nipples pain; myth or reality?

[hdxlc883]

OK. I've got another crazy question. I'm due in a week or so and getting really stressed about this nursing stuff..
here the question; does it really hurts? I want the truth..some books say it does, some don't ..most of my friend who are nursing told me it hurts for few days at the beginning, even the baby is latch on properly..
I want to know what to expect.
thanks for your help

[Jessie81]

If your baby is latched correctly (make sure you "get it" at the hospital) then absolutely no it doesnt not hurt.

[EJglamMOM]

I think it just kinda depends on your tolerance for pain.

I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but when I was pregnant cold water really hurt my nipples, they were super sensitive and as much as I loved to go swimming, the coldness was almost unbearable. Still, I never really had much nipple pain nursing any of my 4 kids. The most 'painful' part of nursing in the early days for me was when I would get too full. It helped to pump before or after nursing. Full breasts hurt more to me than a nursing baby, and the best way to make it go away is to nurse.

My 2nd baby had bad latch problems, he would start making clicking noises after nursing awhile. I didn't let it get to the point of being painful, just broke suction and reattached him. Remember when getting babe off the breast don't pull, use your finger to break suction.

Keep extra breastpads handy so you stay dry and use the nipple ointment to keep from getting chapped. Breastpads can fill up pretty fast while you're leaky.

[RedheadbyChoice]

If your baby is latched correctly (make sure you "get it" at the hospital) then absolutely no it doesnt not hurt.

Red calls a big dose of bullshit on this one.

I'm now nursing my 4th babe, and I'll even go so far as to say that I'm pretty damn experienced at this by now. LOL And guess what? It *still* hurt the first week or so. Why? Because on a normal basis, my nipples aren't being sucked on every hour or two, for 30-45 minutes at a time, all damn day long.

It shouldn't be dreadful, no. It should start getting better. And yes, getting the latch down correctly is a must. But I won't lie at all, it does hurt some at first. More like 'uncomfortable' rather than mind-numbing pain.

Lansinoh helps. As does letting the breasts air dry after a feeding. As well as absolutely making sure babe is latched on correctly.

[kbearmytai]

My nipples did hurt for the first couple of days while bfding and baby was latched on correctly per my LC. While you are in the hospital after having your baby, request that the LC come to see you. Just let your nurse know that you have some questons. They should come up to your room and then they will be able to check baby's latch.
Before baby comes try to get to a breastfeeding class or find a LLL in your area.
Having as much knowledge before will greatly help you.

[majubee]

I had nipple pain but baby was not latched on correctly. I also had thrush and didn't realize it, I don't know how long I had it before I finally realized something was wrong.

[EJglamMOM]

More like 'uncomfortable' rather than mind-numbing pain.

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Yeah that..

[sweetkisses]

IMO some soreness or tenderness is normal when the baby first latches on and will then ease up. It is going to take some time for your nipples to get use to the constant sucking.

Now, if you are having severe pain while baby is nursing then something is not correct. If this happens please get some IRL help asap. It will make all the difference in the world if you correct the problem quickly.

Good luck!

[Nipple_nectar]

I agree that it depends on how sensitive you are to begin with. My Nipples hurt so badly, I couldn't even towel dry them after a shower without wincing, I guess that means I am a wimp.

Mine were so sensitive, I couldn't even handle the fabric of my shirt rubbing back and forth~oy! There are a couple of products I used to help minimize the pain, the best by far was the:

*silverette: a small pair of pure silver cups that you literally place on your nipples in between feedings~ these were a lifesaver and I still use them today as my DD is a biter and it keeps me invested and commited to nursing. www.breastfeedingheaven.com

* lilypadz: now, these are perfect for going out when you need a pad but you don't want to the rest of the world to see your big bulky outline of a standard pad. Why I needed them is I sprinkled like a faucet the minute I took my bra off and couldn't shower~ so, I wore the lilypadz in the shower. Besides, when I first came home, here again, the sensitivity made me want to crawl out of my skin, covering my nipples while showering with lilypadz was the perfect answer. www.nursingmothersupplies.com sells them at a discount;-)

* soothies: can be chilled or warmed, whatever you prefer, good to wear before a nursing session, if you are already experiencing pain. www.soothies.com

And last but not least, get yourself some Lansinoh lanolin, you will need it!

[Stephanie]

I had soreness and pain with both. With ds, I had some cracking and bleeding, because I wasn't as familiar with a good latch. With dd, I knew what a good latch felt like, so it was much easier. I still had some soreness and pain.

If it doesn't get better, or if the pain lasts the entire nursing session, it is probably a good idea to seek help. Breastfeeding is natural, but there is a learning curve.

[DecemberBaby]

See everyone is different. Do not psyche yourself out! If you do it will not be pleasent experience. Good luck!

[still_me]

IMO some soreness or tenderness is normal when the baby first latches on and will then ease up. It is going to take some time for your nipples to get use to the constant sucking.

Now, if you are having severe pain while baby is nursing then something is not correct. If this happens please get some IRL help asap. It will make all the difference in the world if you correct the problem quickly.

Good luck!


This.


