Did you experience pain when you first started breastfeeding?

[hellosmiletoday]

What to expect the first year: "BF will not be painful if your baby is latchged on properly" (page 75).

AAP new mothers guide to BF: "Pain beyond the first minute or so of nursing is a sign of improper latching on and should be immediately corrected..." (page 63).


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When I first started BF, I experienced much pain. The nurses at my hospital said it wasn't normal but could offer no help or solution since they said the baby was latched correctly. I asked if it would go away, but no one could answer that.

I was so fustrated, and contemplated giving up. But I persisted and the pain disappeared after only 1.5 weeks! After talking to people afterwards and reading some old posts on this board, it seems as though many experience pain at first. So I wanted to get an accurate answer and understand why the hospital or books state that pain is not common.



Edit 7-24-04: Thank you for all your responses. I am shocked by the numbers so far, and now feel that I was lucky b/c my pain lasted less than 2 weeks. I'm in awe of the mothers that persisted BF while experiencing pain for weeks and weeks!

I delivered in a university/academic hospital, neither the nurses nor resident peds gave me accurate information about the cause of the pain. I asked for lansinoh but they did not have any! No wonder more people do not persist with BF. In retrospect I should have hired a private LC.

[annex]

I found it painful nursing for the first few days. It cleared up once my milk came in on day 4. I think it was just the abrasion of all the nursing with little/no lubrication. Only time I ever needed the Lansinoh (still have a full tube, could have gotten by with the free sample sizes from the hospital.)

Anne

[temt1219]

i totally did - we did have some latch issues but even when we got those fixed it hurt for a few weeks! i think it's sad that the books don't say that - of course that much friction is going to cause some issues! but it did get better and we have an awesome nursing relationship so i am glad i persevered...

[momma_boo]

My boss repeatedly warned me that it would hurt.

Initially, it didn't hurt at all (while in the hospital). Once my milk came in and she started eating round the clock - WHOA!

I think I even ask the ped about it at her 1 week check-up. The way the ped explained it was that it was similar to when you first start playing piano and how your fingertips hurt until you "build them up."

So I had pain for about 2 weeks, I think. But then it got so much better!!

[stanathan]

I also keep telling all my PG friends that, no matter what all the books say, it's gonna hurt much longer, but it will go away. I was in pain for about 1 month. First it was painful throughout the feeding, then the pain would subside after several minutes, then it was painful only before letdown, and then no pain at all.
My DD is almost 6 months and still hapilly nursing...

[mommy_someday]

As an ignorant, first-timer I was just wondering if the pain early on in BF is only with the first child or if it's there with each child you have...

TIA!

Erica, EDD 1/18/05 #1

[pritchettzoo]

It hurt like a so-and-so for about 6 weeks. I thought something was wrong too, but the LC couldn't find anything and said her latch was fine. I'm fair-skinned and red-headed, so I've heard that makes it worse. But we're still going strong at 10 mos, so it was all totally and completely worth it. I had HG for the first 1/2 of the pregnancy, so BFing pain was nothing! The way I look at it is that sometimes the best pathway in life isn't the smoothest. :) (Cheesy, huh?)

Anna

[jbowman]

It hurt at first, but the LC at the hospital said to me, "if you can get through the first week or two, you'll be fine!" And I was. Still BF 7 1/2 months later and it is so easy & convenient! I can't imagine anything else--it's wonderful!

For relief, I would suggest Lanishoh as well as Lily Padz (like nursing pads, but reusable).

Good luck to you! Please post questions, comments, if you need support! The women on these boards are awesome!

[ethansmom]

It hurt so much in the beginning! However, we are still nursing a couple times a day at 15 months, so it was obviously worth it!

I think this is one of the biggest myths about nursing, and part of the reason so many women quit early on. It was extremely frustrating to have pain but only read and hear that I shouldn't unless something was wrong. Well, in my sleep-deprived mind, if his latch was fine, what else could have been wrong besides me or something I was doing?

