How long did breastfeeding hurt for you?

TAGSL710 · September 2012

I'm not sure how much longer I can take this. All the LCs I see say we're doing everything right, he's gaining weight, I've tried breast milk and air drying, lanolin and EMAB cream. The pain is making me dread feeding him. How much longer until this gets better?

gingerfamily · September 2012

Have you tried a nipple shield?

TAGSL710 · September 2012

mrsh0606:
Have you tried a nipple shield?
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No because everyone keeps warning about them.

White0rchid · September 2012

Have you tried pumping for a day? I had horrible pain this time with bleeding, cracked nipples. I would cry when DD latched on. It was agony. My LC told me to pump for 24 hours straight and give my nipples a chance to heal. The pump wasn't nearly as painful as DD. I used an antibiotic with pain relief during the 24 hours. They weren't totally healed after 24 hours, but the pain was bearable after that.

TAGSL710 · September 2012

White0rchid:
Have you tried pumping for a day? I had horrible pain this time with bleeding, cracked nipples. I would cry when DD latched on. It was agony. My LC told me to pump for 24 hours straight and give my nipples a chance to heal. The pump wasn't nearly as painful as DD. I used an antibiotic with pain relief during the 24 hours. They weren't totally healed after 24 hours, but the pain was bearable after that.

I'm engorged and have been told this will make it worse.

White0rchid · September 2012

TAGSL710:
White0rchid:
Have you tried pumping for a day? I had horrible pain this time with bleeding, cracked nipples. I would cry when DD latched on. It was agony. My LC told me to pump for 24 hours straight and give my nipples a chance to heal. The pump wasn't nearly as painful as DD. I used an antibiotic with pain relief during the 24 hours. They weren't totally healed after 24 hours, but the pain was bearable after that.
I'm engorged and have been told this will make it worse.

I have an excess of milk, and it didn't make mine worse. You have to pump exclusively for 24 hours and feed baby the pumped milk. You don't let baby nurse at all during that time.

I feel for you! I hope you are able to get relief soon!

ilovelife · September 2012

When my nips get sore, i rub nipple butter on them and put on my gel packs. I keep them in the refrigerator so they feel really cool against my sore nipples. You should buy a pair and try that. It makes a huge difference for me!

kbetzner · September 2012

I have been using nipple shield since day one. Pitocin evidently affects your nipples to stand up. (sorry if that is TMI) I have plenty of milk and my LO gained 7 oz. in one week. She is almost back to birth weight at 12 days. It really only hurts me when she nurses like she hasn't eaten in days. She usually calms down after a few gulps and it doesn't hurt anymore.

I hope it gets better for you!

dmfan897 · September 2012

Longshot but when was his last pedi appt? Is there any chance that he has thrush? DD2 got it at 10 days old and gave it to me..it made me feel like my nips were on fire every time she nursed. So far DS does not have it and except for the first 15secs when my milk is letting down, I don't feel any pain while bfing

TAGSL710 · September 2012

dmfan897:
Longshot but when was his last pedi appt? Is there any chance that he has thrush? DD2 got it at 10 days old and gave it to me..it made me feel like my nips were on fire every time she nursed. So far DS does not have it and except for the first 15secs when my milk is letting down, I don't feel any pain while bfing

Today and I had her check. I wish they'd find an issue so we could get a solution.

TAGSL710 · September 2012

ilovelife:
When my nips get sore, i rub nipple butter on them and put on my gel packs. I keep them in the refrigerator so they feel really cool against my sore nipples. You should buy a pair and try that. It makes a huge difference for me!

I've tried this but no avail :[

ArtificialRed · September 2012

I used to think nipple shields must be the worst thing ever based on how some people talk about them. But for me a few days with the nipple shield and a prescription for the All Purpose Nipple Ointment has made all the difference. Have you asked about getting a prescription for that? My nipples healed but we didn't use the shield so long it caused any problems. Oh and I used the medela shells for a few days so that my clothes/breast pads wouldn't get in the way of the healing. I liked that way better than the gel pads. GL!

danabsd · September 2012

These saved my life, it's a pain because you have to clean your nips before you feed but they helped sooooo much. I don't have any pain any more.

https://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-65005-Soothies-Gel-Pads/dp/B002KGHUL4

GR8TDANEMOM · September 2012

I still have nipple pain at 3 weeks. I'll pump for a day and feel better but after breast feeding again for a couple days I'm back to being sore. I feel like we are doing everything right and the lc we saw over a week ago said we were but I'm seeing another one tomorrow. I also feel like when he feeds he never empties my breast and I now have a sore large lump on my right breast. Not to mention the thrush. It's so frustrating that this is so hard.

eliza261 · September 2012

dmfan897:
Longshot but when was his last pedi appt? Is there any chance that he has thrush? DD2 got it at 10 days old and gave it to me..it made me feel like my nips were on fire every time she nursed. So far DS does not have it and except for the first 15secs when my milk is letting down, I don't feel any pain while bfing

This is when it hurts for me too.. just the very beginning..

