Breastfeeding dilemma...

elainec

Hi, Just wanted to give you some support rather than advice!
I have a 7 week baby who i am breastfeeding, have given him odd bottle of formula and expressed since he was 3 days old when my milk took forever to come through.

Got really sore nipples couple of weeks ago and health visitor decided it was thrush, so got us both treated even though no visible signs on either of us and now much better. At that point i was crying with the pain of feeding and gave expressed breat milk each feed for a night.

Dont shout at me if your more experienced but i have been told it does always stay slightly uncomfortable breast feeding and the schedule has got me down but i am also taking it day at a time and thinking every day i manage hes getting the benefit.

FatVonD

The latex nipple shields were a Godsend for me, I actually had a bottle sterilising for formula ready to give up b/f when my midwife produced a set and they were brilliant!

Valli

My sister bf her first three kids - but ended up bottlefeeding the 4th...after an emergency dash to the chemist for the necessary.

It happens...some lovely support on here but just wanted to add this as this is your 4th too..

Jo_R_2

Again thankyou to everyone who's replied.

After a horrible night/morning which culminated in me sobbing away whilst baby screamed to be fed, OH took babe and suggested using the emergency formula. I whipped baby back off him and bit the bullet and fed him, and it was soooooooo sore

Anyway. MW came round and I told her all about it, she was lovely. She sat with me whilst I latched baby on, she thought he wasn't getting enough areola in his mouth and so was working harder to get the milk, thus me being sore.

She made me unlatch (nooooooo!) and we sorted out baby's positioning and my posture, and then she talked about an exaggerated latch. She actually latched him on for me and the difference was amazing - it was still uncomfy but def not as painful, and the feeding felt different too. He fed for a while until he started to doze off when I had to unlatch him as he slipped off slightly and it started to hurt again.

However I feel so much more optimistic now! It was on my 'easier' side to feed so not sure how it'll go when I try the other side but I can always feed off the left and express off the right if needs be (my right nipple is cracked and looks like it might be ever so slightly infected.) The pump is sterilised and ready to go so going to have a go with it later anyway.

I'm continuing with the Lansinoh and paracetemol and fingers crossed this time next week I might be pain free!

DevilsAdvocate1

I had this with my second and I found the Rugby Hold gave the sore part of my breast a rest. The soreness was down to positioning - I don't think his mouth was big enough at first. I found stroking the bottom lip down to the chin helped encourage him to open his mouth a bit wider.

HTH. D.

bylromarha

Sounds like the MW was a big help!

Well done you. Keep on going.

Spendless

cte1111 wrote: »

I had that level of pain with breast feeding my DD. I persevered and sorry to say it did not get better. I feel like it affected my initial bond with her as I associated her with pain. I think it does depend on the baby rather than your 'technique' sometimes. Whatever choice you make, please don't feel guilty. I'm not sure pumping will help, but hope you have a more positive experience than me.

I felt like this and turned to formula feeding because for me it meant me being

bylromarha wrote: »

Also, just wanted to say if you do end up using formula - fantastic decision. It means you're happy and not in severe pain dreading a feed, and baby is fed and has a happy mum. That can never be a bad thing

if you can persevere fine, but don't beat yourself up if you are struggling too much.

Gingham_Ribbon

Jo_R wrote: »

Still using Lansinoh hoping that will help a bit.

I had this problem (due to bad latch) with my first. I couldn't sit up so he was having to feed from the side of me while I was lying on my back. You can imagine! Not good at all.

Anyway, I got over it by (look away any men reading this) being bare breasted ALL THE TIME!

Lanolin creams are good but think about it. When you have a scab/scratch/sore you don't leave a plaster on it or it doesn't heal properly. You leave it to the air and it quickly heals. I would personally lay off the cream altogether for a few days.

Letting milk dry on it and letting the air get to it is highly recommended - as is seeing a BF counsellor to make sure he is latching on properly and there isn't an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.

Congratulations!

skintchick

elainec wrote: »

Dont shout at me if your more experienced but i have been told it does always stay slightly uncomfortable breast feeding and the schedule has got me down but i am also taking it day at a time and thinking every day i manage hes getting the benefit.

Hi, I'm not shouting but this is wrong. I am currently training to be a breastfededing volunteer helper with the Breastfeeding Network and have also clocked up 14 months of breastfeeding my DD so far, and we are learnng and my personal experience is that if you have the latch and positioning right then breastfeeding DOES NOT HURT. If it hurts, something needs tweaking (no, not your nipples lol), in terms of latch or positioning. Often it's a tiny thing that needs doing that will then result in pain-free breastfeeding. there are loads of places you can get help with this.

tiamai_d

elainec wrote: »

Dont shout at me if your more experienced but i have been told it does always stay slightly uncomfortable breast feeding and the schedule has got me down but i am also taking it day at a time and thinking every day i manage hes getting the benefit.

It shouldn't be.

Not painful anyway.

I do admit that the actual feeling of breast feeding wasn't one I enjoyed (but the hormones made up for that) and let down was always a shudder, but it should not be painful.

Also, the benefits of being able to stay in bed at night do make up somewhat for the constant feeding by day. If you can, co sleep. I couldn't with the boys but with DD I was just so much more aware of her. The very best thing ever was being able to feed her without getting out my pit.