Serious difficulty with breastfeeding...

[tropicsgirl]

So my baby girl was just born a few days ago. It was kind of a scary delivery because I was just diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and the baby is on the smaller side. I wanted to try BFing. I tried SO hard and I DO produce colustrum (sp?) but the nipple pain was just SO unbearable. Even after she learned to latch properly. I had an emotional breakdown at the hospital because I felt like the nurses were really PUSHING BFing on me. I know it's normal to be painful sometimes, but this was EXCRUCIATING. Never been in so much pain. So I've decided to take a break for a couple days and try pumping again tomorrow and see what comes out. In the meantime I've been feeding her formula because she needs to gain weight.

Anyone else feel this way? I really want to BF but just thinking that it may not be right for me...I know I CAN, but it's just so painful and I'm already in lots of pain from the delivery. I feel like so many people guilt trip me about it and it drives me crazy!!

 

[CandyDay]

check to see if your LO has tongue tie. That can make BFing painful

 

[TwinMommy6]

Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about bf'ing. There is nothing wrong with formula. In the end the love you give your baby is what matters most!
You're doing a good job mama

 

[daddiesgift]

Breast feeding in the beginning will make you sore but it should never be extremely painful. If you are wanting to breastfeed I'd seek out a lactation consultant for help. If you are only trying out of guilt, don't. Do what you want not what others want. Breastfeeding is hard, it does take dedication, especially early on.

 

[cflower04]

Try massaging your breast before you latch baby on - if the milk is already there they won't need to suck as hard.

Fennel tea and oats may help bring in your milk quicker - this certainly helped me and DS never clustered in the first few weeks. In fact the 6 week growth spurt was the first real time he cluster fed for any length of time!

 

[armywife11]

I won't suggest using them without consulting a lactation consultant first, but I used breast shields with both my kids due to extremely sore nipples. Both my kids have tongue tie and couldn't get a deep proper latch. The shields saved my life when they cracked both my nipples those early days.

Regardless you have to do what's best for you and baby. As long as your happy who cares what everyone else thinks. Breastfeeding is hard and the early days are the hardest IMO.

 

[bumphope]

Totally know what you mean. I wanted to breast feed but wasn't sure I'd actually enjoy it. She wouldn't suck when she was born,she did like to gum my nipples which a midwife told me was sucking (it wasn't) and the pain was ridiculous.

I decided to just express for her which has worked well. Then I went to a bf support group and they suggested nipple shields and she actually sucked, I was thrilled. Then I got thrush and I am just not brave enough to put her back on, the pain was unreal.

I'm now expressing, although I can only get about 50ml when she will take more like 150ml per feed, so having to top up with formula.

There's a large part of me that wants to quit at 6 weeks. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do! As others have said, we shouldn't feel guilty for not breast feeding, although I do feel guilty, and judged.

Not sure I've been much help, just wanted to let you know you're not alone!

X

 

[tropicsgirl]

Thanks ladies!

I did meet with 2 different lactation nurses while in the hospital. However, they were not very helpful and basically would push my nipple into her mouth and I would try to do everything they told me to do. She did end up latching correctly (I think) but by then I was in SO much pain.

I did use the nipple shield, which helped some. I am at home now and going to try pumping today...not even sure if I will have anything though as I haven't done BFing or pumping for a few days now. But I feel SO much better. Now that the pressure if off of me to BF, I feel like I can bond so much better with my LO and I feel like I will be able to try again and see what happens. If it doesn't work out...oh well. Thanks for the support.

 

[MoominJ]

Nipple cream! It's a life saver, they told me to rub a bit of breast milk on my nipples after each feed but the nipple cream is soooo much better! My lo bruised my nipple to start and the nipple cream helped so much

I still get pain sometimes 9 weeks in when he first latches (especially in one boob and when he's cluster feeding) but it definitely makes it bearable

 

[MommyJogger]

Lactation nurses are not a substitute for an IBCLC. They just don't have the same training, education, or (usually) dedication to helping a mother successfully nurse. Much of the time, a hospital will assign "lactation nurse" duties (and occasionally provide a class (the contents of which are not regulated or necessarily accurate)) to random nurses (or nurses looking to satisfy some outreach requirements some hospitals like their nurses to achieve each year) so that they can say they have lactation nurses on staff to help breastfeeding. It's a marketing tool more than a resource built to help mothers. If you're still interested in bf, please get in contact with an IBCLC because it sounds like your baby's latch was never actually correct for it to cause that much pain throughout a feed.

 

[leash27]

I was in immense pain for the first few days of feeding, to the point where I would have to squeeze DH's hand and cry every time she latched. I was also told by the midwives in hospital that LO had a great latch but then when I saw my community midwife when I came home, she pointed out several things I was doing wrong. By this point, the damage to my nipples was already done and they were cracked and bleeding. I started lathering on nipple cream before and after each feed and within a few days they were a lot better. It did still hurt for a while even after I managed to get her latched on correctly but I think that was more because I had been doing it wrong for so long.

Now when I am feeding I can barely feel a thing unless she has a mammoth cluster feeding session and then they do get a little uncomfortable but I just lather nipple cream on again.

Don't feel guilty for any decisions you make, breastfeeding is seriously tough, even without the pain it can be really challenging. For the first month I think I told DH I was going to quit every day because I was so tired and felt like I was chained to the sofa. Do what's right for you and your family!

X