please help me!

[oregonchick]

Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even with
a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved and
pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain. I'm
sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what to do.
I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh god it
hurts.

[emilymr]

I don't have any good advice (besides slathering on the lasinoh), but
I'm pulling for you!! Nursing through pain SUCKS, and I *do* know what
it feels like to cry through the latch (I'd sit on the bed dripping
tears on M's head and telling DH "He doesn't even care that it
hurts!!") -- it took me at least 2 weeks before it stopped hurting, and
I definitely could understand why women stop. But it *did* stop
hurting, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it seems
very far away at the moment. I'm sure other people will be able to
give you some tips, but I just wanted to give you some encouragement
right away!

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04

[NL]

oregonchick wrote:
> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even with
> a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved and
> pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain. I'm
> sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what to do.
> I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh god it
> hurts.
>
>

First of all *hugs* and congratulations!

It's tough those first days/weeks. Do not give a bottle or a pacifier if
you've already got bleeding nipples. Get your midwife or an LC to come
over and check the latch again. Chances are it isn't a good latch.

I have to go and run, we need to catch the bus in about 10 minutes, I'll
write again later. I'm sure everyone else will have great advice aswell,
though, just wanted to send some hugs really :-)

take care!
Nicole

[Larissa]

Firstly, Congratulations!

Secondly it can take a while, sometimes a few weeks but it DOES get
better. Get someone to check your latch, but I found even with a good
latch I was still sensitive for a few weeks. My biggest problem was
that my daughter would slip off to the end of the nipple during each
feed.

There are some things, I think they are called liypadz? I have never
seen them only heard about them, I think you can put them in the fridge
to help sooth the breast.

Get as much air to the nipples as possible, go topless if you can or
braless. This will help the nipples heal. Feed off one side at a feed,
to give the nipples more time inbetween feedings.

TAKE ONE FEED AT A TIME...

You have my sympathy, I remember, crying in pain at each latch and
having bleeding, cracked nipples. After a while it was all worth the
effort as it was so easy and portable to breastfeed.

Larissa
DD feb 99
DS mar 01
DD2 dec 03

[Sue]

Oh Betsy, hang in there. It does hurt at first and I thought I was going to
die when we were first learning how to breastfeed. Latching on hurt like
hell, but once she was on, it was okay. Make sure the latch is good, lower
lip flanged out and the baby has enough of the aerola in her mouth. There is
something called Soothies (I don't know where to get them) or Lanisosh (??)
that is good to put on the breasts. You can do this. It will be okay.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

"oregonchick" > wrote in message
...
> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even
with
> a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved and
> pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain.
I'm
> sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what to
do.
> I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh god it
> hurts.
>
>

[Sidheag McCormack]

oregonchick writes:

> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even
> with a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved
> and pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the
> pain. I'm sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't
> know what to do. I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right
> thing, but oh god it hurts.

BTDT. *Very* deep sympathy.

- How sure are you about the good latch? Even if it seems really textbook,
it's really worth getting someone who's seen a lot of breastfeeding to
watch a feed and try to see what's going wrong.

- Ibuprofen really helped me. I just kept taking it at maximal doses. At
the worst times (like now, for you, from the sound of it) I took
paracetamol (acetaminophen) as well, staggered (so e.g. you take ibuprofen,
then two hours later, when you can't take any more of that, you take
paracetamol. Write down what you took when, it's easy to lose track! You
can take both, and both are OK for breastfeeding.

- Gel pads, whatever they're called near you - soothies or maternimates or
whatever. You do not want the nipples sticking to anything... They can be
cooled in the fridge, too.

- Current thinking seems to be that it's not helpful to do this "make sure
the nipples are very dry" stuff - moist healing works better. But you don't
want to go overboard with covering them up, because you also don't want to
encourage thrush! (AIUI, it's fairly unlikely to *have* thrush this early,
but it's worth looking up the symptoms and bearing it in mind, because once
the skin is cracked you're at risk.) I think probably "do whatever seems
least painful" is a good guide.

