Is it worth trying my boobies again?

[lexey_7]

I had my daughter on Monday and tried breastfeeding straight away... it all seemed to be going well but by the night my left nipple was really sore. I tried again the next day and by then my right nipple was also incredibly sore. Random health assistants kept thrusting my nipple into her mouth and I was crying it hurt so much.

They said after 1 day it shouldn't have gotten so bad and maybe I should try expressing until they had healed a little. This went quite well and we started cup feeding but she was desperate for something to suck so I wanted her to have a teat.

I decided after a few days of this my nipples were just so so painful I was going to soley express and give her bottles which I've been doing ever since but sometimes I get a little pang of sadness at not breastfeeding.

The pumping is a bit of a pain but I don't know if I could stand my nipples to hurt like that ever again

Not sure after 4days now if she would even take my boobie.

What do you ladies think? Is it too late now? Is it even really worth it or should I just stick with my decision? It's nice OH can help feeds and if we ever wanted to leave her with my mom we could. I just don't know

Thanks ladies
Xxx

 

[nabo86]

absolutely!

this sounds very similar to what happened to me - i gave up after 3/4 days in hospital and was feeding DD expressed milk in a bottle and topping up with formula

when i got home i wanted to try again so i waited till i was on my own (less pressure) and had a bottle next to me just in case and she latched on straight away!

however - i don't want to disappoint you BUT... this only lasted another couple of days and the soreness returned i gave up again and went back to bottle feeding and i was devastated

this went on for 4/5 days until DD was exactly 2 weeks old and i decided to try again - i was sick of sterilising and pumping so much! - she latched on again (i think i'm very lucky!)

this time i was even more determined and i asked for an expert to come out to the house - she came out 2 days and showed me a couple of different positions and watched me feeding

i have now been EBF for 8 weeks 3 days and i promise you the pain has gone (lasted till DD was about 6 weeks) - its the best decision i could have made and i'm glad i kept going back to it

sorry for the long reply - i just wanted to share my story with you so you know it is definitely possible - if i were you i would get the expert out sooner than i did though - it took a lot for me to ask for help cos that's not really me but i did it for my daughter

good luck! xx

 

[NurseSooz]

I know I sound like a broken record but nipple shields may be the answer to bridge between bottle and nipple. They may help " toughen" your nipples and get you on the road to EBF.

 

[Calif]

Yea either give your nipples a break and express while taking Motrin, or buy some nipple shields. I tried both and nipple shields saved my breastfeeding. Some ppl can just power through with Motrin.

 

[Pielette]

I sympathise, it really hurt me too to start with.

I remember actually yowling in pain every time he latched for the first couple of weeks. I knew for sure that his latch was good, because I could feel the difference when he latched badly. So I knew I just had to power through and that my nipples just had to get used to it.

After around two weeks it started to get a bit better. Now it's absolutely fine I told myself to get through one feed at a time. Now we're 7 weeks in and it's great, it's easy, pain free and I don't have to faff around with bottles.

In terms of leaving her with someone there's no reason you can't continue to give her a bottle now and then with expressed milk.

Nipple shield may well help you like pp have said. Smother your nipples in lanolin or breast milk, let them air dry and walk around with nothing on. I know in the early days I couldn't stand to have anything touching my nipples.

There's no reason why you can't make it work!

 

[HisGrace]

I don't think it's too late. I got to bf my son on the day he was born. The next day he was sent to level 3 NICU and I wasn't able to bf him again for 3 days. When I got the chance we struggled a bit but he latched on. By 2.5 months, he was completely weaned off the bottle.