Arg here I am again lipstick nipples and all

[Patti]

I'm BF my third baby, she is nine days old and seems to have the best latch of all my three. However, I still have very sore nipples at the start of a feed that fades over the first minute or so. I have been wondering if it just hurts for some people as I think her latch is great? That's no help really is it...

[onthefly]

Patti, how would you rate the pain out of 5 (1 almost none, to 5 unbearable)?
If the pain fades after the initial latch, it often means that there is damage there which means the nipple hurts when it is first drawn into baby's mouth, but if the pain does not persist, then the latch is now ok and so it doesn't hurt during the feed. Probably - and I'm just guessing - you had one or two not quite right feeds at the start where a little damage was done and this is why you are feeling that initial pain.
Some sensitivity is normal, so maybe 1 or 2 on the pain scale, but more than that - like proper pain - means something is not right. The most common reason is damage caused by baby not latching quite right. If you're still experiencing problems, I would also suggest the reclining breastfeed to see if that helps.