2 week old tugging on my nipples and getting frustrated

[dfavbaby]

Hello
I have a two week old and breastfeeding has been amazing compared to my first week It is not a lie when people say it gets better!!
I have two questions
My baby seems to start tugging on my nipple really hard a couple minutes into my feeding. I end up pulling him off because it hurts and relatching him. Ive noticed its usually after my letdown. Sometimes during but he pulls himself off since it makes him choke sometimes. Why is he doing this?I know milk is coming out and I surely don't have an Issue with my supply.

I also have had a sore on my nipple since week one. it doesnt want to heal? A scab forms then it comes off during a feeding or after. Ive tried creams constantly, epsom salt, air drying and it just doesnt heal. What would you recommend?

 

[Miss Redknob]

Congrats on your new little bub

My son has been tugging since the day he was born! They go through phases of tugging, hitting, slapping, punching, etc When he was tugging a lot I spoke with a lactation consultant and she said to hold bub a bit closer to stop him from tugging, it did minimise it.

For the sore on your nipple, I would get a nipple shield and lansinoh cream to help the sore heal. I had mastitis and bub ripped my nipple from top to bottom! worst pain of my life Even with the shield it hurt like hell but healed quickly with the shield and cream!

Hope this help

 

[hakunamatata]

Bobby likes to tug sometimes. He tries to stretch the nipple like it's a piece of taffy Seems to do it more to the left nipple than the right.

 

[tablefor4]

My DS used to tug because my letdown was so forceful he couldn't cope with the flow. If your little man is choking, this may be reason.
I tried the football hold which helped keep him more upright when feeding.

Usually the most effective way to stop a really forceful letdown is to express some milk off before you start feeding. The best thing I tried were breast shells. They're two-piece clam-like plastic shells that pop inside your bra. They have a hole in them for the nipple. The pressure of them often releases some milk. I would pop them in as I was going down to collect baby to bring him back for a feed, and just those few minutes allowed enough milk to be drawn off to stop him choking. If you sterilise the shells, you can also keep any of the collected milk for freezing.

For me (I don't have go-go-gadget nipples), it had the added bonus of drawing the nipple out a bit further so the latch was better and avoided the sore spots I'd gained from previous attempts. For sore spots, I found that rubbing breast milk onto the nipple and letting it dry after each feed helped.

Hope it improves for you!