How do you know if breastfeeding will stop hurting for ALL women?

Question

Its been 2 weeks and the pain is still here and yes he's latching right.. I had a lactation consultant witness him latching and she says its right. Soooo what do I do? The pain is hard to keep handling honestly.. I also breastfeed ALL the time. Like, all day long. I just sit in a recliner and nurse him constantly because within 10 min he's trying to suck on his hands and looking for my nipple to nurse again.. And since I don't know for sure how hungry he is I just let him nurse when he wants. I would rather him over nurse then "under-nurse". But its SO hard to nurse constantly.. I just don't know what to do anymore honestly.. I've been through so much during these 2 weeks. From the extreme pain, to getting Mastitis... I'm just feeling like breastfeeding is taking its toll on my life and I NEED to know what to do. Within 12 days of giving birth I went from 178 pounds to 139! I am STRESSED

Answer

My first son was a breeze with breastfeeding...it was as if he trained in the womb and just knew how to do it.  My second LO was not that easy.  
   My first two and a half weeks were torture...I dreaded getting up to nurse...I literally cried almost every single time.  
   I used Gerbers free lactation consultant advice...you can speak with a consultant for free and they can help.
   I also pumped...it hurt like hell but it helped me give my nipples a break, it gave a much needed emotional break and it helped with maintaining my milk production.
   I would say going to a La Leche League meeting would help. Look up what the closest chapter is and speak with someone who can give you face to face advice.
   I also supplemented with formula.  It crushed me to do it but it kept my son fed and happy besides keeping me from going insane.
  It took a while but my LO and I are now bf pros...it wasn't easy but time can be key.
   Remember to not beat yourself up if breastfeeding doesn't work out!!!  First and foremost you need to make sure you take care of yourself so you can provide the best care for your baby!!!  If you go from exclusively breastfeeding to supplementing or exclusively pumping...or doing formula to be sane and keep your LO healthy then it's ok!!!  Stay strong and do what's right for you and baby!!

Answer

My experience was that it was painful for 6 weeks, but after that it didn't hurt at all! It was toe curling pain in the beginning, but now we have a great breastfeeding relationship @9mos and I'm so glad I toughed it out. Hang in there if you truly want to bf. It won't get worse, but it will get better!

Answer

I know this is long, and Im sorta sorry lol but pls read & try all the things. I was in your same position 3 weeks ago. These are the things that made me successful!

if you had a lactation consultant at a hospital tell you "your latch looks good".... please ignore it. Because if there is pain, something IS wrong (trust me I have extremely sensitive nipples like SUPER sensitive, breastfeeding does not hurt when done properly). A knowledgeable LC will tell you the way a latch "looks" doesn't matter, it's how it FEELS. Did the consultant check your baby for tongue or lip tie or a shallow palette? That can make a huge difference.

Look online for a la leche league in your area (go to their website & search for one). La leche league meetings are completely free & their main goal is simply to help you successfully breastfeed your baby! I would not be successfully feeding my baby as I type this if it weren't for la leche league. The consultants don't get paid to tell you "your latch looks good" they do it on a volunteer basis simply because theyre passionate about it.

Look up the Australian hold. It's a good go-to breastfeeding position for mother's who are frustrated with pain. Lay your baby vertically on your belly so he straddles one of your legs (his legs should look like frog legs). Then press about 1" above your nipple so that it points slightly upward toward the ceiling. Drag it in a downward motion from his nose to his wide open mouth. Since your nipple will be pointing toward the ceiling (because you're still pressing 1" above it with your finger), this will get it in the perfect position to get to the soft palette at the back of baby's mouth. When baby is latched & you're both comfortable, lean back at a relaxed angle against some pillows so baby is comfortably laying on top of you. This will keep him relaxed enough to not fuss too much so he will keep that good latch.

Answer

My situation is a little different.
I originally didn't want anything to do with breastfeeding so we fed my son formula for the first 2 days. But then I just got the urge to do it. I really wanted that bond and to nuture him in that way so I asked to see a lactation consultant. She came in and his latch was perfect and it seemed to be easy.
Then, when I got home he wouldn't let me feed him. I think he got so used to the easiness of drinking out of a bottle that the effort to get milk from me and the fact that there wasn't a lot yet frustrated him. I tried but he wouldn't drink from me. So then I started pumping to try to build up my supply so maybe he would breastfeed once there was more milk. I give major props to women who pump because it was miserable. It was uncomfortable and tiring, especially being up every 2-3 hours at night to pump, while trying to feed him out of the bottle, change him, get him back to sleep, deprived me of sleep and was making me miserable. Plus, I wasn't even pumping half an ounce and it was taking like 40 minutes a session. I didn't feel happy with what I was doing, but I felt too guilty to stop. But one night, I was sitting in my bed pumping, bawling my eyes out while he cried and my boyfriend tried to take care of him, I realized even though I wanted to breastfeed, I'd rather be well rested and stress free than depressed, because when it came down to it being a happy mom was more important than breastfeeding. So I stopped halfway through and now we've just had him on formula.
I think breastfeeding is great, and I admire women who do it despite having trouble with it. However, I don't think it's bad to give up if it's taking a toll on you emotionally. Your baby needs to be fed, bottom line. Do what you think is best for you.

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Nipple shields where a lifesaver for me! I only had to use them for a day and my nipples healed completely. I had no pain after that 😊

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Honestly if it's affecting you this much maybe you should pump or even do formula. To me it never stop hurting and I switch to formula and I was so much happier. You need to take care of yourself too.

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I got a prescription for nipple ointment which helped clear up the scabs And made me heal quicker. Its much better now. Not perfect but I'm not cringing  http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&id=76:all-purpose-nipple-ointment-apno&Itemid=17

Also my lactation consultant taught me me to listen for them swallowing and feeding vs sucking to soothe. She said not to let them suck to soothe because my nipples need a break. This tip was very helpful too!!!
Hang in there!! You are not alone! For something so "natural" it's sooo hard to do!!!

Answer

Breastfeeding shouldn't continue to hurt. If it is then something is going on. Maybe it's not the latch but clearly things aren't perfect. My lo had tongue tie. He was a champion eater but his tongue just was too short (the frenulum-piece of skin under the tongue-was too tight). Got that snipped (it doesn't hurt them bc there's no nerves there yet) and that made a world of difference.

Also babies can't overeat at the breast. Feeding on demand is super helpful to get your baby everything it needs and help stabilize your milk production.

It's hard work but keep it up!

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It's important to note that even if the latch "looks good," it may not be. You have to listen to the baby. If there's a clicking noise, it's a bad latch and the baby is also sucking a ton of air which will make him/her gassy. It should be more of a "gulping" noise if the baby is latched properly. That being said, I was MISERABLE for the first two weeks. My girl always wanted to be attached, my nipples were raw and I felt like nothing was coming out. It DOES get better. I use a cocoa butter balm on my nipples (Palmers - I'm allergic to wool so I wasn't about to even try lanolin) and I also pump at least 1x a day. My husband will give her a bottle and I am working on a stock in the freezer for our babysitter when I go back to work. Honestly, IMO, pumping seems to help me. When my nipples hurt, I feel like pumping helps me "take a break," so the next feeding isn't so painful. Good luck, you can get thru it ☺️

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My nipples killed for two wks, eye watering toe curling pain then one day it just stopped! Now 7 wks bf and it's not painful one bit,hang in there

How do you know if breastfeeding will stop hurting for ALL women?

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