Breastfeeding Newborn Baby (3 Days Old)

I used the trick of first washing with warm water and then rubbing a bit of breast milk on the nipple and leaving it there.

I also only fed from one side for each feeding. This gave the other a break. This worked just fine for me for the whole 11 months of breast feeding.

I would try different positions, also.

Just stick with it! I remember, with both of my kids, I was sore and the skin on my nipples would break and it was miserable for a week or two, and then it was fine. I don't think I even used lanolin after a month or so. I don't think pumping will make it much better. I have a friend who had to pump for her firstborn but was able to breastfeed her second and said that the breastfeeding was much easier on her.
I totally sympathize with you, but it will get better very soon! Good luck!

just read thru a few responses and i would agree with finding a lactation consultant that's experienced! also, you may want a prescription for Triple Nipple to help with the healing. That worked better for me those first weeks than just lanolin. Good luck!

With my third child, nursing was so painful I was curling my toes and grimacing when she latched on. And my nipples were bleeding by the fourth day. I kept thinking, "I've done this twice before -- what is wrong with me?" But it turned out she had a "tongue tie" -- the frenulum under her tongue was so tight she couldn't get her tongue well enough out over her lower gum line to "milk" the breast. Sometimes when she was nursing I could feel a "clicking" feeling -- the lactation consultant I went to see told me that was a symptom of her trying to get her tongue where it was supposed to be and then having it fall back. Anyway, the lactation consultant told me to get to an oral surgeon who could cut the frenulum. When we went to the doctor, he said it looked really minor to him; he wasn't sure it would be worth doing...? And I didn't want to cut under my baby's tongue if it wasn't necessary, so I was doubting myself. But my husband said "we came all the way out here; the lactation consultant said this was causing the problems..." so we did it. BEST DECISION EVER. Immediately (and I mean, immediately -- I nursed her there in the doctor's office right after he did the procedure) it was SO MUCH BETTER. Didn't hurt when she latched on, didn't "click" when she nursed. Bleeding nipples healed in a day and a half.

This might not be the same issue you have, but maybe you could ask a lactation consultant?

Pumping always makes my nipples hurt more. I would suggest using nipple shields while the baby eats. I know you don't really want to hear this but your nipples will get better. They kind of get used to it. Use the lanolin all the time and maybe ask your doctor to prescribe the triple nipple cream which is expensive but worth it, You have to get it from a pharmacy that can mix it for you. With my first baby my nipples were bleeding for a few days but I kept using the nipple shields and the triple cream and eventually it got better. Hang in there. This is the hardest part of breast feeding. You could try wet warm compresses before you feed so your let down comes quicker and she doesn't have to suck so hard.

Add on... Do you wear the shells while she eats??? I just googled them and it looks like you dont. There are these nipple shields that look like little silicone sombreros and you wear them while the baby eats. Get those.

I read a few responses and they all seem right on. I had the worst time nursing it hurt so bad I wanted to push my feet through the floor! I got to the point where I never wanted night time to come because my son too wanted to nurse all night (at least it seemed all night). This is what I did and it helped me.
1. Use the lanolin cream and put it on thick always.
2. Write down when you nursed last. Try to get at least two hours in between. This is where help is super handy.
3. Check to make sure the latching on is correct and dont give up.
It will get better! I promise you! Your a great mom for breast feeding so keep up the good work. Were always here for help and encouragement if needed!

is your nipple getting far enough into baby's mouth? this sounds like pain caused by baby only sucking on the nipple, really, baby should have most if not all of the colored part of your breast in her mouth when nursing. if not, you have an improper latch, and thats going to cause you pain.

heres my number one advice for you: you just had this baby. you are both still getting used to things, trying to figure out how it all works, etc. give yourself some time. i would seriously ditch the shields; they are not helping you. find a local or nearby la leche league group and/or leader, and have her come to you if she can to help you figure this out. im 90% sure its an improper latch. what you want to do is get baby to open her mouth as far as she can, put the colored part near her bottom lip, and then bring her CLOSE and SNUG up to your nipple. this will also make her open up wider and take more of the nipple and colored part into her mouth. this should help!