- for things to put on the nipples, I found that a nipple cream that
included lanolin, but wasn't pure lanolin, worked best. The pure lanolin
was too stiff and sticky - I couldn't get it on without hurting myself.
Fatty breastmilk at the end of a feed, gently rubbed onto the parts that
are sore but not excruciating, also seemed to help.

- psychologically, I found it helped to take a minute or two to gear up for
a feed, if necessary giving DS to DH while I did so. Make sure that where I
was going to sit was comfortable and had what I'd need nearby. Take deep
breaths. Consciously relax. Really watch DS.

- if you can pump and bottlefeed e.g. for 24 hours, some people find that
helps a lot. It's not a great idea for supply this early, but if it's that
or giving up, no contest! I couldn't, because I couldn't pump enough to
feed DS and stop myself getting engorged. But be careful, because some
people find that pumping is actually worse than feeding for exacerbating
cracks. I think it's probably to do with how much suction you need.

- do everything you can to support your body in healing. Rest, eat well,
drink plenty of fluid.

I got through it in the end, but probably if the worst bit had gone on 48
hours longer I wouldn't have done. I can completely understand people
giving up breastfeeding because of this - it's hard to explain how painful
it is to someone who hasn't been there, but certainly I remember that as
worse than labour, and I didn't have an easy labour! However as with labour
for many people, as I was thinking I'd have to give up if it got any worse,
it began to get better. It took a long long time for the cracks to be fully
healed (I was very anaemic, not sure if that's relevant) but for me, it was
*completely* worth it to get through that time. Not only altruistically
because it's best for DS, either - if I look back at all the times since
then when *my* life has been much easier and more pleasant because we've
been breastfeeding, they add up to enough to counterbalance that horrible,
horrible time at the beginning easily. For example, over the two years
since then, there have been many long nights in which DS was ill or
teething and breastfeeding has been the only thing that has really
comforted him. Can't be sure, but without breastfeeding, those might have
been nights (such as you do hear about) when I'd have been up all night
with a baby/toddler who just cried and could not be comforted. I hope you
heal quicker than I did and get the same payback!

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003

[Jen]

On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 20:58:54 -0800, oregonchick wrote:

> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even with
> a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved and
> pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain. I'm
> sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what to do.
> I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh god it
> hurts.

You have my total sympathy *hugs*. Despite what all the literature says
about it not hurting for most women, I haven't come across many that it
hasn't, so you aren't alone. I had a terrible time with DS. Despite the mw
in hospital telling me my latch was ok and I would just have to toughen
up, it took a couple more mw's to get it right. By then my nipples were a
mess. What I did was feed on the least sore one (the other one actually
had a bruise!) for a day so the other could heal. It got engorged but I
just hand expressed a little (no pumping as that makes it worse!) to
relieve it until it was well enough to use. When the other nipple actually
split it was only nipple shields that gave me time to heal but meant I
didn't have to pump a bottle or use formula through the night). DS had no
nipple confusion but they say it can happen. I spent a couple of weeks
wandering round the house in no bra, or at least one with plenty of
Vaseline (worked just as well as Lansinoh or the avent stuff) and breast
pads to stop me sticking to it. I did rub them with bm and maybe that
stopped them getting infected, I don't know. Each time DS latched on I
steeled myself, took a deep breath and probably swore quietly, but after a
few seconds it eased off. I just kept telling myself, him and anyone who
was around that we weren't going to give up and I'm so pleased we didn't.

Hang in there and here. There are so many mums on here with success
stories, I hope they at least help a little, I know they did me.

Jeni

[Mary W.]

Sidheag McCormack wrote:
> oregonchick writes:
>
> > Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even
> > with a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved
> > and pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the
> > pain. I'm sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't
> > know what to do. I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right
> > thing, but oh god it hurts.
>
> BTDT. *Very* deep sympathy.
>

Sidheag gives some good advice, I just wanted to add a few things.

