What's normal?

I'm now recovering mostly from my skinned nipples and hideous pain from last week - thanks to those that suggested things to read/watch/try. I've done all of that and mostly fixed latch on issues, and also graduated to side-lying feeds at times which helped! Also baby-led attachment has helped especially on one side where I have an odd facing nipple!

Now I guess my questions is more along the lines of what's "normal". My nipples are still a little pink right on the top, rather than all over and swollen like before. Should they return to not be at all pink or is it normal for them to look a little pinkish?

Is it also normal to have good BF days and bad, good feeds and bad? I can now get sometimes a perfect latch, enjoy it, no pain, all wonderful. Then have feeds where the latch changes as bub shifts around and it gets better sometimes, worse others and the reason is somewhat of a mystery.

Is a tiny bit of nipple compression at times okay if there is no pain from it, or should every feed have no compression at all?

I also have feeds, especially at night, which can still be quite painful since bub wakes with a cry, starving and is in such a rush to get on he just will not calm down and get a pain free attachment and will scream and thrash around if I try and break him off to start again. At 3am I usually end up in tears if I try over and over to fix it cause I'm tired with no patience so sometimes I just let him feed. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Hi,

I guess there is a difference between what's "normal" and what's "common". After the recent problems you have experienced. You have done so well this week, and I think you will find that it gets easier and easier, and that one day soon breastfeeding will really be painfree and normal. The nipple won't be compressed and will be whatever colour it normally is. Your baby will get proficient at latching - even at 3 in the morning. It is common at this stage to have good days and bad (in mothering, as well as breastfeeding.) You are both still on your Lplates - but you are doing really well, by the sounds of it.

It's good news that things have improved. It still does sound like there is a bit of an issue with the attachment though - ideally you are looking for no compression or pain. At that age many mums do find the night feeds tricky though. It should improve as he gets a bit bigger.

In the meantime, doing as many feeds as you can with Baby Led Attachment should help. For those night feeds, maybe you could try a dream feed so that he doesn't wake so hungry, or perhaps set your alarm and wake him just before he'd normally wake so that he's not starving when he attaches.

Best of luck with it hun. You are doing really well.