whatever you do, dont give up! :) you are only 3 days in, you still are VERY new to it, as is she, and this isnt a huge issue. :) you just need some support and help, and theres nothing wrong with that. :) :) as i said, get ahold of a local or nearby la leche league, and have them come help you out. the best part is, they have BEEN there, they know exactly what they are talking about.

www.llli.org is the website. ;) let me know if you have any further issues, but i think proper latch will help you a LOT. :) good luck and keep it up mama!! :)

PS: i STRONGLY caution you against lactation consultants. there are some who are very good, but hospitol staffed consultants are typically nurses who have had ONE class on breastfeeding. they might not even have ever breastfed their own kids. so really, though they might have taken some class, they dont have experience. la leche league leaders are moms who have breastfed their own child(ren) for AT LEAST a year; typically they nurse longer. so la leche league is the way to go!

The first month with my son was HARD. From bleeding nipples to mastitis I had reasons to quit. But we are successfully (and solely) breastfeeding at 13 weeks now. Here are my tips:

engorgement- use bags of frozen veggies, ibuprophen, and warm compresses just before feeding are wonderful.

sore nipples- it is truly ALL ABOUT THE LATCH. I thought we were doing it correctly, until we figured out how to do it correctly. Go to a reputable lactation consultant who will spend a lot of time with you (at least an entire feeding) getting it right. Also, as tempted as you are to use those creams (I bought them too) the best medicine is your own expressed milk rubbed and air-dried on your nipples. It is naturally anti-bacterial and provides a protective coating.

There are some risks with pumping too soon. You may make engorgement worse. Your baby may find it easier to drink from the bottle and give up on breastfeeding because she has to work harder. On the other hand, while its recommended to wait 4 weeks to pump for feedings, I only waited 3 weeks and me baby did fine. It mostly made me a little saner because my husband could feed once/day and give me a break. And it emptied my breasts daily to keep my milk ducts clog-free.

Use good resources in your area and stick with it. The worst times will soon be over!

I had to use the medela soft shells because my little one had problems latching on and they seemed to help. I applaud you for wanting to at the very least pump so your little one can continue to receive breastmilk. Do not feel bad if you need to take a break and want to pump instead for a break! You aren't doing anything wrong. You can always come right back to it when you feel a bit more healed up:) If you feel like you can stand it, if I were in your shoes... I might try and still breast feed, but just a lot less while healing up?! You are already doing great because you clearly care enough to seek advice in order to make the best decision you can. Hang in there! It is always nice to have some breastmilk stored in the freezer anyway:) so others can help you when you need a break! You are doing great!! Best, H.:) http://www.heidihurd.com

From my experience, the lactation consultants at hospitals are not terribly effective. You're much better contacting someone local who is a huge advocate for breastfeeding and will help you through the pain. My consultant really warned me away from the nipple shields.

I think no matter how good the latch is, your nipples get sore. That constant stimulation is new and it takes some getting used to. I'd be careful about pumping so early on. Lots of women fall into the pumping trap early on and never get out of it. I pump when I'm at work but when I'm home with my baby, I give her my breast. It's better for me and her.

It may not seem like good advice, but once you've contacted a reliable lactation consultant, just try to work through it. It gets SOOOO much easier everyday. Breastfeeding is hard but it will become so natural and instinctive if you keep going and have confidence in yourself. Besides... you just gave birth, one of the most physically straining experiences of a lifetime. You can handle this.

Good luck!

You're going to get a million different answers.

I'd pump. That never hurt me as much as nursing right at the beginning.

If you're bleeding, the latch is wrong. Make an appointment with a lactation consultant ASAP. You;ll be able to tell that she's latched correctly because what is insanely painful will become just mildly uncomfortable.

Both of my kids took bottles and nursed from about day 3 (they both had trouble latching, so bottle was it for a little bit).

Good luck. It really does get better.

