Does it really get better?
OK so I love breastfeeding but....it hurts!! Midwife has checked my position and latch and all OK so why does my right nipple hurt so much? It's slightly cracked so I'm piling on the cream. I wince with pain when Charlotte latches on and have to stop myself from screaming! I really want to stick with it but when will it become less painful? Do my nipples need to harden up more? It's still early days I know but the other side is absolutely fine. Also, had a few problems with madam latching on over the past few days - she goes on fine, has a few sucks and then de-latches so we have to repeat the whole process over again. Midwife was here during a feed the other day - all she could suggest was going to the local Breastfeeding Support group for some advice/tips from them. The group meets tomorrow but I can't make it because I have discharge visit from midwive AND health visitor's first visit too! Sorry this is so short - in a rush as Charlotte is due to wake from her cat nap! x

I still get the initial pain in my left breast, but it is getting better. The right breast has been fine right from the word go! So it does get better, I use Lansinoh and it's helped and I only need to use it on the left one now. What cream are you using? You're doing a great job, keep it up!

Hi It absolutely does get better! Keep using the lanisoh and within even just a week or so, you'll both be fine. It takes a good few weeks for everything to settle down and for it not to hurt a little bit, Jessica was around 2/3 weeks I think before we had it cracked and it came naturally, Matthew a bit longer. Re the not latching on and slipping off, I've had that with both my two, often it's because you're so engorged teh baby can't get their mouth on properly! SO you can either express a little beforehand or just massge a bit of your boob when feeding and the milk will letdown a bit quicker and make things "softer" to latch onto IYSWIM. DOn't squeeze/massage too hard though whilst they're still really little as it will choke them a bit! HTH,just ask if you need help or support, it really does make things easier to bear. Well done for wanting to persevere. Jo x

It really, really does get better - honest! I was soooo close to giving up in the first couple of weeks, but decided to battle on through the horrendous pain barrier (as if giving birth isn't bad enough!) and by about 3 weeks we'd cracked it so it all became more comfortable - plus I felt more confident which I'm sure also helped. And yes, thank the lord for Lansinoh! I suffered a terrible cracked right nipple as Abby wasn't latching on properly due to engorgement as Jo described. My midwife advised expressing a little bit of mik off first and it really helped with the whole latch on procedure. Do you have any numbers for breastfeeding telephone support (NCT/La Leche etc)? It may be worth giving them a try for further ideas if its still unbearable. Well done you for hanging in there! munky x

Hi Thanks - Charlotte on the breast as I type so forgive any typos! I'm using Lansinoh. My breasts aren't engorged so don't think that is the problem - think we are learning together! They have been engorged before though and used warm flannels to soften and squeeze out excess before latch on which worked. Also, boobs often sting for a bit shortly after a feed has finished - is that normal?

Hey OH yes, it so gets better! I used to curl my toes and say ouch inside when Jess would latch on the one side! And they all say if done properly it shouldnt hurt, er right! They said I was doing everything right, but just had one side that was sore and one side that wasnt! Just remember to lather on the lansinoh, straight after the feed too, and that will help loads to heal. You are doing FAB honey, dont give up if you dont want to, it really does get better and becomes enjoyable! xxxx

It does get better but there is nothing quite like that "toe-curling" pain in the early days. Could you try using the rugby ball hold on alternate feeds? The different angle may help ease the pain/give chance for the affected area to heal...

Totally agree with all the above. Lansinoh is a godsend - I tried other nipple creams but none were as good. I had a blood blister within 48 hours of Charlie's birth on one nipple because (thank the lord) he latched fantastically straight away - but I would also totally recommend varying the hold you use to see if that relieves the pain a bit. If they are clamping down on the same sore bit every time it kills! I ended up using rugby ball hold on one side, and across the body on the other, just because it felt more comfortable that way. hang in there - you're doing great!

I was the same with both Sophie and Daniel, it was very painful during the first few weeks both times. I got huge cracks on both sides within hours of the birth! Sometimes I would pinch my thigh just to distract from the pain of feeding! By far the most painful thing for me was if they didn't have enough of the aureola in their mouth, which was pretty much always the case when they are newborn and have tiny mouths. It will get better soon. :goodluck:

As others have said -it honestly does get better. I would advise though that if your nipple is cracked - try expressing off that side for a few days and only feeding off the other to give it time to heal. I had that pain too when I bf Henry and I would scream under my breath, curl my toes and whince in pain until I couldn't take it anymore. Expressing and lansinoh were my saviour for a couple fo days then I went back to feeding totally normally from both breasts. Good Luck. xXx

Thanks everyone for your advice. Elliebee - thanks for the nipple shields link! My sister gave me some Avent ones (that she hadn't used!) but they were massive and far too big for my nipples - which didn't even nearly touch the end and looked lost! Didn't realise they were in different sizes so will check them out. Thanks again - I will perserve and hope for the best! x

I remember the early days of BFeeding. I needed 2 hands to keep LO feeding. 1 behind her neck the other in a C position on the breast, if I did not hold my breast she would either de-latch or start nipple feeding which was quite painful, as she got older I was able to stop holding it. You seem to have received some good advice, have you tried calling the BF support group? in my group any of the breast feeding peer supporters would be willing to come to you. Rubyru