Just want to give up!

[Blue Belle]

I just had a c-section 9 days ago and breastfeeding my son has been so difficult thus far! Although much of my body hurts, my breasts currently feel the most traumatized. I met with the lactation consultant at the hospital several times and I know that he's latching on correctly but it's still a painful experience. I dread every feeding! Even though breastfeeding is important to me for my son's sake, I just feel like giving up and switching to formula! Someone tell me that it gets better! :

[MKury]

Please don't give up! I promise it gets better, but it is not easy. After 3 weeks it felt totally normal, and some of my friends have said it took 5 weeks for them. I know it sounds like an eternity, but I am a first time mom, and dd is 8 weeks old. It is so great to hear her getting fussy and know I just hold her to my heart and she can be satisfied. No getting up to mix a bottle and warm it up while everyone in the house is woken up.

I wish you the best. It is HARD! And it hurts. Sometimes my toes would curl because it felt like dd had little pirhana teeth. Just know that every second of discomfort is for your ds, and that sacrifice is worth it. I considered it my JOY (and I constantly had to tell myself it was pure joy) to be able to sustain my baby's life with my own. It is an amazing experience.

Some things to help with pain management that worked for me:

Lansinoh nipple ointment
warm water with some salt mixed in
rinse off your nipple with plain water after each feeding

It gets better... you are a woman and you are strong. Your body was made to do this! This is an endurance challenge. Just give it time, relax through each feeding, and know that in a few weeks you will be BEGGING your baby to relieve you by nursing.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Is there any way you could see another LC? I know you saw them in the hosptial but sometimes the ones there are not as good as they should be.

dont give up mama it does get easier and all the pain is worth the effort.

[PatioGardener]

No advice, but I just wanted to say hang in there.

[annekevdbroek]

It does get better - 9 days is such a short time. If your nipples hurt and the skin is chapped try to apply lanolin ointment *before* and after each nursing session.

[purplemamaaz]

It does! It does get better! DD is 3 1/2 months old and it was rough going for a good 6-8 weeks. Mostly because she wanted to eat ALL THE TIME! And even though her latch was perfect it hurt, I think because I have super sensitive nipples. It has stopped hurting.

I had a c-section too so I understand how that adds to the challenge of breastfeeding. The awkwardness of trying to feed and be gentle to your healing body too is hard sometimes. The pain and soreness from the c-section should be better in the next week or so although every body is different.

But do hang in there! You may have the desire to switch to bottle feeding a few more times in the next couple of months (I know I did) but power through mama! With every nursing "session" you and baby get better at it. With every passing day your body heals a bit more giving you more energy to focus on baby's needs. It ain't easy sometimes but I think breastfeeding it totally worth all the work!

[angelcat]

I didn't get better for me BUT my daughter was losing weight and getting dehydrated. So I did switch, but not because of the pain.

Anyhow, I know what it's like to dread every feeding.

ETA: I had to stop at 10 days.

[NlGHTgirl]

Originally Posted by MKury

in a few weeks you will be BEGGING your baby to relieve you by nursing.

now, THAT is sooOOooOOoOOoo true!!!! good luck! babies are so sweet!

[LilMomma83]

It will get better. FOr me everyone kept saying baby had a perfect latch..he did, but what he did not do was open his mouth wide enough (he was chewing/slurping the nipple in).

For me it took a long time, and I'm not there yet; but at 3mos PP I think I'm almost there! It really helped knowing to make him open his mouth wider. Also, I think I have raynauds - keeping warm and cuting out caffiene has really helped.

hugs to you momma!!!!

ETA- I went to an LLL meeting last month almost in tears of frustration and finally a leader there noticed him not opening his mouth to latch ...LLL might help too!!!

[PPK]

did anyone check him for tongue-tie? Ds has this and despite an increasingly great latch, its still very painful to nurse.

[Nate'sMama]

Please hang in there! It will get better. I know you can't believe me. It was about day 9 after my csection that I called one of my good friends crying. I had to admit to her that I didn't want to feed my baby. It hurt so much it would start to hurt when I heard him cry. It was so awful. I had the additional challenge of being a BFAR mom.

I second the suggestion of going to a LLL meeting or a drop in BF group. I saw three different LC and went to a group and have very helpful friends.

It does get better, you will miss it when it's gone!

Lanisoh and soothies worked for me. Deep breathing helped a lot as well :-)
Keep up the good work. We are all very proud of you for seeking help and admitting it hurts. Just keeep saying you'll give it one more day. Each day it will get better. Hugs.