>
> - Ibuprofen really helped me. I just kept taking it at maximal doses. At
> the worst times (like now, for you, from the sound of it) I took
> paracetamol (acetaminophen) as well, staggered (so e.g. you take ibuprofen,
> then two hours later, when you can't take any more of that, you take
> paracetamol. Write down what you took when, it's easy to lose track! You
> can take both, and both are OK for breastfeeding.

Definately do this! I found the ibuprofen very helpful at first.


> - Current thinking seems to be that it's not helpful to do this "make sure
> the nipples are very dry" stuff - moist healing works better. But you don't
> want to go overboard with covering them up, because you also don't want to
> encourage thrush! (AIUI, it's fairly unlikely to *have* thrush this early,
> but it's worth looking up the symptoms and bearing it in mind, because once
> the skin is cracked you're at risk.) I think probably "do whatever seems
> least painful" is a good guide.

With my second daughter, she had a pretty good latch but I had
terribly cracked and bloody nipples that first week. Sure enough
she showed up with a white mouth by day 6- Thrush! As soon
as we both started treatment , the pain was so much better and
the nipples healed quite quickly. I used Lotrimin cream on my
nipples and nystatin oral stuff (perscribed by the pediatrician)
in DD's mouth. Thrush is definately worth considering.

Betsy, consider getting a good LC to double check your latch
and make sure you don't have any other outstanding issues.

Things usually improve in a week or two if you can just hang on!

Congratulations!

Mary W.

[Nikki]

oregonchick wrote:
> Just had my daughter on the 11th,

Congratulations :-D!!!!

> determined to breast feed.

Yay! Sorry you are having trouble. It *is* hard. Hang in there as long as
you can. It does get easy.

> But
> even with a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding.

I was quite sore in the beginning with my first, which is normal, but I for
one don't think cracks and bleeding are. I would really question the fact
that he latch is good if you have cracks and bleeding. I was sore at the
beginning of the feed but if the latch was right it subsided quite a bit
towards the middle. If you already have cracks then that might not be true.
I didn't have cracks. I really feel bad for you :-(

I would have someone check the latch. Until you arrange that make sure the
babies mouth is open wide, you get her on quickly, that her bottom lip is
flanged out (you may need to put a little pressure on her chin or get the
lip out yourself), and that you don't allow her to slip off and only suck on
the tip of the nipple. Be relentless about taking her off and relatching as
many times as necessary. If you are engorged softening the breast with a
warm cloth and a little message before trying to latch her may help. You
may have to sandwich your nipple (C hold I think it is called) while trying
to latch her so she can get enough of the nipple in her mouth. I've read to
get the whole areola in the mouth but really, that was quite impossible for
me :-) The whole nipple is a must though. Also, take ibuprofen fairly
regularly so you can manage the pain. I actually took it for the episiotomy
pain but I'm sure it helped with the breastfeeding as well.

Good luck and please, post as many questions, vents, requests for support as
you feel you have time for/want too. This group is very knowledgable and
support in the early weeks is very important.

--
Nikki
Hunter 4/99
Luke 4/01
Thing One and Thing Two :-) EDD 4/06

[Amy]

oregonchick wrote:
> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even with
> a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved and
> pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain. I'm
> sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what to do.
> I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh god it
> hurts.

Congratulations!

It will get better. It will, it will, it will.

I remember thinking, "My GOD, why does anyone do this on purpose? And
Mom said that she loved nursing? I always suspected, but now I know
that she's totally off her nut..." Mine is now 4 months old, and I am
SO glad that we kept at it. We went to a Christmas party the other
night, and I didn't have to fool with bottles and all that nonsense,
and we could both relax and have a good time and not worry about
whether or not I had enough food for the next feed. Good thing, too,
as I ended up being too tired to drive home, so we stayed about 90
minutes from home. I keep a bag of diapers in the car, so we didn't
even have to stop at the store. Easy peasy. Bottles are a pain in the
ass to clean. Hang in there.