[netne]

BF hurt the first couple weeks for me too. It was partly a latch issue and I think also because his little mouth was so small. It seemed like when he grew a little bit he was able to get more of the areola in his mouth, which helped immensely!

[peasprout]

Erica,
I only experienced the pain with my first child. By the time #2 came, I was "toughened up" and it was a breeze. Then again I only had them 17 months apart,...
JP

[kitmama]

It hurt A LOT. But I knew to expect that, because the nurse who taught our childbirth classes warned us that it would. In the very first few days, it didn't really hurt. But soon, I was really curling my toes every time ds would nurse! I used a lot of Lansinoh- it really helps. And the pain got better, very gradually. Within a couple months there was no pain at all. . . and now, I swear it actually feels REALLY good. We're still nursing at 9 mo- I'm so glad to have stuck with it! It's a breeze now.

[Puddy73]

It hurt like *&$@ the first month or so. Sometimes I had to bite my hand to keep from screaming when DD latched on. Lansinoh and Soothies did provide some relief. I wish that more breastfeeding books would be honest about the initial pain. Most of the books that I read made it seem as if anything more than mild discomfort meant that you were doing something wrong. If I didn't have a good support system and all of you wise ladies on these boards, I probably would have been too discouraged to continue.

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle Mae 9/8/03

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

[Torey]

Erica,
I know a woman who has had 4 children and she has had pain with each one. She usually BF's each child for at least a year, and her kids are pretty close together, but she does have a BF break of a few months before she starts again. She uses lots of Lanolin those first weeks and then she is fine. I was surprised to hear this b/c I thought by the time you had #4 there would be little sensation left. Guess it's different for everyone!

[smiliedds]

It hurt real bad for the first couple of weeks for me. The nurses kept telling me that my DS was latched on correctly and it should be painless. None of the them (5 different nurses) clued me in that it was normal to feel pain at the beginning. I almost gave up nursing if not for the fact that I was too tired to start a new routine. Lansinoh cream was my only friend then. The pain gradually sudsided after the first couple of weeks. It nice to know (finally) that this is normal!

[papal]

It hurt something fierce the first 6 weeks. I used to bite down on dh's hand to stop screaming and scaring the baby. Those days bring back tears when i just think about them.. it was so hard but i am so glad that i stuck it out. And yes, the baby was latched on correctly though i thought i was doing everything wrong. The next time, i would get a LC to come home sooner than at 3 weeks... it was reassuring to know the pain was normal for some and would go away.

[dr mom]

I had pain from the first day, well before my milk was in. DS had a powerfully strong suck! I called the lactation specialists to come see me every day in the hospital, because I was convinced that I must be doing something wrong for it to hurt so much. All 3 of them, and the various nurses taking care of us, reassured me that our latch was good and there should only be "mild discomfort."

Well, the "mild discomfort" from BF hurt more than the c-section did, for about 3-4 weeks. One night it was so bad that when DS started crying wanting to nurse, I sat there crying right along with him because I knew how much it was going to hurt. Fortunately, we turned a corner soon after, and breastfeeding has been pain-free and practically effortless ever since. (DS is now 5 months)

Healthcare workers are taught the dogma that BF shouldn't hurt, so unless the person advising you has BF herself, I'd take what they tell you with a healthy dose of skepticism. I'm a family physician myself, I read extensively and took BF classes before DS was born, and I still had NO CLUE that pain when starting to BF could be normal. I was convinced that we had an incorrect latch, and kept looking for a (nonexistant) candidal infection...but in retrospect, it just took a few weeks to "toughen up."

-Cindy

[crunchymomma]

It's really important to have a proper latch. I didn't get any help from the nurses at my hospital, so I had NO idea I didn't have dd latched on correctly. I knew it would be uncomfortable, so I didn't try to do anything different.