Like some have mentioned before Lansinoh is great and if you rub some of your milk on your nipples and then it air dry it also helps in the beginning.

Come here if you have any questions and need support!

[Jmom1010]

Mine hurt. Mine hurt bad for a while but we had major latch issues. Not to scare you but check out the "Major Latch issue" thread for some great advice and a lot of sympathetic mommas.

http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24254

[oomaumau04]

I never had any pain, and never had to use lanolin or anything else except a pad for leaking....Every woman is different. Don't stress about it...you'll be ok! :)

[feroxfemina]

If your baby is latched correctly (make sure you "get it" at the hospital) then absolutely no it doesnt not hurt.


I also call bullshit.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Breastfeeding can hurt at first, it also depends on your pain tolerance, and how babe nurses. My youngest was/is a barracuda.

They say fair-skinned women are more likely to experience some pain issues. If you experience pain I suggest Tylenol before nursing, drinking some ice cold water as babe latches (help distract), lanolin, and relaxing. It's hard not to tense up when you expect pain, which in turn makes it harder for you to have letdown.

Something else that helped me was these Silverette cups Mrs R recommended. Google for them or for Breastfeeding Haven. Good luck! :)

[GeminiMom]

My first nursing experience was painful at first. That was the twins, so I couldn't alternate breasts-- both were being used! I will say that a lot of it had to do with latch, because one baby hurt more than the other one. Lansinoh helped a lot, and things were much better after day 10. The boys were weaned 6 months before my current nursling was born, and with her I had no issues at all.

[KerryS]

I also have to disagree with Jessie. Even all the lactation textbooks say that some pain/discomfort in the first couple weeks when baby first latches on is normal (it even has a name - called "nipple stretch pain"). When my son was born, I wasn't able to nurse him for the first week and I was pumping fulltime. Even with pumping, my nipples were sore for the first 30 seconds as they got used to the suction. This transitory pain/discomfort at latch should go away after the first week or two. After that, if it's still painful, or it's painful throughout the feeding, or if at ANY time you have cracked, bleeding or scabbed nipples, those are signs that the latch isn't quite right and you should be assessed by an LC.

[jgassa]

My baby latches on correctly, but due to Raynauds syndrome I still have pain at 4 months. I think it is different for each person. If you are dedicated to it...it is worth it no matter the pain.

[intokermit]

I have Raynaud's as well, and it does hurt. There have been many times I've thought about giving up, but then I remember that I'm doing this because it's best for my baby. You have a lot of women here who can talk you thru anything, and lead to you to places to get help if you need it. With out the ladies here, I would have given up after a few days! You'll do fine. Just trust your body.

[SingingMom]

I never had any pain. And my nipples, during pregnancy, were so sensitive I couldn't stand it. But nursing didn't HURT. I had a C-section for that delivery- so I had some perspective on what hurting would feel like.

I would say it was uncomfortable at first. But just that- uncomfortable. And lanolin pretty much got me through that. And nursing the second baby really wasn't even uncomfortable. (But I cheated on that one- I nursed through my second pregnancy. So the only problem I had with that one was that I was making too much milk for her to handle and her latch would get weird as she would try to handle the flood.)

If you experience pain, take some ibuprofen or Tylenol and see a Lactation Consultant. Use lanolin, try the Soothies, air-dry the nipples. It all helps, and you get good at breastfeeding quickly when you are constantly nursing a newborn.

You'll be fine, momma. And we'll be here to help.

[hdxlc883]

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[TayNRobbiesMom]

My first nursing session PP was a gentle tugging but as your hormones get out of whack (from the birth) and you are nursing lots they may become tender or uncomfortable. Follow the previous advice.

And, as another poster said, KEEP THOSE BREASTS AS DRY AS POSSIBLE! I didnt and got thrush 3 wks in, that was way more painful than any nursing! expose yourself to air as much as possible.

[Peanut1207]

I, like you, didn't know what to expect with nursing! I honestly thought the baby would pop out and latch on, no problem. I expected no difficulties, no pain, nothing but pure bonding bliss...haha! My LO didn't know how to suck, his tounge was practically glued to the roof of his mouth (we basically had to train him to get his tongue in the right spot), he sucked like a madman, my nipples hurt like he!!, they scabbed over and he sucked off the scabs...I finally called an LC to my house after 10 days (5 days after being home from the hospital), she helped get the positioning of him better but the latch still took a few more days after that to get better. After about 2 weeks we finally started to get it. Lansinoh gel is essential and like someone else said those little cups that cover your nipples are great...I had issues with my cracked/healing nipples sticking to my bra and reopening every time I moved basically ('til I got the cups, Medela sells cheap ones). Then I got thrush which was shooting pain through my boobs. Occassionally now I still have issues, I have sensitive skin overall though. Honestly all the pain was so worth it but there were some times I wanted to quit and did begin to understand why some people choose formula. I would do it all over, 100 times for the joy I now feel when nursing. It's such a good learning experience for the 2 of you and honestly my 2 friends had zero issues nursing. Babies popped out, latched on, no issue at all...maybe that'll be you! Good luck and hang in there if it gets hard, it will get better!