Keep Lansinoh on them at all times. Take some tylenol. Keep up with
the ice packs. Take a hot shower, too, that helps. Don't pick at the
scabs. Try to keep nursing, even though it hurts. You don't want to
be like my friend whose kid refuses to BF now, so she pumps and gives
her a bottle for every feed. Her supply is decreasing, and she's
having to supplement more and more with formula.

Try different positions, to put the strain on different parts of your
nipple. I had a line across my nipple where she sucked the hardest,
because I didn't change positions enough. Make sure you have a really,
really good latch. Fish lips. Watch the videos at
http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_video.html Don't let her
noodle - take her off when you feel like she's finished eating.

It will get better. It will. I promise. Just be like the little
engine - "I think I can, I think I can," and before you know it, you'll
be saying, "I thought I could! I thought I could!"

Hang in there!
Amy

[[email protected]]

oregonchick > writes:
: Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even with
: a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved and
: pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain. I'm
: sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what to do.
: I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh god it
: hurts.

Betsy,

Congragulations on the arrival of your daughter. I don't have much to
add, I thought I had something new to suggest until I read Mary W.'s post.
(darn). I just thought I'd collect them in one spot.

1. Even if you think you have a good latch you might want to get
it checked with an IBCLC certified LC.

2. Agree with the lansinoh.

3. It takes at least 2 weeks before the pain goes away and 4 to 6 weeks
before it is comfortable. Hang in there. Take it one feed at a time.

4. A bottle at 4 days is awfully early. Be careful to avoid nipple
confusion/bottle prefrence.

5. Agree with the ibuprofin.

6. If they are cracked watch out for thrush. Sometimes it can be
asymptomatic other than the cracks not healing.

Good luck, good luck, good luck. Hang in there.

Larry

[PattyMomVA]

"Jen" wrote and I snipped:
> I spent a couple of weeks
> wandering round the house in no bra, or at least one with plenty of
> Vaseline (worked just as well as Lansinoh or the avent stuff)

I've not heard of using Vaseline. I believe Lansinoh is recommended because
it need not be wiped off before the baby feeds. Can/Should a baby ingest
petroleum jelly?

-Patty, mom of 1+2

[oregonchick]

"emilymr" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I don't have any good advice (besides slathering on the lasinoh), but
> I'm pulling for you!! Nursing through pain SUCKS, and I *do* know what
> it feels like to cry through the latch (I'd sit on the bed dripping
> tears on M's head and telling DH "He doesn't even care that it
> hurts!!") -- it took me at least 2 weeks before it stopped hurting, and
> I definitely could understand why women stop. But it *did* stop
> hurting, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it seems
> very far away at the moment. I'm sure other people will be able to
> give you some tips, but I just wanted to give you some encouragement
> right away!
>
> Em
> mama to Micah, 11/14/04

Hey, if I only have to suffer 2 weeks, I am pretty sure I can do that.
Actually it's starting to get a little better today. One side is terribly
cracked still, so I'm feeding her off the other side and pumping the cracked
side. It hurts to pump too, but it's more controlled.
>

[oregonchick]

"Sidheag McCormack" > wrote in message
...
> oregonchick writes:
>
> > Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even
> > with a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved
> > and pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the
> > pain. I'm sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't
> > know what to do. I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right
> > thing, but oh god it hurts.
>
> BTDT. *Very* deep sympathy.
>
> - How sure are you about the good latch? Even if it seems really textbook,
> it's really worth getting someone who's seen a lot of breastfeeding to
> watch a feed and try to see what's going wrong.

Last night I had a girlfriend come over to check my latch, because she's
actively breastfeeding herself. She seemed confident that I had a good
latch. I will be going in to see an LC tomorrow, and double check. But
things are already starting to feel a *little* better...