I had a lot of latch issues with both of my children. I left the hospital two times with sore bleeding nipples so I can understand your physical and probably emotional pain- it is so stressful when you want a pleasant nursing experience for mom and baby. I did end up going to a private lactation specialist and I nursed my first baby 4 1/2 months but still suffered from sore nipples no matter what I tried. I weaned her earlier than I had wanted because of my discomfort. With my second daughter, I told myself I would do whatever it took to nurse at least 6 months. I left the hospital again with a lot of issues with nursing and went to a different lactation consultant, I was told that the anatomy of my breast was affecting the baby's latch- so I began to use nipple shields to assist the baby with latching on. A lot of people are warned against them, but we determined during my appointment that the baby was able to get enough milk with the shield- they weigh the baby before and after the feeding with a very sensitive scale. Believe it or not, I am still nursing my 9 month old 100% of the time with nipple shields and she has been and is getting adequate nutrition.

Hopefully by the time you read this, your milk is flowing a little better and your nipples have healed some. I recommend meeting with someone who can truly help you. As my LC said, by three months the baby can nurse hanging upside down from a chandelier- meaning, they get better at it and it only gets more enjoyable. Hang in there and congrats on your new baby.

It would be nice if they included the whole pain part of breastfeeding in the "mommy manual"...lol. Pumping will hurt a lot worse in my experience. You should get in to see your lactation consultant asap to make sure she is latching on correctly. If she isn't, she is likely injuring you and not getting enough milk, which could easily affect your milk production. Also, go and get some lanolin if you don't already have some and apply it often. That stuff is amazing! On the bright side, once you get past this initiation phase you will most likely find that breastfeeding is a wonderful bonding time for you and your little girl. But if it turns out that breastfeeding isn't for you, don't feel bad, you are her mom and ultimately know what is best for both of you. Good luck and congrats!

Try positioning baby differently.
It will take a little getting used to but you can try
sitting/lying in different positions with baby at different angles.
Also, you might want to check with one of the lactation consultants
and/or La Leche League to make sure that baby is latching on correctly.
The pressure of her gums shouldn't be on your nipples
but further back, on the areola.
It will get easier, I promise.

DID they give you the shells you wear in you bra between feedings? Did they also give you the Medela Nipple sheilds you can wear WHILE nursing - they are a thin little piece of silicone, looks like a tiny sombrero, you wear it over your nipple, it has 4 holes in the tip, so the baby nurses through it, it will help makt the friction and suction on your skin a little less. That , and spray on Lanolin spray by the First years, saved me alot of pain. Also the cooling gel-pads, Soothies.

You WILL be sore for a few more days at least, but as you keep at it, your nipples will heal and will get used to it, this will not continue forever, and believe it or not, a pump is just as rough if not rougher than a baby and then feedings will take twice as long - pump, them feed, then wash/sterilize all the stufff.

Keep nursing, see if you cna find the items I mentioned above to help!

Good Luck!

Jessie

If you can stick to it, it will be a WORLD of difference in 2 weeks and should be getting better in even 1 week. Don't put too much pressure on yourself though. There are so many emotions swirling around right after the birth. If you think you can get through it, go for it! Congratulations - what a joy!

That might be good for you however you will risk nipple confusion. I experienced my son not wanting to breastfeed once he got the bottle .

When babies are little they want to eat all the time which makes it hard on us especially if your child is having any latch issues because then you will start to have pain and its constant at that age because they feed a lot. The same thing happened with me with both my children and this last time I would stop nursing and would pump so that I could have time to heal. When you do go back to nursing don't be surprised if the pain comes back again after one or two feedings. This early on your nipples are very sensitive and haven't had to deal with this kind of sensation before. After time they will get tougher and be able to handle the babies latch. Try and work on making sure your child has the proper latch each time as that will make it easier on you to cause less pain. I hate to tell you it could take a couple weeks for your nipples to toughen up and make it where it does not hurt as much.

Breastfeeding is so wonderful for your baby and the longer you can do it the better for your child. That being said, it is also a very personal decision and you need to be happy with the process. Know that if the pain persists and you really want to stop nursing that you can always just pump. There are lots of women out there that have chosen to pump only milk for their children. It really doesn't matter how they get it as long as it comes from mom.

Good Luck
VillageMom
www.ittakesavillagedallas.com

you have to build a calice (i know, sounds gross). you also have to make sure she's latched on correctly. she could be sucking too hard... maybe pump a bit to get you started and then she wouldn't need to? she's learning too : ) i wouldn't pump and use the bottle though if you only want to breast feed, it will be problematic in the long run.