Turns out she had a bad latch, so not only was she not getting enough to eat, it was taking her FOREVER to nurse (more than an hour!!), and she wasn't stimulating my supply. So, she lost a lot weight and my milk wouldn't come in. DD was so sleepy we had to keep waking her up to feed her and keep her awake during feedings - I eventually had to pour water over her several times during a feeding session just to keep her awake. :( My midwives finally corrected the latch, and I had to pump around the clock and take fenugreek to build my supply. But it was worth it!

And then we got thrush... oh, boy, that was painful!

[lizajane]

it hurt for six straight weeks like the devil himself was at my breast.

not just when he latched, but the ENTIRE TIME. sometimes more than an hour. pain pain pain. and if it is worse with the second one for even longer, i will do it all over again. don't get me wrong, i will complain and cry and moan and groan. but i will do it. we nursed for 14 months, 2 weeks into my 2nd pregnancy. and 2 months passed my goal of 12 months. (not so much goal, but WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN gosh darn it! i was NOT stopping before 12 months!) i just told a pregnant woman today that it was the best decision i ever made. and i told her, of course, to please see an LC immediately if she had any trouble AND to call me.

oh- and i saw 2 women from la leche, went to a meeting, saw the 2 consultants in the hospital, had a private appt with a consultant, talked to at least 3 consultants on the phone and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them said his latch was perfect.

[hez]

>I was convinced that we
>had an incorrect latch, and kept looking for a (nonexistant)
>candidal infection...but in retrospect, it just took a few
>weeks to "toughen up."

Same here. Took me a good 7 weeks for it to feel pretty good. I was firmly convinced I must have something seriously wrong like an infection, but nope, just very sensitive Mommy skin even after DS's latch was pretty much perfect.

My mom was one of those 'no pain' people for all three of us kids. She couldn't figure out why I'd cry so much at the beginning. Now she understands (after talking to other grandmas) that I'm completely normal. At least my sister won't be going in blind!

[mudder17]

I voted incorrectly--I voted no pain, when I should have voted the first choice. But now that I think about it, for the first mnth or so, whenever I started, there would be slight pain for the first few seconds and then it would go away. The pain was never intense and because it didn't last very long, I didn't remember it until now.

I was told beforehand that it might be quite painful, so a friend of mine told me to use the Lansinoh daily in the last few weeks before delivery AND take a terry wash cloth and rub my nipples daily during my shower to help build up their tolerance. I honestly believe that both those things really helped. Plus, once I did start nursing, I put Lansinoh on after EVERY nursing session. DD's cheeks were permanently shiny during those early days. :)


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya
born 22 February 2004

http://www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya

[sbjf]

I voted the first choice, had pain but it subsided, but I want to clarify.

When I first nursed, the first day in the hospital I did not feel any pain. But, that first night in the hospital John Patrick latched incorrectly, I thought he was latched wrong (cause it hurt) but the night nurse said he was fine so I let him continue. WELL, I paid the price for that. He MUST have been latched incorrectly because I did feel pain for a while after that. I had sore nipples for about the first week or two I'd say. I think it was from him latching incorrectly from time to time and me not correcting it soon enough.

I applied lansinoh cream religiously and they healed, the pain went away.

The problem is, once a newborn latches incorrectly even for a minute or two, the nipple gets sore and then that makes it tough to know if they are latched incorrectly later because it hurts even when they ARE latched correctly since the nipple is sore, so it's really a vicious cycle.

My advice to all new moms would probably be to just apply the lansinoh cream right from the beginning after each nursing session and before each shower, just to keep them moist and prevent pain possibly.

[ntrainer]

The pain was definitely significant, but nowhere near as bad as the pain of a plugged duct (that would come later). I, too, was totally confused by the books that indicated something was wrong with me or with my baby's latch if I was feeling pain. But the lansinoh did wonders, and I think I was fine by about 2 weeks out, but I think I've now blocked out that pain, so I can't quite remember how long it took to subside...