>
> - Ibuprofen really helped me. I just kept taking it at maximal doses. At
> the worst times (like now, for you, from the sound of it) I took
> paracetamol (acetaminophen) as well, staggered (so e.g. you take
> ibuprofen,
> then two hours later, when you can't take any more of that, you take
> paracetamol. Write down what you took when, it's easy to lose track! You
> can take both, and both are OK for breastfeeding.

That is good to know. The doc said I could take some of my oxycodone but it
makes me groggy and dizzy. I'll be taking more Ibuprofen and Tylenol then.
>
> - Gel pads, whatever they're called near you - soothies or maternimates or
> whatever. You do not want the nipples sticking to anything... They can be
> cooled in the fridge, too.

I've been using crushed ice, but will be going to the pharmacy to get some
gel pads or whatever I can find. Cold feels SO good.
>

>
> - for things to put on the nipples, I found that a nipple cream that
> included lanolin, but wasn't pure lanolin, worked best. The pure lanolin
> was too stiff and sticky - I couldn't get it on without hurting myself.
> Fatty breastmilk at the end of a feed, gently rubbed onto the parts that
> are sore but not excruciating, also seemed to help.

I will look for something then other than the PureLan that I have been
using. It is so sticky even it hurts to rub on.
>

>
> - if you can pump and bottlefeed e.g. for 24 hours, some people find that
> helps a lot. It's not a great idea for supply this early, but if it's that
> or giving up, no contest! I couldn't, because I couldn't pump enough to
> feed DS and stop myself getting engorged. But be careful, because some
> people find that pumping is actually worse than feeding for exacerbating
> cracks. I think it's probably to do with how much suction you need.

I have one side that I can tolerably breastfeed from, so I am feeding her
from that side and pumping the other. I think the pumping is not so
painful.

Thanks so much for all your feedback. I am determined!

[emilymr]

I second or third or fourth or whatever the ibuprofen. I just realized
(duh) that I was on lots of drugs since I was recovering from a
section, and in retrospect, I'm sure that helped the pain -- in fact,
now that I think about it, nursing started hurting much worse once I
got off my meds (double duh).

I also second the deep breathing suggestion. I'd sit up very straight,
then take a very deep breath and try to relax, and do yoga breaths
through the latch, *really* focusing on breathing so as not to focus as
much on the pain. It helped a little bit.

Nipple shells also helped, just to keep my sore boobs off cloth -- but
make sure you clean them ALOT, and try to get off them as soon as
possible since IME anyway, they were a lovely bacteria breeding ground.
:P

Good luck, and it WILL get better. And a year later, you can make fun
of all the platitudes about "nursing is relaxing for mother and baby"
that people toss at you. It's relaxing NOW, but it sure wasn't THEN!

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04

[Nikki]

oregonchick wrote:

> I will look for something then other than the PureLan that I have been
> using. It is so sticky even it hurts to rub on.

I never used much of the stuff but if you rub a pea sized blob between you
fingers until it is warm it is much easier to apply. I still have the first
tube I bought.

--
Nikki
Hunter 4/99
Luke 4/01
Thing One and Thing Two :-) EDD 4/06

[Benevolent Prof]

I was lucky enough to not have nipple pain when starting nursing, but
had pain from thrush, milk blisters, and blebs.

1. Ibuprofen and tylenol definitely helped. I only took 2 per day, so
timing didn't matter much for me. However, I've read that it's better
to take them after feeding, so baby gets less exposure. I'm not sure
how important this is becuase these drugs are considered safe while
BFing.

2. There are lots of different regimes for using the more sore/less
sore side first or pumping. You'll need to figure out what works for
you and it sounds like you've take some steps in this direction. Some
books say to start with the less sore side first because the baby sucks
more aggresively at the start. I started with the more sore side first,
limiting the amount of time on that side, and letting baby suck as long
as she needed on the less sore side. Giving them a break definitely
helps. If it hurts less to pump, do that. I found that pumping one side
for an entire day made things much better. If your supply is good, and
you're worried about nipple confusion, you can freeze the milk for
later.