TAGSL710 · September 2012

eliza261:
dmfan897:
Longshot but when was his last pedi appt? Is there any chance that he has thrush? DD2 got it at 10 days old and gave it to me..it made me feel like my nips were on fire every time she nursed. So far DS does not have it and except for the first 15secs when my milk is letting down, I don't feel any pain while bfing
 
This is when it hurts for me too.. just the very beginning..

It used to be just then for me but now it's during and after.

LILBIT1221 · September 2012

It hurt me for about 3 solid weeks, this time. I was over it. Little by little though, it let up. Now it only hurts during let down. Good luck, hang in there!

jenwill · September 2012

intheflowers:
More than 2 weeks, less than 4. Didn't use a shield or pump. Suffered through the cracking, bleeding, and clusterfeeding at 2 weeks and when I thought it couldn't get any worse it started getting much better. It was just at the beginning when he latched, once he got the milk flowing, the pain went away. I went through a couple tubes of lanolin in that time. It absolutely will get better.

ditto this. it was about a month for me with DD#1 (about a week and a half with DD#2). Try using Aquafor instead of lanolin ointment. you don't have to wipe off before nursing. it's a lot thinner so you don't traumatize your nips to put it on and it helps heal any cracks. my LC suggested with DD#1 and I highly recommend!!

LILBIT1221 · September 2012

intheflowers:
More than 2 weeks, less than 4. Didn't use a shield or pump. Suffered through the cracking, bleeding, and clusterfeeding at 2 weeks and when I thought it couldn't get any worse it started getting much better. It was just at the beginning when he latched, once he got the milk flowing, the pain went away. I went through a couple tubes of lanolin in that time. It absolutely will get better.

This was me, to a tee! My right nipple had a blister the size of Manhatten on it. It was so bad that Luke actually spit up blood one night. I promise it will get better & hopeffully it will become something that you look forward to & not dread.

kristyand · September 2012

I felt as you did and cried every time. Nothing I was doing or used helped. Also didn't try the shield or pumping and bottle feeding for a day. I was too afraid to change it up that much. But they were cracked and bleeding for two weeks. I got an Rx for Jack Newmans All Natural Nipple Ointment and things were shockingly different in 24 hours. Ask your MW or Doc about it.

enjoylife · September 2012

Probably around 34 weeks with DS 1 I was hurting bad and it took forever for my nips to heal. This time around 2ish weeks. I still have some pain on the left side which need to heal a bit but now the pain is only during initial latch. I use mother love nipple cream which the LC recommended over lansinoh lanolin, and I bought the advent breast shells to help keep clothing and nursing pads off since even the touch of clothing hurt so bad. Things have gotten better so I didn't go the nipple shield route but if its a matter of nursing vs stopping due to pain then I would think using the shield is the lesser of 2 evils. Baby and you still can breast feed and you can wean from the shield later. Good luck!! My boys always performed well whenever the LC was watching and evaluating but DS 2 is so lazy with latching at night when he is cluster feeding that that was when we were having the most damage done.

damabo80 · September 2012

Didn't have any pain this time around, mostly because I've been nursing DD since 2011 and nursed her throughout pg.
I EPed for the first 3m with DD and the nipple pain peaked around week 2 and was gone by week 4.

CBNJ2012 · September 2012

TAGSL710:
White0rchid:
Have you tried pumping for a day? I had horrible pain this time with bleeding, cracked nipples. I would cry when DD latched on. It was agony. My LC told me to pump for 24 hours straight and give my nipples a chance to heal. The pump wasn't nearly as painful as DD. I used an antibiotic with pain relief during the 24 hours. They weren't totally healed after 24 hours, but the pain was bearable after that.
I'm engorged and have been told this will make it worse.

If you are uncomfortably engorged, I would suggest pumping. I've had difficulties with cracked nipples this go around and even tho DD latches ok, the engorgement made it uncomfortable. A couple days ago, I pumped my breast completely after she nursed and I've felt so much better since. One pumping session isn't going to send your body into overdrive. Other than that, I second what others have said. I wear soothies between feedings and then apply lanolin before feeding. It should get better and although it feels like forever, especially when you have to feed so often, this is only the beginning of your breastfeeding experience and hopefully you can work thru it to get to the other side. BF is tough. No doubt about that!

hmp1 · September 2012

Have you tried pumping for just a couple of minutes before letting LO latch on? It really helps DS get a good latch, especially when I'm engorged.

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