Nancy

Mom to Rachel, born 5/24/04

[MartiesMom2B]

From talking to my friends, I am a freak of nature b/c I had no pain and no problems breastfeeding (maybe God gave me a break after my horrible morning sickness). Some of the best advice that I've received was from my girlfriends who told me to give breastfeeding a full six weeks before you decide to give it up. I really admire my friend b/c her daughter never developed a proper latch and she nursed through blisters for 7 months and she pumped until her daughter was 1 year. Due to her story I was super paranoid that I wouldn't get a good latch or that I couldn't breast feed for some reason, I was blessed to have such an easy nursing relationship.

Sonia http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/1/character03.gif
Proud Mommy to Martie

[american_mama]

SO GLAD you put this question up! I too wonder why all the standard advice tells you no pain when the vast majority of women experience pain, even with a correct latch. Do they think that women won't breastfeed if they know the truth? Maybe, but how many women quit because they think something is wrong? I tell pregnant women to expect some pain, but that if it's so bad they think they can't face another nursing session, something is probably wrong and to get help. But maybe even that extreme pain is normal for some!

I also agree with the other poster who said an incorrect latch, even for a brief time, might hurt the nipple so that future nursing sessions hurt even if the baby *corrects* the latch. That may have happened to me. But fortunately, her latch and my pain were corrected in 2-3 weeks, and I breastfed for 18 months. A nipple shield was VERY helpful to me in healing the one really cracked nipple, and I think a nipple shield can be a great aid if a mom gets good advice and uses it properly (i.e. minimal use combined with stimulating breast via pumping while using it). I think too many people write off nipple shields as counter-productive.

My sister breastfed 4 kids for 9-15 months each and had some pain with each of them, but most severe with her first.

[sntm]

I didn't read all the responses, but marked yes, though my pain was due to a problem with latch that needed remedying. The poll may not be representative of real life, too, as women who have/had pain will be more likely to search out online help on feeding babies! So maybe among all women, pain is not common. And they may also want to err on the side of getting mom/baby dyads evaluated in case the pain is due to a problem (I might have written mine off as normal pain, as I am fairskinned, Irish descent...the classic type for random pain.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[proggoddess]

For me it was bad for about 3 weeks. The LCs at the hospital told me it would hurt for the first minute, then subside. One said "You will want to curl your toes and grit your teeth." The other said "The first week it will feel like a 10 on the pain scale but after a few minutes should go down to a 4."

I had an incorrect latch which made it worse for longer than it would have been if the latch was correct. I was getting compression injuries and the skin was just rubbed raw by the roof of DD's mouth. The latch looked correct at the beginning, but after a feeding session you could see that the tissue was squished to one side. Also, I agree, their tiny mouths at the beginning are just too small to be comfortable.

I got by with the sample packets of lanolin from the hospital and didn't need to break into the tube I have. DD is now 4 months old and it does not bother me at all anymore.

[StaceyKim]

I didn't vote yet because I am in my day 8 of BFing but YES it HURTS! It is definitely getting better but when DD first latches on it kills but then it is fine after about 20 seconds.

[hellosmiletoday]

Hang in there...it will get better! The great thing about this poll is that is shows that over 85% of people (on this board) experience pain, so apparently it is normal as opposed to the myth that is taught in all the BF books. Personally I think the pain comes from all the friction and sensitivity (similar to what would happen if you decide to walk barefoot on the street for day after day). It is hard to believe that 85% of babies latch on incorrectly.

[StaceyKim]

Hi,
Yes, it has gotten much better with time and LC's told me I was doing everything correctly. So, I too have no idea why they say BFing isn't supposed to hurt. I am still going at 3 1/2 weeks and hope to keep going!

[kijip]

It hurt even with a proper latch at first and I wish the books would address this rather than making it sound like "user error". That away new mamas would not feel guilty or like they are doing something wrong if they experience pain.