2nd trimester and nursing P.A.I.N.!!!

[Momtotwo2004]

Help, ladies! I can't figure out if maybe I have thrush or if this is just the way it is for me this pregnancy. I've nursed through one pregnancy with no problem and loved tandem nursing. It was such a help to because I didn't get engorged very often and when I did, ODD helped lessen the pain. It's important to me not to wean so I need advice.

YDD will be 3 in 3 months. She nurses 1-3 times a day. I'm almost 23 weeks pregnant. It's excrutiating when she latches on. It reminds me of the pain you feel when baby first latches on during the first few weeks. It's sharp and toe curling. It's very, very painful. It goes away after a few minutes but if she moves while nursing or unlatches and relatches, it's still painful. No matter how I work with her on her latch, I can't seem to fix it.

Does this sound normal? My breasts are still very sensitive at this point in pregnancy, even when I'm not nursing.

[mamaw/two]

I have nursed during 3 pregnancies and it just seems to be more painful in some pregnancies then in others. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but that's been my experience. Like you mentioned, the initial minute or so is the most painful and then it goes away. It always helped me to practice my relaxation breathing during that time and pulling lo in closer seemed to help a little to. GL, I hope someone else has better answers for you. I'm glad you are so committed to nursing through and tandeming, I found it to be such a wonderful experience for our family


I also noticed you wondered about thrush, when I had that, it felt like an occasional shooting pain that goes deep into the breast along with the nipple pain. Is that what you are feeling?

[Momtotwo2004]

Thank you so much for your reply!

No, the pain doesn't shoot through my entire breast. It's all focused in my nipples. I'm thinking it's probably just this pregnancy. I hope it's not a sign that nursing the newborn will be painful! I found nursing my YDD to be so simple and painless and I attributed it tandem nursing.

[mamaw/two]

Originally Posted by Momtotwo2004

I hope it's not a sign that nursing the newborn will be painful! I found nursing my YDD to be so simple and painless and I attributed it tandem nursing.

When I had nipple pain during pregnancy, I found that it improved around 32 weeks when the colostrum started coming in. After having the baby the pain was gone almost right away, and it's great to have the toddler to help alleviate the engorgement.

[Momtotwo2004]

Oh good point! Maybe some of my pain is from being completely empty. It is still hurting but I've found that by pressing her in a bit, like you suggested, the pain is shorter.

Thanks again...I'll look forward to 32 weeks and hope the pain goes away.

[Surfacing]

I am nursing my 2.5 y.o. and am 30 wks PG. It has all of a sudden gotten excruciating where I just can't stand it and end up hollering, asking her to get off the breast. It's horrible. Poor little her and poor little me.

It seems that colostrum has come in because I hear her swallowing and ask her if there's milk. She says yes. I really wonder what this is all about. It's just in the nipple too, esp. the lower right nipple.

I too wondered if it was thrush but don't feel that sand-grains-along-the-milk-ducts sensation.

I would like to make it go away.

I too worry that nursing my newborn will be excruciating. I hope not. Argh.

Good luck to you Momtotwo2004.

[detroitgirl77]

I'm in the same boat, but this is the 2nd time around for me. It hurts like crazy now, but thats because I'm totally dried up. As soon as the colostrum comes in the pain disappears. I'm waiting for that colostrum to come in for me so I won't have any more pain. B is only nursing once a day or so, so I don't have to endure the pain for that long at all.