Nursing Pain

CONGRATULATIONS!

If he is latching on, it should not hurt. If you feel you are engorged, I would express a bit before you nurse, this will help latch on. you will be sore for a while if he has not been latching on properly.

Seek help from a lactation specialist is you are concerned.

GL:)

I didn't see anyone else recommend these. I got these things called "soothies" from walgreens. These are super awesome for sore cracked nipples. I just had my daughter on the 30th, so we have had some nursing struggles too.

If you are very engorged that could make latching all the harder for the little one. You got some great advice on releasing the pressure :). Goodluck to you! I am finding out how hard this can be.

It sounds like a latching-on problem. If babies are getting latched on correctly, soreness is minimal. Most babies have to be taught the correct way to latch on. I'm speaking from experience here! With my first I thought I knew what I was doing, but in a week both she & I were miserable. She was hungry, I was sore, cracked, bleeding, frustrated, & exhausted, so I quit & switched to a bottle. Don't give up! I always regretted it! With the 2nd I got the help I needed from a lactation consultant & was hardly sore at all! So go get some help, from a lactation consultant or La Leche League member. There's nothing like having someone there with you helping (well, ok, it's a little embarrassing, but it works!).

Rechelle,

Try pumping before he nurses for a bit to sofen up your breasts and see if that helps him get more milk out. If you are still feeling engoreged after pump a bit.

Also I have found that a nipple shield helps both wiht your pain and his nusring. My little guy ( born January 24th) uses one and it makes it SO much easier for me to nurse and for him to empty out the milk.

Also let your little man nusre 20 minutes to a side and see if that helps!

Good luck!
S.

You probably are engorged... use warm compresses before feeding to help your milk flow easier and ice up afterwards to help reduce swelling. It will pass soon! You'll still feel really full when its time to feed, but it gets better. With newborns its really hard to hear if they are swallowing... its really just a small exhale through their nose so listen close... turn off the music/tv/conversation and get your ear as close to his little face as possible for a few minutes. If he's not crying at you for hunger reasons he's getting enough to eat. You could try nursing 20 minutes per side (thats what my hospital nurses strongly encouraged). You milk supply will take up to 6 weeks to really even out, but your encorgement will subside in a few days. If its particularly unbearable, try pumping (hand expressing was pretty hard and painful for me at this point...) to relieve the fullness, but don't count on it too much... its a supply and demand system and your breasts don't know if it your baby or your pump... they just make as much milk as gets taken out. Also, if you don't already have some, Lanolin Cream is great... prevents chapped, sore and cracked nipples. Good Luck!

Ahhhhh the not-so-joys of nursing those first few days--you're body is probably trying to figure out how much milk to make and you're experiencing some engorgement as your body adjusts.

I put cold cabbage leaves on my breasts (right in my bra!) and also used a pump to alleviate that fullness (but if you pump you're signaling to your body to make MORE milk, so don't do too much!)

The first days can be challenging so hang in there and congratulations on the new babe! Get some advice from a lactation specialist if it gets too frustrating!

I agree with the thought that he is not latched on right, especially if you think that he is not always swallowing. Have you tried a lactation consultant? When my son was born they sent me a nurse who had never breastfed in her life to "teach me how" -what a sick joke! I went to a lactation specialist and she helped me with the latching on part. As far as sore breasts goes you could try taking a hot bath. That will help to relieve engorgement and it helps with the pain. I have heard good things about the cabbage leaves too. I wish I had tried that!
Also, with going to a lactation consultant you can find out if your baby is taking in all the milk he should. It is a great comfort in a stressful time. Ask you doctor to help you find one! Congratulations on your new babe!

I can totally relate, not only in my life, but also being a doula. I HIGHLY recommend using green cabbage leaves in your bra to reduce engorgement, pump to relieve pain (but not too much because it's all about supply and demand; you don't want to make more then you can handle! Just pump enough to take the fullness out), using a little olive oil (if you're vegan) or lanolin on sore nipples, and investing in some good quality nipple shields (by Medela). You may have fast let-down and he may not be able to keep up... the nipple shield will help control the flow enough for him to drink (not to mention it will help soreness or if you have cracked/bleeding nipples). I also recommend feeding about 20 minutes per side. If you're really concerned about him getting enough, don't hesitate to stop in your ped's office for a weight check (no, they shouldn't mind). Feel free to email with any questions or just to chat! ____@____.com luck!

If they are not equally hard everywhere (the outside of your breast is hard, but the inside is not) you may have clogged ducts. Try pumping and putting warm wash cloths on them so that you can empty them. If he's not eating you need to check with your Dr. Make sure his mouth is completely latched on and he's not just sucking on the end of your nipple.

You can definitely tell if they are swallowing, so you may need to consult a lactation specialist or pump and put the milk in a bottle so you can see what he is eating. I had to pump into bottles for 3 months before my son figured out how to nurse properly. Don't get frustrated, everyone goes through nursing problems. He'll figure it out soon! Congrats!

M.

There are two things that I am going to suggest. The first is for your sore nipples, because that is always a problem for the first few weeks. I love the lanolin from Lansinoh. You can put it on your nipples and leave it, you don't need to wash it off. I have used it with 5 of my 6 kids. You can get it most anywhere that sells baby products. Then for the soreness of being engorged, I always massage my breast as the baby is eating to enhance the let down of the milk. With my last 2 children I have noticed that this massaging also helped to bring my milk in faster with less engorgment at the start. With the flat of your hand massage the breast in a circular motion (almost like you are giving yourself a breast exam). This will help with the let down and will also make sure that, if you are developing a clogged duct, that it will not stay that way. Hope this helps.

Have you tried pumping a little bit before you nurse? That might help w/ how full they are & help your baby be able to latch on better. My son has a "bad suck" according to the lactation consultant & he nurses around 20 minutes on each side & still takes 2 oz of breastmilk in a bottle afterwards. Maybe your baby is still learning how to suck properly & is taking a long time. If you're worried about your baby getting enough I'd call your pediatritian & ask if you can come & just weigh in. I go once a week to make sure after our initial problems & I'm glad I did. After 5 days of being home my son had lost an additional 8oz from when we left the hospital so I'm glad I had him checked & figured out a solution. Congratulations - hope things get easier!

Is he latching on right? I thought that my daughter was latching on a first, but she wasn't. The football hold was the best for me at the beginning. That way you can really see if they are latched on correctly. I'm not sure if there is a lactation specialist at the hospital, etc. but it is worth looking into. It will be painful for a while, but hang in there!

try expressing some milk by hand squezee should do it then make sure he far back on the brest i would also let him nurse longer the fifteen min befor moving to the other side good luck and congrats