Okay, so Audrey is 3.5 weeks old, and bfing STILL feels like someone is stabbing me with needles or razor blades when she is latching on.

When does it stop?

Soon enough. Make sure you break her suction before you pop her off. That's what got me with ds. Are you using lanolin?

Is she opening her mouth wide enough, or do you have any injury from previous bad latches? I had a blood blistery thing in the first couple of days and Liv still gets me from time to time, but only when she's over eager to nurse.

Sounds like a bad latch. I never was uncomfortable that long. Make sure she is getting your WHOLE nipple in her mouth. Break the suction with your pinky before the baby unlatches. Let your nipples air out for a bit when nursing is done.

HTH!

Is it just that initial 20-30 seconds of sucking and then the pain is gone or is it painful away through?

That initial pain is not uncommon, and not indicative of a problem. It's just your nipple stretching. If that is what is going on, it will stop. I don't have a magic timeframe for you, but certainly not forever.

If you are having pain through the entire session, and/or your boobs are sore even when you aren't nursing, that's a problem and something needs to be adjusted.

She is beautiful Congrats again.

it feels like that at latch or at letdown? Letdown for me was terribly painful, it got worse with each baby.

Ok, I can't believe that kid is already 3 weeks old. I was still feeling some pain at around 2 weeks (seemed like that was when the scabs finally came off and my engorgement went away). Do you have access to a lactation consultant? Is she really getting a lot of the nipple in her mouth and are you holding her very close tummy to tummy with you? I know each person is different and things take time to work themselves out. I hope you are feeling better soon, because I promise once the pain goes away, its just the best thing ever to nurse your little one.

toe

I think it's the combination of latch and letdown, probably-- letdown DOES hurt too..... Toe, I've been working with an LC because of the nasty mastitis I had on the left-- that pain is resolved now, though. This just feels like overuse to me. Lanolin has helped, and so has some bitching wool breast pads from a friend...

I know it will get better. Just waiting.

I was uncomfortable that long, with both kids, and in fact, it really didn't stop hurting until around 5-6 weeks. Looking back now, I blame my big nipples, and the fact that both kids have high pallets. Latch was fine with both.

Lots of lanolin, and just plain take care of yourself.

You know, it's gotten worse over the last day or two, but I suspect it's because I've been really focusing on increasing my supply (mastitis left me with basically less than a full supply) and I'm slightly engorged again.

Plus, I was really checking out her latch last night and she seems to have developed a bad habit of sort of folding her upper lip under. If I correct that after she latches on, the pain is better.

I guess this is where both of us breastfeeding isn't SUCH a great thing- SO's breasts are completely fine and she has no pain at all, so she doesn't have to be as vigilant about Audrey's latch and I'm guessing that contributes to our issues.

So you and your partner nurse her? I'm not trying to pry or anything but how did she lactate? Please don't take this as snarky. I think it's awesome. God what I would GIVE to have and extra set of jugs. Oh and for the pain thing, I so now how you feel. I thought I was going to be the only woman on the planet who couldn't bf because of the pain. Sounds like you about got it figured out but I would also cake on pur lanolin after she nursed and at night when I took a bath I would hand express some milk out. My boobs and my little shitty hand pump do not get along.

Hope the pain subsides soon!

Yeah, she's nursing her now and giving me a break. She took a drug that stimulates lactation as a side effect (it's a stomach drug), and bc pills, then pumped and took a ton of herbs. She doesn't have a full supply, but she has enough to keep the kid busy for a while.

I know- the pain is more than I thought- ridiculous. I've gotten in touch with the LLL leaders in the area too, though, and I think they're going to give me a hand this week to make sure the latch is okay, etc.

Having a second set of tits around the house...niiiiiice.

And you know, Callie, for me, it isn't until about the two month mark that I am completely pain free. Things are substantially better of course, and it gets easier with subsequent kids, but even with a great latch, it can take a while for your nipples to toughen up, especially if you have sensitive skin.

I know for a while for me I had to stamp down and bite my tongue when they were latching on, it hurt SO. BAD. And the latch was fine...it was just a matter of time.

DS is 3 months old now and I have absolutely zero pain.

Hang in there

A snack bar.....brilliant!!!

let down can hurt like a mofo until your body adjusts.

and definitely work on correcting that lip issue. Make sure Jess stays on her about it too. Everytime she latches on with the lip curled under, unlatch her and help her relatch with the lip flipped out.

I am also jealous about having a second set of tits around.

DD would tuck her upper lip under when she'd latch on and it hurt the whole time. I was told to roll her lip up after she'd latched on and eventually she'd "learn" to latch on that way. Right as rain... it worked and she got it. No more pain.

You're doing awesome Callie.

Yep, I've been sort of reaching in and rolling her lip up which helps. I think, in an effort to get more milk out of my slightly low supply (another issue- we're working on it....), she's also kind of gumming my nipple a bit too.

I got in touch with an LLL leader who's going to meet with me next week to check everything out. I need an army to help me bf, I swear.

Callie, if you have a low supply, can I suggest letting SO just pump for a while and you nursing Audrey exclusively? Even though I am insanely jealous, , not having Audrey nurse you for every session may well be contributing to the problem.

Callie -- if the nipples are cracked or split try gel pads. They were a godsend for me.

The pain for me was horrible until around the 6 to 8 week point when ds latched on the right side. (the left side healed faster so it was better around 3-4 weeks). I'm talking toe-curling, I'm in tears pain.

I had one 24-hour period where I nursed only off the left side and pumped the right for 10-15 minutes after each feeding. And that seemed to help as well.

As for supply issues you can help me keep the Mother's Milk tea people in business

......And today I think I have a plugged duct.

The good news is that my supply has increased substantially just in the last day or so- it was as sudden as my milk coming in the first time oddly enough. My "bad" breast has finally kicked into high gear and Audrey actually had to gulp a few times when she was feeding on that side yesterday. So I will take the duct issues and the engorgement I've had in the last few days if it means that I don't have to supplement with formula and can keep her happy.

But I swear, if this turns into mastitis again, I will just crawl in a hole and die.