questions..and it hurts like hell....

Thank god there is a website like this...I m so glad to find this website.

I m a new mom, I have a 7days old baby boy and I m planning to breastfeed him exclusively.
but at this point my nipples are sore with cracks and blisters and they hurt like hell.... I believe my baby is latched on correctly tho. But because I think I got it wrong right from the start (in the hospital) my nipples didnt have the chance to heal so now its getting worse. It only hurts alot during the first min or 2. once his mouth is all in and start sucking, it doesnt hurt as much anymore thats why I believe he is latched on correctly.

I just don't know what to do now... any suggestions?

I m thinking about using a breast pump so my nipples can take a break... is it too early since he is only a week old?

and I still dont really understand why still breastfeed if you can just use the breast pump ... its the same milk same nutrition, why still offer my nipple?

Thanks for reading my post
Eve

Hi and welcome!

If the pain is going away, like you say, after baby starts nursing then it does sound like you are latching the baby on correctly. Continue to make sure baby is latching on correctly and your nipples will heal. It will take a little time but trust me they will heal and get better.

I had the same thoughts when my daughter was a few weeks old about pumping instead. Luckily I had a good friend advise me otherwise. You are right the milk is the same but a pump is not as effective as your baby at excreting your milk. It is very likely you would start having supply issues. Plus it is a pain to pump. It is not as simple as just hooking up the pump, pumping the milk out and being done. You also have to clean all the parts, every time and then feed the baby. Imagine doing this every 2 hours. It really is much more time consuming.

Good luck! It will get better. (I want to write more but I have to go give my dd a bath.)

Hello and welcome to the boards! This web site saved my BFing relationship back in 2003 and I have been here ever since to pay it forward I, too, had bleeding, blistered nipples and a baby with an awkward latch that took months to correct. http://www.kellymom.com/newman/03a-sore_nipples.html

If you want to make the investment, I have a product called silverette, you can read about it at www.silverette.com but the owner speaks only italian and lives in San Marino, a small island off of Italy. I was a distributor for a while but my friend is discontinuing the product from her Scotland based web site as it is too difficult to keep in stock.

A small pair of pure silver cups that you literally place on the nipple between feedings as it boasts immediate relief and most cracks and bleeding subside or disappear within 48 hours. These are magical! You can PM me, if you want more info.

In the meantime, using Lansinoh lanolin generously and letting your nipples exposed to air for as long and frequently as possible will heal them quickly. You can use www.soothies.com warm or chilled prior to each session to minimize pain and do make sure and use lanolin before pumping. You can also safely take up to 800mg of motrin for pain.

Check out the video tutorial at www.drjacknewman.com, he is the leading expert in the field and will answer e mails, if needed. I want to mention asymmetrical latch, it is very important in the beginning for positioning. For some babies, nursing is an acquired skill and it will improve with time. http://www.kellymom.com/newman/01sta...out_right.html

Even if you are not into the touchy feely part of BFing and the inseparable bond it creates, the fact that it fosters a lifetime connection and is the "be all end all" for most babies, my nursling thinks the sun rises and sets around the bewbie and I wouldn't have it any other way. She is 28 months and only nursing once or twice a day, we are almost weaned but it has been a priceless journey.

There were many nights when my baby was teething and nothing would soothe her more than nursing, did you know that BFing produces "feel good" hormones in the milk, it literally induces sleep. That's why as a new mom, you'll settle into a chair to nurse and as soon as letdown occurs you find yourself drowsing off~ it is some powerful stuff

All the boo boo's and bruise's, even vaccinations at the PEDs, nursing through it has made it easier. The first six to eight weeks were pure hell for me, it was quite an adjustment but trust me when I say that if you stick with it, you will get to the part where it is nothing but smiles and snuggles. So effortlessly, to simply slip your baby onto the breast, never worrying about the time or how much she ate or the temperature, it is really a perfect design.

When I hear that a mom is actually considering being slave to the pump, it makes me cringe, it's alot of hard work an dedication and around nine months when most moms fertility has returned there can be a steep decline in production and without baby ( who incidently by then has developed a very efficient latch) nursing efficiently to increase production, alot of women throw in the towel and end up putting baby on formula.