I used to pump for a feeding or two and have my husband give a bottle. My older son got one hours after birth (he was early and in the hospital for 10 days). My younger son got one on day 4 or 5. For me, it was a break from feeding. For my husband it was a wonderful chance to get to know his son. Neither kid had nipple confusion. I highly recommend it.

my daughter was born on the 16th, and although she has a good latch shes a lazy eater lol. shell keep a latch and suck occasionally so it take about 25 mins on each side to feed her. my milk is completely in already- it came in almost as soon as i heard her cry. my nipples are bleeding and so sore to, one of my nurses said you have to give your breast time to adjust to it. there not use to being sucked on and they wont stop hurting right away. she also warned me against becoming a pacifier which i believe she is also tryn to do. i take motrin and use the lanolin and it seems to help. also a good supported bra seems to help me. if there just laying there it seems like they hurt more. hope you feel better soon!

I'm not reading all the other answers, but...

I don't think pumping is going to help much. In my experience it can actually hurt more than nursing if your nipples are already sore.

2 things that might help:
Use a nipple shield (silicone cover for the area where baby latches) while baby nurses, just make sure not to use it all the time or the baby could get used to it and only want to nurse with it on.
Get some gel pads for relief. I think there are some made by Gerber, and maybe another brand as well. They are very cooling and soothing.

Keep up with the lanolin -- First Years makes some great breastpads that already have lanolin, but I had to order them online

Keep up with the nursing -- it does get better! You might want to get some tips to make sure the baby is latching correctly because if not, that can make you way more sore. However, my experience (nursed 2 children) is that the first few days are rough because you get so engorged when milk comes in that it's difficult for the baby to get a really good latch no matter what you do. (although you could try hand expressing just a bit -- google search it for directions -- in order to give her a better chance to latch on)

take some pain meds. Don't feed for more than 10 minutes at a time (at first). 3 day old babies sometimes just want to use you as a pacifier. She is probably super hungry because your milk hasn't come in yet, or has it? The first week or two are really tough. But your nipples will get tougher. And it does get easier. It felt like a pirahna on my nipple at first for like a week then it got easier and easier. They learn to latch on better too once the milk comes in and your breasts are no longer engorged, then you start feeding for longer periods. That La Leche person sounded annoying. Maybe you can request someone else. If you need to, then pump. But the first 3-4 days are really for stimulating your breasts so that your milk comes in. That is why you need to feed at least every three hours (but you don't have to nurse forever). For my second baby, I did give her a little formula but still made sure to nurse every three hours to get the milk to come in. Once it came in it became easier and easier. (I also only had to use the lanolin cream for the first week or two).

Call la leche leage and get yourself with a GOOD lactation consulatant. Sore nipples are normal, but if they get so raw that they blister or bleed, it may be that your baby is not latching correctly. If you get the latch corrected you will be able to forgo the shields and the soreness will subside.
I also made sure to use plenty of lanolin after each feeding.

It is worth sticking it out! Good luck!

When my son was born and i started nursing, my nipples were killing me, and then the skin literally peeled off. At which point it was no longer painful. However, I did find ways to ease the pain. After nursing, put a damp washcloth on them, with warm or cool water- whatever feels better. Then let them air dry. Once dry, put the Lanolin on. It should help soothe them. Then soon hopefully you won't be in pain any longer. If it continues, I would contact a lactation consultant. Good luck

Congrats on the new baby girl!

if your breasts are really not tollerating it, then yes, give your body a break pump and syringe feed. no bottle for the first 10 days or they can develop a preference for bottle over breast. Hopefully you got sent home with a few curved syringes or flexible cups for supplimenting. If you don't know what I'm talking about email me about the syringe feeding.

