May 2015 Moms

I want to breastfeed but my nipples

lully25lully25 member
edited June 2015 in May 2015 Moms
i am ftm and my baby is 10 days i have been trying to breastfeed him since day 1 but we didnt have much time together as i was in soo much pain for three days after c section ,on the third day my colustrum starting coming ,am still trying to breastfeed him but he is never satisfied and he gets angry because i dont have enough milk and i always have to top up with formula, and my nipples are cracked and am using lanolin cream after feeding but am still in soo much pain,how long should i suffer until it will be easier??am afraid of pumping as they say it hurts?? Is that true?, am also afraid that my ds may start prefering formula as it is easier for him,i dont know what to do any advice is helpful as i dont want to give up on breastfeeding(we dont have lactation consultants where i live))

Re: I want to breastfeed but my nipples

  • Have you seen a certified lactation consultant? If not, I would highly, highly recommend that.

    With pumping, you control the suction level, so no, it doesn't have to hurt.

    At 10 days, you can still build your supply by pumping more (or breastfeeding more). A lactation consultant can help you with both.

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  • Pumping with a nipple shield may help with your nipples healing as your LO will not be latching on. You could pump what you can and supplement with formula. But as pp said, see a LC for hands on help!
  • I don't want to scare you but for me breast feeding hurt for the first 5 weeks. Dd is 6 weeks old and it is finally better but still not easy. In the beginning I was feeding only a couple of meals a day, pumping and giving formula when my boobs just couldn't take anymore. Slowly I started feeding her more often and only topping up with formula. Now she gets 90% breastfeeding 10% formula fed and I pump and freeze to build a supply. It definitely messed with my supply to give her so much formula at the beginning but my doctor gave me a medication to up my supply and it seems to be helping.
  • I see that you noted that you can't see a lactation consultant. Are there any breastfeeding support groups or phone lines you can call? I would look into that and hopefully it's an option for you. Was there a public health nurse that came to see you? They might have some resources as well.

    I pumped for the first week to help my supply increase. I honestly didn't find pumping to be painful at all. It was less painful than my LO feeding. This might depend on your pump as well.

    Don't give up yet! I know it's frustrating but you can do it!!!
  • What med was prescribed to increase supply?
  • The nipple shield was a god send to me! My nipples were in really bad shape and were so painful. It helped them to heal and it's so much easier on your nipples!
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • @chipmk228 I was prescribed Domperidone. I believe it's typically a stomach medication but one of its side effects is lactation and it's approved in Canada for this use.
  • I breastfeed and pump as well, pumping does not hurt at all for me, make sure you have a good machine, my LO is 2 weeks and breastfeeding does not hurt at all you just need to make sure they latch on correctly
  • I gave up breast feeding on day ten due to cracked and bleeding nipples. I used lanolin and did saline soaks after every feeding as ordered by laceration, but my nipples would not heal! I was scared to pump too, but it has caused me no pain! My nipples finally healed and I feel so much better. I remain still exclusively pumping and would recommend giving it a try to give your nipples a break. It's also nice that my husband can be responsible for some feedings.
  • Get a prescription for the Jack Newman cream. It's a god send for cracked nipples. The lanolin and honest co stuff just doesn't do the trick when they're cracked and bleeding. Wear the medela shells during the day so the cream doesn't rub off onto your breast pad. This helped mine heal in about four days. It would be really beneficial to see a lactation consultant as your cracked nipples are likely due to a poor latch. Pumping does not hurt, it's much more gentler than your baby's latch. You may want to pump for a few days and allow your nipples time to heal. Breastfeeding for me each time took a good two to three months to be comfortable. Don't give up. It also will not hurt your baby to top up with formula. Actually i find it better give them a bottle here and there so you do have that freedom of someone else being able to feed them. My third child refused to take a bottle.. It was quite stressful! This time around we have been making sure to give her the occasional bottle of breast milk or formula.
  • If u have a WIC office locally they have free lactation specialists. I was having problems breast feeding but just talking to her and getting some positive advice and encouragement helped a ton! I was pumping and supplementing with formula and at 2 weeks today we officially just breast fed. But def try talking to someone certified from WIC or a breast feeding support group.
  • mars8kmars8k member
    Do you 2 know how to get a proper latch? Nurses taught me before i left the hospital, it took me about 2 weeks to get a hang of it, now at 1 month i don't even think about it it's all good.

    I used mama mio nipple balm, it's a bit pricy compared to other stuff but it worked miracles.

    I havent started pumping so i wouldn't know but my sister told me that it only hurts when you do it wrong, so have someone teach you that as well.
  • I suggest pumping. I had a lot of problems breast feeding at first and had to take a break. I just pumped for a few days until my nipples healed. This helped so much. Then I was able to breastfeed again. Also I used Vaseline on my nipples instead of lanolin. My mother believes that Vaseline works better than everything lol
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