first time BFing, please tell me the pain stops.

[notAClue]

I just had my first baby yesterday. He came out ready to nurse and his first couple of times it was perfect. My LC said she had never seen a baby latch on that well so quickly. I was so excited! he wanted to nurse CONSTANTLY for the rest of the day, and he seemed a bit desperate. He started to suck way to hard or something and I think he might be chomping with his gums too. my nipples are blistering and bleeding and his latch is still perfect, but it hurts so much to feed him I'm afraid he's not getting enough. (Warning: about to get emotional) He makes this face and I feel so horrible for not wanting to feed him. I want this to be a wonderful thing for us, and I know it can be, I just don't know how to do it. And I feel terrible because I know so many women have it so much worse than me and triumph over their challenges and have great BFing experiences, and I feel like I'm losing after 24 hours.

PS. I know I put this in the wrong place, I was to quick and didn't read the rules before posting, but I don't think I can move it myself... sorry, I'm just a bit emotional right now.

[lil_miss_understood]

First things first . and congrats!!
Do you still have access to this LC? Has she observed you breastfeeding since that first time? It's pretty common for the first latch to be perfect but things go downhill from there. I would suggest asking for another LC session and also asking for your LO to be checked for tongue ties.
The pain does pass, once the baby's latched properly and your nipples have toughened up a bit. Also, because of hormone changes right now, your nipples are more sensitive than normal and that will pass.
I hope that you get the help you need to get through this. It is such a great experience (or has been for me) once you've got over those first hurdles.

[Spiralshell]

Hang in there Mama! Sounds like you made a great start.
Get back with that LC or find an IBCLC to take a look and help you out. In the meantime, use cool compresses for some relief. Use lanolin to soothe your nipples.
Also, to give yourself a break from the constant nursing, nurse as much as you can manage but then give the baby some skin on skin snuggle time -- that may comfort him and let him (and you!) get some sleep while your nipples get a rest.
It DOES get better. You are not losing, you're doing great. Hang in there and don't quit!

[HappyMommy2]

The pain does go away! Congrats on your baby!! But has your milk even come in yet? It took mine 2-3 days to come in.

So the baby is doing his job. He is telling those boobies that he is ready for milk. They will start listening real soon, I promise!! Right now, you are doing a great thing. He is getting good colostrum to keep him healthy.

I agree on asking for help. Other mamas, or an LLC meeting, or the LC. You might flip his lips so that they are like duck lips, that helps a lot. Pull his chin down a little for the bottom lip. Use the side of your pointer finger to flip up the top lip.

Use tons of lanolin, and hang out topless.

It is so worth it! It can be difficult and painful at first, but then it is SO easy!!! You just grab a diaper and go, you always have your chest with you! :-)

These mamas have lots of advice. And check out recommended websites. Kellymom, etc.

You are doing a great thing, mama!!

[PatioGardener]

it will get better. it took 2 weeks for us.

I agree with the PPs, seeing an IBCLC is a great idea. And ask her to check for tongue-tie, just to be sure.

you can do this, Mama!


nak

[SubliminalDarkness]

It does get better.

I would also highly suggest finding an IBCLC and having at least one appointment with her so everything can be really thoroughly checked.

And congratulations on your baby! This is something you absolutely CAN do!

[notAClue]

Thank you all so much. I will be seeing my midwife again and I can probably see the LC at that time. I think it's getting better in terms of his latch and our positioning and such, now I just need to get him to stop chomping and let my nipples heal up. We are going to be okay I think. He's a fast learner, I'm just a spazz because I've never done this before and I still need to learn to trust my body. You would think I could do that after such a wonderful birth.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm going to go buy some lanolin now (or send DH to get it ).

[annettemarie]

I moved it for you.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by notAClue

He's a fast learner, I'm just a spazz because I've never done this before and I still need to learn to trust my body.

Check out these tv commercials - I really like them. they show it takes time and practice to get it right

http://www.first6weeks.ca/learning/l...#tvcommercials

Hang in there, Mama!

[lifeguard]

Generous use of the lanolin will help. It does get better. Congrats on your new babe.

[rhiOrion]

It gets better!

I'm going to just reiterate some of what has already been said because I remember it being helpful to hear things over and over at this point.

He's nursing constantly to help get your milk in. I posted a very very panicked desperate post our first night home from the hospital because I was in pain and so scared. She had been crying all night and nursing any time she wasn't crying.

It's definitely worth getting him checked for a tongue tie just in case. And the LC can check to see if he's sticking his tongue far enough forward or pulling it back. In our case DD was pulling her tongue back. The LC gave us some exercises to do to try to encourage her to push her tongue forward.

We also went to the chiropractor a few times and that helped somewhat.

What helped the very most was time. As her mouth got bigger things got better. There wasn't one day where it just stopped hurting, but instead was a gradual thing. Eventually I realized that I hadn't been in pain for a while.

My nipples stopped hurting as much once she stopped nursing as much, too. Which was once my milk came in. But there was still a fair amount of pain until her mouth grew some.

Definitely keep lansinoh on your nipples and let them air dry as much as possible. You can also express a bit of milk or colostrum and rub it onto your nipples.

Good luck and CONGRATS!!!!!!

[jdg]

Chiming in to add another voice to the crowd - it DOES get better. I had some amount of pain (even with perfect latches) for the first 2-3 weeks, then everything seemed to work itself out. This is pretty common, it seems. Keep at it, know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you can just make it through this first bit!

[Hokulele]

Oh.My.Goodness! I remember those first days of my first baby. Funny, it all seems so blissful now. But in the moment it was hard hard hard!!!

First: CONGRATULATIONS on your beautiful baby.
And on being with-it enough to get online and actually ask a question. It was days before I emerged from my birth-fog to think of a computer.

It IS hard, isn't it? And it can be totally and completely overwhelming. Here's this perfect little person you've just brought into the world and now you're having a hard time feeding him. And you have to try over and over and over again. YOU CAN DO IT!! And, I think you can't hear this enough right now: it really really does get better.

Here's my advice to you: ask everyone for help. Be sure to ask more than one person for advice and ask the same questions over again if you need more info. I had two lactation consultants at the hospital, one at the pedi's office and my midwife all try to help me.

When your milk comes in, it will be better. Focus on doing what you can to alleviate the nipple pain for now (great advice offered here) and YES! trust your body on the rest of it. The milk will come in, your baby will be able to nurse well!