On the verge of giving up

[Doodlebug88]

I am onto day 8 and now have cracked and bleeding nipples on both breast. I have tried various positions but lo gets so frustrated if he cannot get onto nipple straightaway he cries and fights me the whole time. I tried shields but these didn't help the discomfort and lo got annoyed with them and ended up going onto nipple halfway through. Also tried pumping but only got about 1 oz and he wanted more about 30 mins later so had to put him onto breast. The pain is unbearable now and I dread feeding him and constantly in tears. I don't want to give in but ff is all I can think about. Please help?

 

[HBGirl]

I have heard lazer works well.

 

[JessesGirl29]

The first two weeks were super hard for me with cracked and bleeding nipples. I just tried to keep my eyes on the end goal and stick through it. I would make sure OH watched the baby during the night so I could have a shower, coat my boobs in lanolin or coconut oil and then leave them out hanging to dry......helped the healing a LOT.
Never put away a wet nipple
Mine eventually toughened up and got better. No one tells you it's going to be that hard.

 

[missk1989]

Have you been putting anything on them? I would recommend getting your latch checked by a midwife.

 

[AmysU4ea]

I know exactly how you feel.... I attempted to bf my daughter for about 3 months and finally decided I couldn't do it anymore. My daughter wouldn't latch on for any longer than a couple minutes and would get so frustrated and would just cry and cry. Eventually I started pumping and feeding her with a bottle. That worked for a bit, but I was having to pump soooooo often that my nipples were cracked, bleeding and werent able to heal properly. The stress of the whole thing eventually made my milk slowly dry up. I was taking supplements to try and get it back, but it was no use. I finally had to throw in the towel and just start ff. It was a difficult decision to make and I felt so guilty doing it, but it was what needed to happen. A lot of people tried to make me feel like a bad mother for doing it (Especially the pediatrician). You know whats best for your situation.... If you feel like you need to start ff, then that's what you should do. A stressed mother is no good for baby.... I hope you get some relief soon however it works out.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

Have you tried Lansinoh cream? I used this for the first week and it helped loads

 

[cait]

Does it hurt all the way through the feed or does the pain subside after the first few minutes? If it's sore the whole time then you might have a bad latch and should seek advice on that if you can.
If it hurts at first but then the pain lessens a lot then that's a good sign that it will eventually stop hurting altogether. My nipples were badly cracked and bleeding with DD and I cried every time I fed her, dreading latching her on every time. But the pain only lasted a few minutes and the rest of the feed was ok. Eventually after a month it just got better, suddenly my nipples toughened and it was fine.

This time I have one sore nipple still (almost 4 weeks in) - in fact I think. Blister is forming on it. But agai. The pain is only at the initial latch (DS is very Agressive!) so I'm sure it'll heal soon.

I hope it gets better for you soon, day 8 is still early and most people seem to say two weeks is the turning point. Use lanolin cream or rub breast ilk on the nipples after a feed and let them air dry. Hand baby over to OH or whoever is available to distract in between feeds. Good luck xx

 

[Mrsb3]

I has the same problem last time, and ended up ff my son which was such a relief! That said I did beat my self up which I shouldn't have done as I felt really guilty. I think it's important to remind ourselves that all babys and situations are different and if it doesn't work out then that's ok too
This time round I got lucky my 4 day old has took to it really well xx

 

[pLadyBug]

The uncomfortable stage for most women is actually 3wks. BFing should never be painful to the point you want to cry, that is a sign of a bad latch. As is cracked nipples and blisters. Lanolin works very well in the healing process, but if you don't correct the latch it will be to no affect. If you feel nothing you are doing is helping then I would advise you contact a local lactation consultant or breastfeeding counselor that can further assist you on what you may be doing wrong. Don't give up, once you move past the rough patch it gets better to where you don't even realize you are feeding.

In the meantime try sitting straight up in a chair feet completely flat on the ground. Use a pillow to support the baby if needed. Make sure your baby's mouth is open wide and attach him to the least painful breast. If he's crying its ok, his mouth will open wider. Cupping your breast into a u may also help out with the latch. Be especially careful that you are not bringing your breast to him. He needs to come to you completely. And remember they cannot suffocate while BFing so don't be worried about that. I know you dread the feed and I don't blame you, I've been there myself. Once you correct the latch you will feel much better. You will actually notice the difference the same feed the latch is corrected in.

