feeding a newborn- VERY sore nipples- advice needed please i'm struggling!

[lau86]

LO is a week old now and other than having a few top ups at the hospital due to low blood sugars has been breastfeeding exclusively. He also takes a dummy. He seems to feed well, has only lost 2oz at the weigh in and has lots of wet and dirty nappies. the problem is my nipples are soooooooo cracked and sore, its making me dread feeding him.... we had the homestart lady come to see us and she thought his latch was pretty good (not perfect) but that he wasnt opening his mouth wide and also his head was bobbing around alot like he couldnt pull the nipple in enough. she also mentioned he might have a tongue tie? so i'm gonna ring the midwife about this tommorow. i'm basically wondering if sore nipples is normal at this stage or if it could be something else?? i'm using the lanolin cream btw.

 

[Nervous_1]

in a way, yes it is normal as your nipples need to toughen up a bit, but if the latch is perfect then it shouldn't hurt as much as ou say it does. Do you have flat nipples? If so, it might be worth trying some nipple formers (not shields), you can get them from amazon and they help draw your nipple out

 

[Lownthwaite]

LO is a week old now and other than having a few top ups at the hospital due to low blood sugars has been breastfeeding exclusively. He also takes a dummy. He seems to feed well, has only lost 2oz at the weigh in and has lots of wet and dirty nappies. the problem is my nipples are soooooooo cracked and sore, its making me dread feeding him.... we had the homestart lady come to see us and she thought his latch was pretty good (not perfect) but that he wasnt opening his mouth wide and also his head was bobbing around alot like he couldnt pull the nipple in enough. she also mentioned he might have a tongue tie? so i'm gonna ring the midwife about this tommorow. i'm basically wondering if sore nipples is normal at this stage or if it could be something else?? i'm using the lanolin cream btw.

If your LO does have a TT then this would certainly not help any pain you are having. Do ring the MW in the morning and get it checked.

Hand express abit of breastmilk onto the nipples and leave them to air dry - this will speed up the healing.

 

[loopyluan]

Ah, sounds like you're doing really well! The experience was exactly the same for me - VERY sore nipples - at day 7 to 9 I did use the silicone nipple shields, and just the short break from direct contact really helped my nipples TREMENDOUSLY!! the midwife wasn't keen when I said I was using them BUT my point was, up until now I have not had someone sucking at my nipples for hours on end so YES they are surely going to get sore to begin with and even though she might not approve of the shields at least I was trying everything possible and not giving up!!

And here I am, 8 weeks into Breastfeeding and doing well!!!

I hope whatever you try works for you x

 

[Samantha675]

It sounds like the latch. If your latch is not perfect, then you will have problems. You need to get your LO to open nice and wide, so you get a nice deep latch. When my son was newborn, using a finger from the hand I was holding my breast with, I would gently press on his chin, to ensure he had a nice wide open mouth. If he isn't on deep enough, gently use your little finger to break the latch and try again.

When you are done feeding, express a few drops of milk, and rub them around your nipple and let it air dry, then apply some lansinoh. This will help them heal faster.

 

[TennisGal]

it gets better! I didn't have sore nipples with my first, but this time round I really did. Bleeding, cracked...poor Ally even posseted up blood However, now, three weeks on...I've no pain at all. Went about three days ago, but has been loads better for about a week. Air dry, get your boobs out ALL the time, bathe in breast milk and use the lansinoh. These things really help. When dd was feeding from the v sore side, I'd sing - weird I know - to almost channel the pain.

Try massaging your boob before a feed, so let down is speedier.

I thought it was my latch, but as ally gets bigger, her latch gets better...the particularly sore side has fast let down and gets more engorged, which she can take care of so much better now.

I read about things improving, and didn't believe it...such was the pain...but it *really* does, and you'll be enjoying it very soon

 

[Aphrodite]

I was in such pain for the forst 2 months, his latch was perfect when the MW and BF support worker were watching, then as soon as they went it was bad and it hurt again!!! I uswed a shield for most of those 2 months and then one day I felt I didnt need it anymore. It does take time for your nipples to toughen up though. Keep going you're doing so well, and it is SOO worth it and wonderful once it doesnt hurt!!