My first baby was introduced to early to the bottle and it did sabotoage my our efforts to breastfeed. My second is now 3 months and we jumped through hoops to make breasfeeding work. Because my milk was a touch slow coming in she was pulling off the nipple and relaching in frustration, as well as feeding every hour or two around the clock. This caused her to hurt me (litteral scabs on my nipples), as well I only got 2 hours a sleep each day for two days in a row. I intended to put baby to breast, no pumps, no bottles if it killed me. Thank God a very experienced, knowlegable lactation consultant popped in on me moments before leaving the hospital. This is what what she told me and I'm convinced she saved me. If baby is hurting you and nursing without giving you any breaks, you will burn out.
Cluster feeding is okay, but if baby feeds on you every hour all day and all night, you will not last. You have to get some sleep, as well, your breasts need a chance to recover. Give the baby a suppiment until you milk is in so your breasts can recover. DONT USE BOTTLES. Pump and suppliment, but if baby is still hungry, give a few Milileters of formula so baby goes 2.5 -three hours between feedings. Otherwise, your breasts can't recover. I disagree with the "toughening up the nipples" phylosophy. If baby is taking extra long to nurse she may have an ineffective suck. This is an issue that will need professional help, but in the mean time, put baby to breast for no more than 30 min. then pump and suppliment to give breasts a break.

You need to get a proper latch... breastfeeding should never hurt and you do NOT have to 'roughen up' your nipples. Get an IBCLC to come over and help you with the latching process. That means she will have to actually observe you nursing, and show you where the latch went wrong. Do not feel embarrassed, ashamed or a failure about it - most women do have issues getting their newborn to latch.

Pumping may just make things worse - between your body not getting the correct stimulation to produce as much and her possibly getting nipple confusion. Once you get the latch correct, there will be no pain even if your nipples are a bit sore.

Stop with the nipple cream and simply get your own breastmilk rubbed around your areola and allow to air dry. Also walk around without a bra or shirt on until your nipples are healed - but don't stop nursing, simply get the correct latch going.

Check out www.kellymom.com

The only advice I know to give you, is to air out as much as possible. I was told to rub a little milk into my nipples, and let it air dry before re-hooking my bra. Helped tremendously. If you DO go the pumping route, hand-express a little milk and "lube up" your nipples before you start. It will help with the chafing. :) Good luck!

The first 6 weeks or so were torture for me, and only gradually over time got better.

If the one LLL leader wasn't helpful, see if you can connect with another one from a different group---they are volunteers and can vary in their training and/or knowledge.

I had to see the lact. consultant 4 times while in the hospital (I had a bad c-section, so was there for 4 days), and I still called the Breastfeeding hotline at our local hospital's women's center 2x after that. And, frankly it still hurt even after a year of breastfeeding; it was just more bearable by then....

I found that switching nursing positions (I tried them all, and literally would do a different one each nursing), so that a different part of the nipple was "stressed" each time, made it slightly more bearable in the early going, and allowed me to get by and heal after a cracked nipple occurred. And putting on the lanolin--before & after each feeding, before and after every shower. I also wore cotton breastpads 24/7 (I know Dr. Bronner's best of the 3 or 4 brands I tried). I've used up 2 whole tubes of lanolin in the 2 years of BFing....

Good luck to you--I totally empathize!!!

I'm typing one handed and just finished breastfeeding a sleepy, satisfied one month old now :)... I'm new to breastfeeding as well and I'm not sure that I have the best advice, but I've found that my nipples are much more sore after pumping. I have not experienced any soreness from her latch. I may just be lucky that she took to breastfeeding so well from the get-go OR we were taught well at the hospital. I was told to gently stroke my nipple from the tip of her nose to her upper lip and would do this repeatedly (oftentimes it was a practice in patience so as not to stress her out in the process) until she opened as wide as her little mouth could and would stuff as much of my nipple and areola in her mouth as I could while bringing her to my nipple. I hope this has been explained in a way that may help... and I wish you lots of luck. For me, breastfeeding was not easy emotionally. Some days are still a huge practice in patience with it, but our children are worth the effort to try and stick with it. No one prepared me for how taxing it would be, but I miss the closeness when she is given the occasional bottle or pacifier now. I've just introduced both, and with reservation. I felt I had to get her familiar with bottle feedings now since I must return to work soon though I found myself in tears during the first week or so of breastfeeding...due to feeling unsure of my success with it and even wanted to throw in the towel after several 40 minute sessions in a row sans sleep and in tears with what felt like a piranha on my breast...kidding...but it was a pitiful sight should anyone have witnessed it. Now,I must say I've grown to love it over the past 30 days and hope you and your little one find success...best of luck to you and wish I had better latching advice! :)

Are u latching on correctly because if u not u will continue to have this problem. There is nothing really u can put on it because remember that your nipple has to go into your babies mouth. But there is a cream u can use after feeding your baby to keep it from cracking and help with the soreness walmart or target usually has it lanzinoh in a purple tube u put it on after each use. Could luck. Dont give up on the breast feeding.