3. I had supply issues early on and gave my baby a bottle with formula
a couple times around day 3 or 4. Baby hasn't started to show any
criminal tendencies, craving for cigarettes, or resistance to BF. In
other words, not the end of the world for either of us.

4. Someone suggested that you consider thrush as a culprit. The fact
that ice makes the pain better, in my unprofessional opinion, makes
thrush unlikely. IME, any kind of compress, hot or cold, didn't help.
However, if it is thrush, there's lot of good advice elsewhere on this
group. BTW, you might have thrush and baby can be asymptomatic.

Hugs! Hang in there.

Susan and "Lentil"

[Amy]

wrote:

> 1. Even if you think you have a good latch you might want to get
> it checked with an IBCLC certified LC.

I have to agree with this. I thought I had a great latch. The nurses
at the hospital said it looked great. The LC at the hospital (who was
crap) said it looked great. My mom, former LLL Leader said it looked
great. But it hurt like hell and she wasn't gaining, and I didn't feel
like I had much of a supply.

I went to see my local LLL leader, who I would nominate for immediate
sainthood if I were Catholic, said that it wasn't as good a latch as it
could've been. We saw her in the morning, and the same day we saw her
I leaked through my shirt for the first time ever. It was a HUGE
change, and it was almost immediate.

If it keeps hurting, keep getting opinions until it stops. It's hard
because we can't see you. I guess you could post pictures somewhere!
LOL. I was showing everyone in town our latch - my sorority sisters,
my relatives who had BF, everyone. I was walking up to strangers in
the mall and saying, "So what do you think of our latch?" Ok, not that
bad, quite, but eventually we found the right advice, and it made all
the difference.

I wish I could explain in words what she told us to do differently, but
there were too many props involved. She had boob puppets. Find
someone with boob puppets, and a hamburger puppet. It had something to
do with being able to take a bigger bite of the hamburger if you hold
it one way, than if you held it the way I was holding it. Keep your
fingers out of the baby's way - I kept getting my hands in her way.
But it doesn't make any sense without the puppets...

Amy

[Amy]

Nikki wrote:
> oregonchick wrote:
>
> > I will look for something then other than the PureLan that I have been
> > using. It is so sticky even it hurts to rub on.
>
> I never used much of the stuff but if you rub a pea sized blob between you
> fingers until it is warm it is much easier to apply. I still have the first
> tube I bought.

I wonder if it's microwavable? I know what you mean about it being too
sticky, I remember that. Ouch.

Amy

[NL]

Amy wrote:
> Nikki wrote:

>>I never used much of the stuff but if you rub a pea sized blob between you
>>fingers until it is warm it is much easier to apply. I still have the first
>>tube I bought.
>
>
> I wonder if it's microwavable? I know what you mean about it being too
> sticky, I remember that. Ouch.

Just put the little tube into a glass of hot water and wait a bit... Or
hold it in your hands for a little while, that's what I did, way back
when ;-)
I'm not sure about the tube itself being microwave safe.. I'd be scared
of the plastic melting :-/

I also didn't rub it on I just dabbed it all over the painful parts. I
wasn't too worried about wasting it, you can always get more if you need
to. But I never had really badly cracked or bleeding nipples... They
were just really sore and kind of pinkish the first week or two.

take care
nicole

[oregonchick]

"Amy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Nikki wrote:
>> oregonchick wrote:
>>
>> > I will look for something then other than the PureLan that I have been
>> > using. It is so sticky even it hurts to rub on.
>>
>> I never used much of the stuff but if you rub a pea sized blob between
>> you
>> fingers until it is warm it is much easier to apply. I still have the
>> first
>> tube I bought.
>
> I wonder if it's microwavable? I know what you mean about it being too
> sticky, I remember that. Ouch.

I had the Medela PureLan, but just bought some Lansinoh and it's much softer
in consistancy...

[PattyMomVA]

"Amy" wrote and I snipped:
>
> Make sure you have a really,
> really good latch. Fish lips. Watch the videos at
> http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_video.html

I second, third, and fourth these videos. They can help you see, in detail,
what a good latch looks like. They can be invaluable. They're very short
and show close-ups of the baby's mouth on the breast. Especially try the
ones down the center column.

