congrats! Both on the baby and breastfeeding. It sounds normal to me. I know I hurt for awhile (although my latch was poor at first). Even with having a horrible latch it eventually did stop hurting. I think it was around 4 weeks for me but I had a breast infection so its hard to tell what was hurting from what. I also used lanolin cream and it seemed to help. As well I used nipple Shields so fabric wasn't always rubbing my nipples and wearing a bra all the time really helped. I really love the breastfeeding web site www.kellymom.com. I didn't find out about it till my DD was 6 months old and wish I found it sooner. I hope all goes well and keep at it! It can be tough the first few weeks but its so worth it!

Answer 5

Hi, no it will not hurt forever. It acutally should not hurt at all. With my daughter it hurt because I had a crack on my nipple. Do either of you have a yeast infection by any chance. With my son... it went really well. I refused to put my nipple in him unless he opened really wide. When my nipple was scrapping the top of his mouth it did hurt and so I did one of two things... I would push down on his chin... forcing him to take more of a mouth full from the bottom and my nipple would be more center. The second one and the easiest, was to take my breast that is around his mouth and squeeze it until it made an flat shape. His next suc, he would suc in a bigger mouth full. My guess is that when she is latching on, she is scrapping your nipple on the roof of her mouth. A tender nipple is common the first few weeks, but should not hurt past mere discomfort from just being tender. You can get a breastfeeding cream for tender nipples from Walmart or any drug store. It is ok if the baby would get some in her mouth if not wiped entirly off before a feed.

Make sure when she latches on that you are putting the nipple in from the top of her mouth. If you put your nipple in from by her chin, your nipple will point up and that will hurt. Insert the nipple from the top of mouth so it points down on tongue and towards the throat.

Also try different positions until you find one that teaches your baby to latch on in a way that is working better. Soon you will both be pros. My son is 4 months old and sometimes now when he nurses I feel nothing... it is like I am still wearing a bra, I feel nothing at all. The odd time it hurts and I just re adjust my nipple in his mouth like I said above

Answer 6

I've also heard the cabbage leaf remedy as well. However, I'm a SAHM and I don't even get dressed during the day. It's much easier for feeding. At the hospital, I was given a couple of gel things to put in the freezer to put inside my bra. We have a blue gel pack for injuries and I asked about that. The on site lactation consultant said it was fine, as long as it was put on through a shirt or wrapped in a towel. (I also got a couple of gel packs from the bottle bag that was in the diaper bag I got from the hospital. I suppose those could work, too.)

I think it might be fairly normal as well. I also breastfeed exclusively. (Although I will start pumping some in the next couple of weeks, so I can leave the house with less worry and, yes, even have an occasional beer; There's a six pack of Warsteiner in the kitchen with my name on it.) When I wear a bra for a few hours, my nipples start to hurt, even if I don't feed. however, my bras are too small, as I bought them way too early in my pregnancy.

As it was, I practically lived shirtless the first couple of weeks at home and I also had dried cracked nipples that eventually healed on their own. The hospital gave me some lanolin cream, but I never took the time, or thought to, put it on after nursing. Although when I did, my daughter didn't seem to mind it.

You could try the La Leche League International site, http://www.llli.org ,for information, too.

Answer 7

in case you're already area of LLLI then there is no longer something we permit you to know, which you do no longer already know. determine you have booby tubes (heating tubes on your breasts that are microwavable) to help with mastitis and plugged ducts. different than the Lanolin creams, Advil gentle Gels, Lotrimin AF (over the counter) for thrush and the splendid Latch, there is no longer the rest i know of. I had an exceedingly complicated time because of the fact of nipple soreness, consistently hunted for solutions, yet in simple terms had to journey it out. My suitable propose to any breastfeeding woman is do no longer provide up! that's a ultimate adventure and all you opt for is the opt to do it and it receives extra effective. My soreness subsided after approximately 5 weeks and now each and every little thing is excellent! suitable desires for a powerful 4th breastfeeding adventure!

Answer 8

There could also be a plugged duct.
Feel your breast to see if there is a fever or hot spot.
I use to scream at latching on and off. Latching on because it that is the strongest suction and once I had my "let down" it because easier.
When you are done make sure you are breaking that suction and NOT pulling your baby off. You can do this by putting your finger in the corner of his/her mouth and breaking it, then taking him/her off.
Try getting involved in a La leche league in your area!
Your child is only 3 weeks old and still new at this but you are in for a wonderful nursing experience!

Answer 9

I agree with mystic. Although some pain/discomfort at latch on is still normal (if it ends within about 30 seconds), having pain that lasts longer and pain at the end sounds like it may be vasospasm/Raynaud's/blanching. Check out the links she posted above. Good luck!

Answer 10

I cannot answer from personal experience, but my wife found that if she made a cup of hot tea and sipped it while nursing, then used the used tea bag as a compress afterwards it helped with the sensitivity and cracking of the skin around the nipple. Lanolin creams helped but the babies (she nursed three) didn't like the taste and would refuse to nurse.
She swears by this remedy!