My daughter's mouth was so small and I was so large, that it caused me to have the same problem. Her latch was good, but it wasn't long before I had cracked and bleeding nipples. I never had this problem with my son, who was a bigger baby. Anyway, I ended up with mastitis, which was later cultured to be a mrsa infection. She is now 10 weeks and I am still on antibiotics and will be for at least the next 3 weeks- it's been awful. Just beware a lot of times mastitis is caused by cracked bleeding nipples, so do what you have to get them healed up before it gets to that point. Those bacteria can travel through the cracked nipples and cause an infection. Having said that, you can pump if that is less painful for you. Also, I used these cooling gel pads in between feedings- that helped quite a bit. Good luck!

Definitely check her latch and if it's not a good one, keep trying until she gets it. Let your nipples air-dry after each feeding. It takes a while for the nipples to 'toughen up', but it will happen.

I don't think I'd pump and bottle feed just because it'll be so much easier for her to get the milk from the bottle than the breast, she may get lazy at the breast.

There's sore, and then there's excruciating. With my first I was having such horrible pains when she'd latch on that I'd literally cry out. My nipples were bright red and no amount of cream or breastmilk would heal them. It took a while, but we discovered I had thrush - not my baby, just me. And everytime it'd start to heal, she'd pass it back to me. Eventually we got it all cleared up and breastfeeding became a joy. I'm telling you this so you know it's NOT supposed to hurt for long. Yes, at first you body is getting used to it, but if it gets to the point where it feels like needles are being stabbed into your nipples, go to your doctor!

Yes, pump to give them a break, if this works for you, I can tell you from experience that you baby will do just find going from bottle to nipple. I actually stopped breastfeeding all together for about 3 weeks because my youngest just wasn't latching on right and I was in major pain, she got bit older learned how to suck better and then I just weaned her back onto the breast, it took some work but now at 6 months she is breastfeeding like a champ and has been since at least 3 months of age. Even better is she will take breast or bottle now. I had to end up using Newmans ointment (prescribed) because linolin did not do the trick for me.

Keep up the good work, be patient you are doing great. Oh and I think what helped a ton for me is I usually would feed during the daytime hours and then at night I would pump while my hubby fed the baby a bottle that way I got a break

http://www.breastfeeding-problems.com/Latching-on.html

Try watching this video on latching--I had a lot of trouble with latching at first and had some cracked bleeding nipples at times--until I got the latch right nothing else helped. To help them heal though--try rubbing breastmilk on them and letting them airdry:)

Part of my latching issue was that I was trying to feed her when my flow was shooting into her mouth she would then pop off frequently because it was too much. I had to pump off some and she latched better after this but I really had to make sure I was getting the whole areola area in there before letting her drink. Best of luck --you won't regret sticking with it!

I may be able to help, as I work with moms from all over the country and run the 100+ member Cape Cod Breastfeeding Moms Club.

Nipple pain can be used to diagnose HOW a baby is latching wrong. For instance:

Is it a sharp, toe curling pain the whole time, or just for the first few sucks, then calms down

Is it pain like a bruise being squeezed?

Are you cracked and are they mirror images of one another?

Are your nipples painful all the time or just when she nurses?

Does she latch, suck for a while, then break off and fuss, then relatch?

Check the following:

You get comfortable FIRST, then bring baby to where you are comfortable (don't lean down, hunch over, etc). Make sure that you are bringing the baby to your nipple where your nipple naturally falls (lift the breast to the baby is not good and your breast will eventually fall out to a bad position).

Make sure you are not holding the back of her skull. Your arm should be under her neck. SHe must be able to flec back her head to latch and nurse properly.

Make sure you can see her bottom lip and a bit of her tongue UNDER your areola when she is latched. Many babies roll in their bottom lip and WOW - can that hurt.

