This is an issue for many new mums when it comes to breastfeeding. The fear of the pain and experiencing the pain. This is something that you want to do, but you don’t want to have a painful experience. Well, here I am to give you my tips from my experience on how to avoid painful breastfeeding.
Having a Good Latch
A good latch is the most important thing when it comes to having a painless breastfeeding journey. Although sometimes it can seem overwhelming and complicated, it isn’t when you know how.
Having a good latch will make sure that your baby is comfortable and is feeding well. “So how do a I get a good latch?” You might ask. Well, first, you need to make sure that your baby’s mouth is WIDE open. Once his mouth is WIDE open, you put him on your breast. His mouth needs to cover your nipple and areola (the pigmented area that is around the nipple).
Secondly, draw your baby close to your body so that they baby is comfortable and you are (tummy to tummy).
Thirdly, once he is sucking, place your arm under his head so that he is comfortable, and so are you.
So lets break it down:
*Lie your baby sideways across your lap.
*With one hand hold baby’s neck area/ upper back.
* With the other hand hold your breast and point the nipple towards baby’s face.
*Once your baby has his mouth WIDE open place the breast in his mouth covering your nipple and areola.
*Pull your baby in towards your body (tummy to tummy).
*Take your hand off your breast and place your arm under your baby’s head.
Here, I have demonstrated the most common position, the cradle hold. You can use this method with any position. It’s all about making sure your baby is latched on well, and he is close to your body.
Once you have this in place, you are going to feel better. If you were having a lot of pain before, it should go. Just a note: if you have been breastfeeding for more than 2 days, you might feel a pinch at the start of the feed, as your nipples are new to your baby constantly feeding. So it takes time for them to harden.
You can use breastfeeding pillows or just ordinary house pillows to prop your baby on your lap (if sitting down). Make sure that you are comfortable because your baby will be feeding between 10-40 minutes!
If you feel that your baby is not latched on correctly, you can take them off the breast. You can do this by placing your clean little finger at the side of your baby’s mouth, pushing against the breast. This should release the suction.
Keep practising, and while you are breastfeeding, make sure you are drinking plenty of water and you are eating healthy snacks or meals. This will keep your energy going!
Relaxed Mum, Relaxed Baby
Being relaxed can help with anxiousness when you are breastfeeding, as stress can cause pain. You can relax by listening to some calming music for you and your baby. Taking a bath to rest a little can calm your nerves. Also, having skin-to-skin time with your baby will build your bond together. Even though it seems like your baby knows what they are doing, sometimes they can forget, especially in the early days. But if you relax, the baby will be calmer and gentle as they will feel safe with you.
Try to avoid your baby getting overtired or over-hungry! Ouch! When they latch on after crying so much they can bite, or latch on hard. So to avoid the pain from this, watch out for your baby’s feeding cues eg: sucking their hand and rooting. Also, look for tired cues like the rubbing of the eyes and yawning.
Once you are both relaxed you will feel much better and more comfortable.
Nipple Cream
Not everyone is into nipple cream, but I think it is a great way to help your nipples recover and harden whilst your baby is breastfeeding constantly. There are many nipple creams out there so try to look for the ones that have the most natural ingredients as your baby will in-jest a small amount. I would recommend at Medela’s nipple cream as they use natural ingredients click here
You can even use nipple cream during pregnancy, as it has been known to help your nipples get tougher, but I forgot to do it. It did help me during the first 3 days of breastfeeding. I would put the cream on just before a feed and after a feed.
Mastitis and Engorgement
Mastitis and engorged breasts can be another reason for painful breastfeeding. This is where the breast has become enlarged by clogged milk ducts, and if it is not unblocked, it can cause an infection which is called Mastitis.
If you start to feel pain in your breast (not nipple) this is something to look out for. If not treated and you are in really bad pain, please seek medical advice.
I have experienced having clogged milk ducts with two of my babies, and I believe it was due to my change in milk supply and slow breast flow on one side. I could feel the clogged duct, it felt like a blocked tube! Also, I noticed a spot underneath my armpit, and I think that was my body’s way of telling me that something was wrong.
So How Did I Solve It?
*Massaging the affected breast slowly while the baby is feeding.
*Having hot showers and hand expressing.
It did the trick for me so it’s worth trying it out if you are in this situation.
Also, you want to make sure you:
*Eat well and drink well
*Avoid tight-fitting bras (here is a selection of great nursing bras to choose from).
Note* If you start to have a fever or flu-like symptoms please seek medical advice.
If you are not one for wasting that precious milk, you can use a milk collector. This is great for leaky breasts when you are breast feeding. It is good for hand expressing too. I used it and it worked a treat, I also brought the storage bags and label the bag and popped it in the freezer. It was great because I was able to use that milk for another time. Medela had a great range to chose from click here
Wrapping Up
So here are the main reasons for pain during breastfeeding. I hope these tips on how you can fix these problems will help you to have a painless breastfeeding journey. The longer you breastfeed, the less pain you will get. It will be hard at the start, but after about 2 weeks of breastfeeding, it will become so normal and a lot easier. Keep going you are doing great!
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Love from Sheleen xoxo
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