HTH,
-Patty, mom of 1+2

[Mum of Two]

"oregonchick" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "Amy" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>>
>> Nikki wrote:
>>> oregonchick wrote:
>>>
>>> > I will look for something then other than the PureLan that I have been
>>> > using. It is so sticky even it hurts to rub on.
>>>
>>> I never used much of the stuff but if you rub a pea sized blob between
>>> you
>>> fingers until it is warm it is much easier to apply. I still have the
>>> first
>>> tube I bought.
>>
>> I wonder if it's microwavable? I know what you mean about it being too
>> sticky, I remember that. Ouch.
>
> I had the Medela PureLan, but just bought some Lansinoh and it's much
> softer in consistancy...

Also, not sure if anyone has mentioned it yet, but have you tried woollen
breast pads? Someone was talking about them the other day, they contain
natural lanolin and they also collect your milk in them - it sounds yuck,
but you only wash them out about every 3-4 days, and the milk helps with the
healing. Disposable breast pads tend to stick, which can be very painful.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

[Mum of Two]

"oregonchick" > wrote in message
...
> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even
> with a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved
> and pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain.
> I'm sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what
> to do. I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh
> god it hurts.

I really, really feel for you. That first week, or even first fortnight, can
be so difficult. At this stage your milk has probably only just come in, and
your daughter is probably thirsty, suckling non-stop to build your supply
and pass meconium. I also would urge caution with bottles, especially if
you're already concerned about the latch. It could well make the problem
worse.
((((hugs)))) to you, and it does get better.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

[Jen]

On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 13:38:58 -0500, PattyMomVA wrote:

> "Jen" wrote and I snipped:
>> I spent a couple of weeks
>> wandering round the house in no bra, or at least one with plenty of
>> Vaseline (worked just as well as Lansinoh or the avent stuff)
>
> I've not heard of using Vaseline. I believe Lansinoh is recommended because
> it need not be wiped off before the baby feeds. Can/Should a baby ingest
> petroleum jelly?
>
> -Patty, mom of 1+2

I asked that and they said it wasn't a problem. Not that there was much
left by the time of the next feed. In fact my main mw gave me a packet of
gauze which was coated in vaseline. It was good for retaining more of it
on the nipple and keeping it moist for longer.

Jeni

Jeni

[emilymr]

I put vaseline on my lips all the time and I'm sure some of it gets
ingested. And my mom always put tons of it on me and my sibs when we
were little (all over our mouths and nose) during the winter. I
wouldn't eat it out of the jar with a spoon ;) but I don't think a
little bit is going to hurt, even a baby.

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04

[Shell]

"oregonchick" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "emilymr" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>>I don't have any good advice (besides slathering on the lasinoh), but
>> I'm pulling for you!! Nursing through pain SUCKS, and I *do* know what
>> it feels like to cry through the latch (I'd sit on the bed dripping
>> tears on M's head and telling DH "He doesn't even care that it
>> hurts!!") -- it took me at least 2 weeks before it stopped hurting, and
>> I definitely could understand why women stop. But it *did* stop
>> hurting, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it seems
>> very far away at the moment. I'm sure other people will be able to
>> give you some tips, but I just wanted to give you some encouragement
>> right away!
>>
>> Em
>> mama to Micah, 11/14/04
>
> Hey, if I only have to suffer 2 weeks, I am pretty sure I can do that.
> Actually it's starting to get a little better today. One side is terribly
> cracked still, so I'm feeding her off the other side and pumping the
> cracked side. It hurts to pump too, but it's more controlled.
>>

It gets better!!! Hang in there! My DD is only 8 weeks and I too was in a
lot of pain for the first 2 weeks. Toe curling, gritting teeth pain with my
DH just sitting there not knowing what to do.

It is temporary. I know it hurts for now... you can do it.