It gets so much easier, there is no pump as efficient as a nursing baby and some moms cannot even let down to a pump, it can be a mind boggling process, pumping is certainly an acquired skill.

Mind you, pumped breast milk is better than no breast milk at all;-) I tell all new moms, hang in there for eight weeks and you usually settle into a comfortable relationship that will satisfy the both of you.

Come here often and let us know how you are doing You are in good hands!

I'll go backwards from your post.

why breastfeed "straight from the tap" instead of pumping? Pumping takes longer than breastfeeding, due to the pump set up, cleaning, bottle prep. You still will need to pump as often as you breastfeed, it's not like you can pump for several feedings and then relax and have someone else feed.

There is also an advantage that while you are breastfeeding your baby, your body is exposed to the bacteria, viruses etc that your baby is exposed to. then your body will immediately begin to produce antibodies to those things and provide them to your baby in the milk, so baby won't get sick as often. If you separate yourself from your baby with bottles and pumping, you are interfering with that natural process. baby will still get antibodies but it won't be as immediate, and baby will have more time to get sick before getting your antibodies to fight off things.

Adding a pump, and bottles takes something that is virtually free, and adds costs. For some, that cost really adds up to come closer to the cost of formula. and sometimes cost is one of the bigger factors in why someone might choose to breastfeed.

Now for the sore nips.

if it doesn't hurt once you get latched on and nursing for a minute, then yes, latch is probably ok. Doesn't mean latch couldn't get better, so consider reviewing the latching videos and instructions at kellymom.com Sometimes baby is latched on so that your nip is rubbing on the top of the mouth, so that it feels ok while nursing, but when you take your nipple out, you realize there is MORE trauma to the nip than there was before. so keep an eye out for that.

if latch is ok, you need help speeding healing.
First I would recommend trying to feed on one side per feeding. That will ensure baby gets the proper % of foremilk and hindmilk so they can grow at their expected rate, and so that they stay full longer. This gives the other nipple time to heal without being bothered. You might not be able to go directly to 1 breast per feeding, if you are used to nursing on both sides. Start with decreasing the amount of time baby is on the first side and let them stay on the 2nd side as long as they'd like. then gradually decrease the time on the 1st side further, til you just put baby on one side and let em stay there.

If nursing sessions are very slow, that migth add to the pain. you can add breast compressions to help move the fat into the milk, which might shorten nursing sessions by a bit and keep baby fuller with more milk, so nips have time to heal in between feedings.

Try different positions for nursing. Try all of the ones you know and even a few unusual ones. A different nursing position, will put pressure on a different "side" of your nipple so to speak, and allow other "sides" to heal if you've been nursing in the same position each time you feed.

Pain management use motrin. I've even used ice cubes to numb the nips for initial latch if the pain is horrible.

speed healing. warm soaks of the nips. rub in breastmilk and let air dry. a little sunlight(no topless sunbathing, no sunburns) on the nips. I've used lanisoh, and even neosporin and non-stick bandaids for the nipple that is off duty to help with healing.

It will get better!

I second Amy's info...but add :

try and go braless if you can...if you cannot, wear the nursing bra, but leave the flaps down. Wear t-shirts that are old and don't mind getting stained with lansinoh, and make sure they're cotton for breathability. Also, stay away from nursing pads when trying to heal sore nipples. They keep the area dark, warm and moist, inhibiting faster healing. Plus, even with lansinoh, you are ripping them on and off at least 8 times a day. If you're leaking use a towel to catch the leaking from the other side, when nursing on one side, and use counterpressure on the leaking side to stop the letdown.

Good luck!
Lisa

It will get better! I remember being where you are vividly! I recall hoping we could make it to a year. At one year I quit pumping (for work, never as a substitute for breastfeeding when I was available) and we are still nursing at 20 months. It gets so much easier!

My son will nurse when he is sick and not eating food, it relaxes him, it comforts him. There is no other joy they derive at this young age that compares to breastfeeding! Hang in there momma! You will look back and see that this painful time was really quite short. You can do this!