[Blue Belle]

Oh my goodness, thank you, ladies! The encouragement is exactly what I needed to hear! Your words truly give me courage!

[Sheal]

Originally Posted by Blue Belle

I just had a c-section 9 days ago and breastfeeding my son has been so difficult thus far! Although much of my body hurts, my breasts currently feel the most traumatized. I met with the lactation consultant at the hospital several times and I know that he's latching on correctly but it's still a painful experience. I dread every feeding! Even though breastfeeding is important to me for my son's sake, I just feel like giving up and switching to formula! Someone tell me that it gets better! :

DON'T GIVE UP!!! 5 months ago I had a c section and 5 months later (after correcting a bad latch due to NICU bottle feeding and having to supp for the first 2 months due to lack of weight gain) boober is still going strong as an EBF baby. Please don't give up!!!

YOU CAN DO THIS! believe in yourself, you baby - you can do it, I know you can. If a former FF'er can do it after the fifth try at it, YOU CAN TOO!

If you need support and someone to talk to please don't hesitate to PM me, I can tell you about all my stories (I did two c sections btw). I know what you are going through, and I know there is a light at the end of that dark tunnel!



Sheal

[DancingOtter]

No. If it hurts, something is wrong. She checked his latch, so we will temporarily assume she is correct. I also assume she checked for tongue tie, right?

Now, assuming the latch is good and the tongue is not tied, my next guess is thrush. Were you on antibiotics at any point surrounding delivery? Number one cause. You can treat it with Gentian Violet or Grapefruit Seed Extract (diluted a bit). Just swab it onto your nipples BEFORE nursing the baby and then latch him on. You need to treat both the baby's mouth and your nipple.

You can also use basic over the counter yeast infection creams like Monistat. Same method, swab it over the nipple and latch the baby on. It's highly effective and harmless in those tiny doses. Dr.Hale approves and even prefers this treatment.

[mamalibby]

Good for you

I know how you feel, except that my son wouldn't latch for the first two weeks after my c-section, and I actually felt like the lc's were going to come along one day and tell me that I needed to give up and just bottle feed (they didn't seem very supportive to me...they made me feel like there was something wrong with my son). I really needed someone to tell me that it would get better, that if you don't give up it WILL work out, and it did! After he latched, he didn't let go for another two weeks. I literally slept in a recliner with him on a Boppy attached to leftie all night long. When I tried to switch sides, it hurt worse than labor or my unmedicated c-section recovery, but after ANOTHER two weeks, everything was fine, and he is 8 months old now and exclusively breastfed and we both like it so much that I could bf this kid until he graduates. I have so much respect for women who bf especially when there are obstacles like you are facing, and I promise that when this gets better (and it will), you will be so glad that you stuck with it, and the gift that you are giving your child will mean that much more. Good for you for doing this for your baby! Contact me any time if you need some encouragement!

[alegna]

Originally Posted by DancingOtter

No. If it hurts, something is wrong.

This is not always true. My dd had a textbook latch and we had no thrush.

She was not tongue tied.

She had a high palate, small mouth and strong suck. It just hurt.

Hang in there!

it gets better, I promise!

(and don't give up at 10 days... that's WAY too early to tell how things will go... )

-Angela

[fawny]

I had a c-section too, my baby was in NICU for the first week and was started on bottles, getting her to take to the breast was near impossible and I wanted to give up so many times. I am SO glad I didn't! It actually took me about 3 months to get to a point where my baby and I are getting comfortable with breastfeeding. Don't give up! It's so important that you stick with it, it really does get better and also enjoyable!!! Sending strength your way

[becoming]

I was exactly where you are (minus the C-section) a month ago. Every feeding had me in tears, and I would dread the baby even waking up because I knew what that meant for my poor nipples. By the time my babe was two weeks old, I had NO pain whatsoever. Just two short weeks! I am so, so glad I stuck with it.

Please keep nursing -- I *promise promise promise* that it will get better. And soon!

[becoming]

Originally Posted by DancingOtter

No. If it hurts, something is wrong.

Yeah, I also wanted to say that this is not necessarily true. I have always had very sensitive nipples, and I am 100% sure that my pain was just from having nipples that are prone to getting very sore very easily. BFing is completely pain-free for me now that my nipples are used to the daily "abuse"!

I have heard/read sooo many mamas saying that nursing really, really hurt for the first few days, then the pain totally went away after that.

[sunnysideup]

It'll get better! Those first few weeks are tough, but hang in there! It takes a few weeks, but at some point this will be old hat.

I second the suggestion that you get in touch with your local LLL. Go to a meeting. The in-person support is so valuable.