Make sure you break her suck with your finger between her gums - never just pull her off. If it hurts, break her off and start again. Remember, there is a learning curve for both of you.

Actually . . . I was going to list everything, but it will take decades to write. Any chance you can call me? ###-###-####. I am East Coast.

PS - I would NOT switch between breast and bottle this early or pump because the pump can impact your milk supply and the bottle can confuse the baby.

Also, Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple butter ROCKS for healing your nipples fast! All organic and safe for baby, use it religiously before and after you nurse for the first few weeks.

Hi there~

My daughters and I had latching problems as well. DD1 never really did latch & we ended up just pumping for as long as possible. DD2 (8 wks old) really did get a good latch after a couple practice runs (8-10 over 3 days), but my supply diminished after 6 weeks. I was cracked and freely bleeding but cleaned myself off prior to each feeding/pumping & tried again until we managed to get it down. During the really rough periods we only BF once a day & pumped the rest. IMHO The First Years lanolin-free breast soothing ointment & treatment system worked best. It is infused with some of the soothing components found in breast milk. Not sure if this is strange or not, but I also found warm oil infused compresses (wash cloth with coconut oil) to be very very soothing.

Tip: Whatever ointment you choose to use - warm it in your hand first then apply to the affected area. If applied right out of the tube it is still a little tough to spread & pulls at the area as it is applied. Warming it REALLY helps.

We also changed pumps. We changed to the Avent Isis IQ Duo. It's a 3 in 1 (single, double, and portable pump) so it's worth the money. Only thing is it only works with the Avent bottles so it would be an added expense if you aren't currently using that brand.

It hurts a lot and it can get very discouraging when you see/hear others who are "successful" at BF but do not give up. Hope this helps! :-)

Well the fact is the pain really is that bad at first and yes my nipples did bleed from it. But if you just continue to use the shells or stop and just pump your nipples will never toughen up and get past the hurting part. Really it takes a good 3 weeks to a month (at least for me) until my nipples feel fine again and nursing isn't so painful. But if you can just stick it out for a few more weeks it really will be all better. I'm sure you have gotten good tips on how to help with the pain so my only advise is if you really want to nurse just keep it up and in a few weeks you will feel fine.

After you are done feeding here squeeze out a few drops of breastmilk and rub them all over your nipples and let it dry on there for a minute. Your own breastmilk is a hundred times better then any of the creams. I have been feeding my little one for ten weeks now and for the first month I was pretty sore too but I got through it and now its not uncomfortable in the slightest.
And make sure that she is latching on right, no matter how many times it takes it is completely worth it in the long run.
Congratulations on your little one! Hang in there, it does get better.
You can pump if you are comfortable with giving her a bottle. Maybe pump every other feeding to give your nipples a break. I have heard that if you give a baby a bottle it can be hard to get them to want to "work" for it (getting it from the breast) but I never had this problem with either of mine.

pumping always made me hurt worse. It will get better. Make sure she is latching correctly give your sore nipples some air keep using the lanolin and maybe try some different positions.

Call a lactation consultant or La Leche League leader ASAP!! Sounds like you might need to try a different position to let your nipples heal. During my first couple days of nursing my son caused so much bruising on my nipple, I would cry (bawl) every time I nursed him. My mid-wife came over to check on us and gave the me the best advice I could have received. I had been nursing in the traditional "cradle" position. She suggested I try the "football hold" for a few days to move the position of the baby's mouth. It was miraculous. I was finally able to heal and went on to nurse for 22 months! I wish you the best of luck. Nursing a newborn is very difficult but if you can make it through the first few weeks, it gets 1000 times easier!!

I ended up wearing nipple shields for at least 3 weeks to allow my nipples to heal. With the exception of being a pain to put on multiple times a day, they were awesome b/c I could still feed the baby and yet didn't have the constant friction on my nipples while they were healing. I had totall all-out bleeding with baby #2 which is when I discovered using nipple shields. With my 3rd baby, I made sure to keep the shields on hand and sure enough ended up using them. I don't know if it was my nipples "toughening up" or baby getting a better latch as she got older (maybe both) but eventually I wasn't sore/cracked anymore.

Good luck and don't give up. As long as you know baby is getting milk the shields shouldn't be a problem.