Breastfeeding pain

I do formula mainly and top up with breast and it’s helped me massively. The pain has calmed down a bit for me now but the nipples cream lasinoh helped a lot too and you don’t have to wash it off when feeding. The midwives also told me that you should get the whole nipple and areola in the mouth to avoid pain(I did find this hard to do!)

Do you have access to breastfeeding support where you are? If you reach out to your health visitor they can point you in the right direction. There are usually free support groups you can pop along to for advice and guidance. A lactation consultant would be able to help you work out what's causing the latching issue and help give you the best chance of healing. It shouldn't be this sore, so there's definitely something that needs fixing there

Could you pump and bottle feeding? That way she is getting the breast milk and your partner can help with feeds too?

If you do wish to continue with breastfeeding I would seek support from breastfeeding support services. Has your LO been checked for tongue tie? My BF journey came to an end because it took its toll on me. My LO was losing weight, I had to feed, pump and top up with formula and it all got too much. No one mentioned to me at the time about the possibility of a tongue tie affecting his feeding. I happened to come across a photo of a proper latch on the bottles I had and it was nothing like his. After some battle and going private we found out he had a tongue tie. If I had known that when I was BF I think I may have continued. Honestly though if you feel like BF is taking its toll on you mentally swapping to formula you have to do what’s best for you which also becomes what’s best for baby as their mummy is healthier and happier. She’s had a month of the good stuff!

So sorry to hear you're in pain, I've had some similar challenges - you're not alone. I've been using lansinoh and silver cups to help heal cracked nipples and prescribed a dressing. But the pain kept coming back, I went to an IBCLC (paid) and the NHS infant feeding team and figured out a better latch using the "flipple" and encouraging baby to tilt their head back more. I think getting a specialist to observe a feed and giving bespoke advice based on their observations instead of the generic advice you get online or from HV/ midwives (unless they observe and have good specialism in BF). I also found nipple sheilds to be a life saver too and have been reducing use of them in the last week, a lot of people say they should be used as a last resort but I would have given up weeks ago without them

@Hannah I think this is what I want to try and do. If I can formula feed for a bit, it might give me time to express and try and get my supply up so then I can bottle feed her the breast milk too. I’ve been using the Weleda nipple cream but it doesn’t help enough unfortunately. I’m constantly taking her off when she latches bad to try and get a better latch but she’s just so lazy with it and doesn’t open her mouth enough unless she’s flailing around and opens it when she’s got her head away from the nipple! 🙄

@Emma 🌱 I saw the infant feeding team and am getting regular calls from them. They looked at her latch and said it is shallow and that different positions might help but they don’t really :/ Also had a few midwives look and they can’t see tongue tie.

@AJ I would love to do that but currently I just don’t have the time to express regularly enough to increase the supply unfortunately but hoping that switching to formula might give me chance to do this 🤞🏻

@Emily Had a few midwives look and they can’t see tongue tie so she just has a bad latch :/ I’m having to feed and top up and they want me to pump but I just don’t have the time, especially when she won’t let me put her down and there’s no one else here to take her, it’s definitely taking its toll on me!

Have you tried silverette nipple cups? And has she been checked for a tongue tie ? Bearing in mind midwives/health visitors aren’t qualified and it would need to be by a tongue tie practitioner or a lactation consultant! Both of my kids have had terrible latches caused by tongue ties and both had frenulotomys!

@Incognito she might not have one then but just know midwives aren’t qualified to assess tongue tie. We were told he didn’t have one by a HV and midwives by just visually looking and when he was assessed by a tongue tie practitioner he ended up having a 70% one! It’s really really tough! I got to the point where I was crying every day and I was starting to lose connection with him because feeding was frustrating rather than a bonding experience. I toyed with swapping over to formula probably longer than I should have. One day after breaking down in front of my husband I spoke with a midwife who was the one who said to me, what’s stopping you changing to formula. When I said because breast is what I feel is best for my baby she replied but what’s best for you is what’s best for your baby. That day I switched to a combination of formula and expressed milk and then after a few weeks he became fully formula fed. Honestly haven’t looked back and I enjoy feeding him so much more.

My son is a lazy baby and won’t always latch so I pump quite often as breast milk is the best but I feel guilty and quite frustrated he won’t really latch my husband wanted him on strictly breast milk so I’ve had him help with feedings sometimes he feeds our son while I pump I would just do what’s best for you and the baby this is what’s working best for me and the baby it’s just a bonus that me and my husband both wanted the baby strictly on breast milk and was able to comprise plus while pumping I can spend time with our 3y son

Maybe try Lansinoh and some nipple shields? Ask HV for some advice from the feeding specialist to check her latch but honestly sometimes it just takes time for the nipples to get accustomed to breastfeeding. Mine hurt initially and still sometimes do briefly but are mostly pain free. Took a few weeks though!