 

[luna_19]

Has he been checked for lip/tongue tie?

 

[patch2006uk]

The uncomfortable stage for most women is actually 3wks. BFing should never be painful to the point you want to cry, that is a sign of a bad latch. As is cracked nipples and blisters. Lanolin works very well in the healing process, but if you don't correct the latch it will be to no affect. If you feel nothing you are doing is helping then I would advise you contact a local lactation consultant or breastfeeding counselor that can further assist you on what you may be doing wrong. Don't give up, once you move past the rough patch it gets better to where you don't even realize you are feeding.

In the meantime try sitting straight up in a chair feet completely flat on the ground. Use a pillow to support the baby if needed. Make sure your baby's mouth is open wide and attach him to the least painful breast. If he's crying its ok, his mouth will open wider. Cupping your breast into a u may also help out with the latch. Be especially careful that you are not bringing your breast to him. He needs to come to you completely. And remember they cannot suffocate while BFing so don't be worried about that. I know you dread the feed and I don't blame you, I've been there myself. Once you correct the latch you will feel much better. You will actually notice the difference the same feed the latch is corrected in.

Sadly that's not true. Babies have suffocated during breastfeeding. They do have flared nostrils that make it less likely, but you still should be aware of their breathing and check they have sufficient air flow while feeding.

As for soreness-as has been said, it's probably a sign your latch isn't great. Are you making sure that baby has a mouth full of breast and not just nipple? Sometimes it can be sore at first simply because their mouths are so tiny, but it's worth getting checked for tongue tie as well. It is so worth sticking with-breastfeeding is hard to get established, but is so simple once everything is settled. I struggle to recommend lansinoh as it can encourage thrush. I'd try either coconut oil or simply salt water rinsed and air drying. You could also wear breast shells to prevent your clothes sticking to your nipples, and to give them a chance to heal that way. Speaking of thrush, did you have antibiotics at any time during labour or afterwards? Could you have thrush? You might be getting shooting pains as you feed, or have bright red nipples. Salt water rinsed would also help to treat thrush, so maybe try them first as they should help the soreness, whatever the cause.

Get through each feed at a time. Don't worry about the feeds tomorrow, just get through the next feed today.

 

[Mrs HM]

Your nipples are cracked and bleeding because of a poor latch. Once you get this corrected feeding will be a breeze! Try lying down on the bed on your side with your arm outstretched and your LO on their side next to you. In this position their head is free to move back and they can open their mouth wide to take a good mouthful of your breast and not just the nipple. I've always found this the easiest way to get a good latch as the baby is free to move their head into the correct position and you are already lying tummy to tummy etc.

Keep your nipple covered in lanolin to help them heal - I've been there and fed through the tears and it will get better once LO is feeding correctly.

 

[Ruth 1980]

Hugs to you
I just went through almost three months of hell!! I know how you feel. And every day I debated ff, but I'm the most stubborn b*tch you could ever imagine and so I cried my way through feeds and bit my fingers until the skin broke down and I'd have to find somewhere else to bite (to distract me from the horrific pain in my nipples).
And after all that I finally saw a lactation consultant who diagnosed a posterior tongue tie which we only just got snipped! And it has made all the difference
I'm not suggesting your lo has a TT, but I'm definitely saying "don't suffer in silence" please find a good lactation consultant (I had to drive 50 mins to my nearest one) and see if they can fathom what's going wrong- which something clearly is!
You will get through this, and be able to be such a help to other struggling mums (as many others here have been to me). Good luck! x

 

[Doodlebug88]

Thanks Ruth 1980
I went to my local breast feeding support group and they checked my latch and said it seemed fine and also he doesn't have tongue tie. I think it was our early positioning that caused the pain and it's only lately we have got our latch right. Things are healing now though so hopefully no more set backs.

Well done to you for sticking through the pain

 

[Ruth 1980]

Thanks Ruth 1980
I went to my local breast feeding support group and they checked my latch and said it seemed fine and also he doesn't have tongue tie. I think it was our early positioning that caused the pain and it's only lately we have got our latch right. Things are healing now though so hopefully no more set backs.

Well done to you for sticking through the pain

So glad to hear you're healing up x