When did it get easier?

Replies

• Scubachick-71869

  May 26, 2010 5:28PM

  Hey there. My nipples were sore until my son was about 6 weeks old. It didn't seem to matter what I did to adjust the latch etc and I thought it would never be comfortable. I think it can just take the babies a while to learn what to do and once they've got it they just latch themselves on.
  I'm extremely glad I persevered as my son is thriving, I love how convenient it is and I don't think anything can quite replace the comfort of breastfeeding. That said, he still occasionally has a 'milk frenzy' where he keeps bobbing on and off and crying but I've learnt that taking him away from the boob and distracting him usually works - I think he's finished eating, he's just 'addicted' and doesn't quite know what to do with himself!
  Give expressing a go, I know it helped give my nipples a bit of a rest and there's no reason that it would result in mixed feeding.
  6 weeks seems to be the turning point for a lot of women I've spoken to - in fact in The Baby Whisperer she says 'give it 40 days' so if you can just hold out for another couple of weeks I'm sure you'll be glad you did!
  Good luck and well done for getting as far as you have.
  xxx

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• mrsa111

  May 26, 2010 5:29PM

  Hey hun.....firstly it does get easier, but it sounds like you need some help.
  BF is really hard for some of us, it was for me and my lo. We got help and 6 months down the line i am still bf her. I am so pleased we made it this far and could not have done so without the support of a bf consutant and bf support group at my hospital.
  
  If you are getting sore cracked nipples it is a sure sign your lo is not latching on properly and unless you get this sorted bf will continue to be painful and difficult. My consultant helped me within the space of 5 minutes, she aslo identified that my lo had a tongue tie and helped me get that corrected too. I needed help on a number of later occasions too, as lo got bigger and i had to re position her.
  Basically you need to get help, speak to your mw or hv about where your nearset bf group is and hopefully they know of a bf consultant too. Most mw and hv don't really know how to help with attachment.
  
  It can get easier and it is worth perservering. My bf consultant is on speed dial and when i have my next baby i will not leave hospital until she has been to see me and lo and made sure we are sttaching and latching properly.
  
  best of luck
  
  MJx

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• mrs_ed

  May 26, 2010 5:38PM

  I agree with scubachick - I think it was around 6 weeks for me too. I had cracked sore nipples and a couple of blisters and I found it really hard to feed through them. I think it was sheer bloody-mindedness that kept me going; I was NOT going to give up! And I'm sooo thankful that I didn't, because all of a sudden you just turn a corner and it becomes much much easier and it's so convenient too.
  
  It might be worth going to a breastfeeding support group if there is one near you. I went to one first of all when I had the blisters and feeding was painful but not feeding meant I just got engorged and that was painful too - also LO only just accepted a bottle so expressing wasn't really an option except to relieve the engorgement pain (she's 24 wks). Anyway the support group was fantastic and really helped me, in fact I have gone every week since as the people there are so nice.
  
  Breastfeeding is odd really, throughout my pregnancy I was adament I would breastfeed and didn't have any bottles in the house at all. Then at first I really believed it was a huge conspiracy as I didn't feel this amazing bonding feeling that I thought I would and tbh it was all a bit of a chore. But now, I can't imagine not BFing - I'll be really sad when LO decides she's had enough.
  
  Just remember, it will get better
  
  mrs_ed

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• kayssis

  May 27, 2010 2:57AM

  Thanks ladies, hopefully I can remember this and keep going until the (hopefully) magical 6 week point. I did try and ask the hv for help, but she just said it's nipple confusion from the top up bottles....he's never latched on properly/easily! I rang the national bfing helpline and she said it sounds like we're doing everything right. Went to a bfing support group last week, but no one goes to had a one on one chat the with the counsellor, but he'd fed just before we went, even as she said there's clearly something wrong to went to another group the next day and she said our position was slightly wrong, but didn't really help us to correct it, in fact he got so wound up she said to just put him on the way we had been to feed him first. Spent the weekend trying to adjust our position the way she said, but just made it more painful.
  Going to try and go back to the first 'group' tonight and hope that he'll be ready for a feed x

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• pumpkino

  May 28, 2010 2:52AM

  Hi - just to say that it took a lot longer for me. I couldn't BF without pain until 13 or 14 weeks - but we had a lot of problems such as thrush etc. It was the hardest thing I've ever done but I am SO glad I kept with it. My son is thriving and it is the best for a lazy mummy like me!! Couldn't get into expressing, washing/sterilising bottles etc.
  
  Good luck hope it improves soon

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