What is "normal" pain?

chickenlittlenc · August 2012

LO is 2 wks & 5 days old and my nipples hurt!! Trying to decide whether this is "normal" pain that I just need to work through, or whether I should be worried about thrush/etc.

LO arrived by C-section at 37 weeks (due to hypertension & low amniotic fluid) and had some nursing issues related to her early arrival and my flat nipples. We had to supplement with formula and pump in the hospital due to hypoglycemia, but that resolved itself by the time we went home (after meeting with 2 LC's). We left the hospital using a nipple shield, but it seemed that LO was nursing well and we weren't doing any supplementing. Five days later, LO still hadn't gained weight (she was 6 lbs 15 oz at birth and was down to 6 lbs 5 oz) so our pediatrician sent us to a different LC. A weighed feeding showed that LO was only getting 1/2 oz through nursing, so I started pumping after every nursing session and giving her the pumped milk (and occasionally formula if needed).

That last LC meeting was about a week ago. LO was back to birth weight within 4 days, and so I've continued nursing (with the shield) then pumping. We supplement after nursing with pumped milk or formula as needed. This seems to be working well - she's gaining weight, I'm okay with formula in small amounts, and overall I feel like this is an okay solution for our family. I'd like to get rid of the stupid nipple shield, but I realize that it may take a while for LO to get larger/stronger to where she can latch effectively without it.

The current problem? My nipples hurt. They hurt the worst when LO is nursing or when I first start the pump. Even when I'm not nursing, though, I still have intermittent pain/discomfort/burning - especially if something brushes against them. My nipples tend to be red after nursing/pumping, but otherwise look normal - no weird spots, no visible wounds, etc. LO has no signs of thrush in her mouth that I can see.

So... I think this is probably normal, but has anyone else had this experience? I keep seeing "if breastfeeding gets more painful instead of getting better, it's probably thrush." But isn't it possible that going from nursing 8x/day to nursing 8x/day AND pumping 8x/day is causing the increased pain? Or that LO's shallow latch on the nipple shield is contributing to the discomfort?

Just wondering. I figured I'll ask the pediatrician at my appt next week if it's still an issue... unless things get worse, in which case I'll call the pediatrician or my OB sooner! Overnight last night, I nursed but didn't pump - we used formula for our supplemental feedings. All day today, I've pumped but haven't nursed - I've given expressed milk in bottles. After getting a bit of a break, the pain seems to be a bit less but hasn't improved dramatically.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated Thanks!!

bellelamb · August 2012

For me thrush was a different kind of pain it was more a deep burning than just a nipple pain. The first time I bf my nipples were very sore for the first two weeks but using lanolin helped a lot.

I am Marla Singer · August 2012

I think it's probably normal pain. I think I had a little more pain at first than many women because I had flat/inverted nipples. LO was sucking and breaking the internal adhesions that made them flat. It got better after a couple of months and now I have no pain

angelfire02 · August 2012

I would suggest at least calling a LC to see what they might think. I have serious deep pain, along with painful burning and tingling when I start pumping and nursing and it turns out I have a very deep duct infection that I have been battling for 13 weeks. I wish I would have gotten help sooner, I think I might have been able to get it under control. Find a doctor or other practitioner who knows about BFing. They are hard to find but make sure the person is educated about specific BFing issues.

mwitter80 · August 2012

Mine hurt for 6 weeks until they toughened up. What you're describing sounds normal in the beginning. My son was tongue tied until 14 days old, and that was horrible, and not the type of pain you're describing.