~Shell

[Andrea S]

"oregonchick" > wrote in message
...
> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even
> with a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved
> and pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain.
> I'm sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what
> to do. I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh
> god it hurts.

With Erin who is 7 weeks I was crying and couldn't stand to put her near my
breast. I'd had cracked nipples with my other 5 but nothing like this, I had
a huge crack on each nipple running top to bottom, looked more like a gaping
cut.
I pumped and bottlefed using a Haberman feeder - for me it was that or quit
(and I love breastfeeding!). It took 1 week and my nipples healed and I
didn't have any more probs.. my midwife told me I had big boobs and she
wasn't latching right and was mashing my nipples!

Andrea.

[oregonchick]

"Andrea S" > wrote in message
...
> "oregonchick" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even
>> with a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved
>> and pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the
>> pain. I'm sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't
>> know what to do. I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right
>> thing, but oh god it hurts.
>
> With Erin who is 7 weeks I was crying and couldn't stand to put her near
> my breast. I'd had cracked nipples with my other 5 but nothing like this,
> I had a huge crack on each nipple running top to bottom, looked more like
> a gaping cut.
> I pumped and bottlefed using a Haberman feeder - for me it was that or
> quit (and I love breastfeeding!). It took 1 week and my nipples healed and
> I didn't have any more probs.. my midwife told me I had big boobs and she
> wasn't latching right and was mashing my nipples!
>
> Andrea.

I wonder if size is part of my problem too. I was a 36C before pregnancy,
but am now a very full 40DD. Very full. And when engorged, even bigger...

[Andrea S]

"oregonchick"

> I wonder if size is part of my problem too. I was a 36C before pregnancy,
> but am now a very full 40DD. Very full. And when engorged, even
> bigger...
>

Well for me I always was a DD cup when breastfeeding, however mama nature
decided to make me an F cup this time around! My little girls tiny mouth
could't fit it all in. The la leche leage advisor told me to squeeze it
together like a big Mac before putting it into her mouth!

My figure is coming back but I look like I have had a boob job!

Andrea.

[Catherine Woodgold]

Even if the latch is good, maybe it can be made better.
Newborns grow very fast; as their jaw grows, they're
able to take more of the breast into their mouth, which
helps. Meanwhile, try to get the nipple as deep into
her mouth as possible. The deeper in, the less it hurts.

The book "Bestfeeding: getting breastfeeding right
for you" has good pictures to teach about latch.
Keep on learning about what an ideal latch is supposed
to look like. For example, it can be good to begin with
the nipple near baby's nose or forehead so baby has to
tilt her head back slightly to take the nipple; this tilted
position helps baby open her throat and swallow well.

Rather than just consulting experts and having them
say "yeah, that looks fine," you can become an
expert yourself and be able to see from one feeding
to the next when her latch is slightly better or worse --
and maybe restart the feeding if it's slightly worse.

If pumping hurts less than nursing, that could be a sign
that the latch could be improved.

If you pump, instead of bottlefeeding you can feed her
with a cup, spoon or eyedropper. Even a newborn can be
fed from a cup. These other feeding methods take more
time and effort but don't interfere with breastfeeding
as much as bottlefeeding does. Giving her bottles can
teach her bad habits and make her latch worse, making
your problem worse. There may be types of bottle nipples
that cause less interference with breastfeeding than
other types.

I'm sorry about the pain. Congratulations for breastfeeding.
Even if you pump and bottlefeed, you're feeding her your
milk -- I call that breastfeeding too. I hope it keeps
getting better, and soon!

"oregonchick" ) writes:
> Just had my daughter on the 11th, determined to breast feed. But even with
> a good latch, my nipples are already cracked and bleeding. I caved and
> pumped and bottle fed tonight. I absolutely cannot tolerate the pain. I'm
> sitting here with an ice pack on each breast. I just don't know what to do.
> I'm crying and miserable, and want to do the right thing, but oh god it
> hurts.
>
>