ok so i am really enjoying breastfeeding and want to carry on but my little monkey tricked me into letting him feed on and off for about 5hours in hospital the first night. before anyone told me that he wasnt what he really wanted he just thought he did because really he wanted something else like his nappy doing etc.... iykwim (gosh i make to sence tody)

Anyway he's in more of a routine now feeding every 3/4 hours depending, but my nipples are sooooooooooooo sore now. PLEASE help, what can i do to make them less sore? I really want to carry on feeding but it really is quite painful at the minute.

Any advice welcome, sorry if i make no sense don think i've quite come round from Tuesday yet! x

Big hugs to you - I feel your pain. I had a rough go this time around. I tried the lanolin ointments, which felt soothing but didn't clear things up. You can try shields but I was hesitant to do that only because I was being stubborn. I BF my first for 15 months with no problems, so I didn't want to give in with my second.
By the time Knox was 6 days old I was in tears, in so much pain, and so my hubby took my son away from me, told me to rest, and he gave Knox a bottle of formula. Part of me was torn up, I didn't want to give him formula if I didn't have to, but a huge part of me was relieved because I was in agony. I ended up with a 6 hour break from feeding total, and in those 6 hours my nipples healed up so so much. I couldn't believe how much they cleared up. The swelling, redness and scabbing were nearly completely gone, and when I put him to my breast again I had only minor discomfort, no pain. Best thing my hubby ever did for me!
I know some people are really hesitant to give a bottle too early, but I have had no problems. Both of my sons had no confusion or problem moving from breast to bottle and back.
Good luck hun, I know it's tough.

I used lasinoh after every feed and before that I would put milk on both breasts and leave them to dry for 5mins. It was painful from day 3-10 really but now I feel no pain

Who told you that? I don't really believe they want feed because they need their nappy changed..

Its quite normal for a newborn to be constantly on the breast for the first few weeks. They have thimble sized stomachs which fill and empty very quickly. They also tire very easily and need to build up the muscles in the cheeks and mouth before they become an efficient feeder. Also, they get great deals of comfort from sucking so if they want to doze on the breast I say let him do it.

In regards to the soreness, theres no much you can do but grin and bare it. It doesn't last long but you need to stick with it til your nipples toughen up a bit.


ETA - I would only introduce formula if you REALLY cant take it anymore. Its a slippery slope to milk supply problems and nipple confusion if you start. Take it a day at a time and say to yourself 'one more day and i'll re-evaluate' and before you know it a week will have passed.

I couldn't understand why my LO was so unsettled on his first night in the hospital until a midwife pointed out that he'd done a huge poo

When my nipples got sore I too relied on Lansinoh, dabbing breastmilk on and leaving to dry after feeds, and painkillers when it got really bad.

They will get better. One day at a time is the best advice

lasinoh, lasinoh, lasinoh... without that i would have given up i'm sure. before and after feeding and any other time too when it was really bad for me.

i found the shells (not shields) helpful - you end up looking like madona, but it stops your clothing rubbing inbetween feeds - bliss.

all the best - keep going, once you're through this tough bit it can be so wonderful to nurse your child

i had to resort to sheilds caus my nipples were really badly cracked and just werent healing properly and it definatly helped

It does really hurt hun, whether they feed on or off for 5 hours or if they feed for 5 mins ever 4 hours, it still really hurts! Lol. Don't worry, it does get better, first 2 weeks are the worst! I used lasinoh to help heal my nipples but it doesnt help with the pain, you just have to get through it and know that it doesnt last forever! *hugs*
And babies can't trick you into feeding them hun, if they're sucking and rooting then most likely they are hungry, it's just little babies do that, feed on and off, have a little suck, take a break etc, it doesnt mean they are not hungry, just means they are getting used to this new feeding experience for themselves :-) x

Lansinoh definitely helped get us through the early weeks! xx