dreading breast feeding and a inverted nipple

WELL! Lucy is 3weeks tomorrow and i have persisted until now...

MY BOOBS FREAKIN HURT ALREADY!!!!!!!!

not only that I have one inverted nipple so im using a nipple guard on that nipple but its so annoying I just cant get her on that one!

my boobs are so sore and craked i almost gave up BFing today but know that im better off for her sake continuing....

im using lansinoh all the time but is there anything else i can do??? does it eventually get better???

she is latching on right she gets a big mouth ful and everything ....
please help me im going insane I dread feeding times cause it just hurts :crying:

:help: what to do????

oh leah im sorry i cant help you but its good to see you online again. I hope it gets better for you babe :hug:

p.s where are thr photos of the little princess? :)

hi sweet trying to get those up will defiantly do so before the end of the day PROMISE!

I can't help u re the inverted nipple - but i do know that b/f does get heaps easier and if u are able to persevere with it u'll see how wonderful and rewarding it actually is for both u and Lucy.

Have u tried different positions eg footy style, lying down etc....to see if that assists with the feeding? Or maybe she can't latch on correctly cause ur breast may be very full...sometimes in the beginning it helps to express a bit first to soften around the nipple and help it to potrude more????

I'm definately no expert - but i think it's wonderful that u are seeking advice and trying to continue. There are some lactation consutants on here - i think FionaJill is one? so they could give u better advice. Good luck with it - and Lucy is adorable :hug:

I have a close friend with an inverted nipple who went & got help from a lactation consultant through her MCHN, maybe phone them & set up a meeting to get some help with positions etc. I know it was really hard on her & bubs for a while. Goodluck & you are doing well to perservere!

i had inverted nipples & found to start with the best way to get DD to latch on was football style or lying down - mine cracked too so used to rub some breastmilk into them as well as lasinoh also try cabbage leaves that have been in the freezer - i was also told to not tense up when i knew she was going to latch on as that didnt help - sorry im not much help but i promise it does get better - i breastfeed till DD was 19.5months

Hi.

You are doing a really, really good job.

I have flat nipples, and had a lot of trouble feeding Milo, who also had attachemnt problems.

I was able to breastfeed him for 6 months.

At least 2-3 feeds per day for the first 5 weeks, I decided I was going to give up because it was too painful and I couldn't take it anymore.
I was stressed throughout feeds, and tearing my clothes off becuase I was so uncomfortable.

Then I'd have an OK feed, and decide I could do it.

I spent at least the first month dreading each feed to to point where I didn't want Milo to wake up, because it would mean I had to feed him.

My nipples were red/purple and sore all the time. I had thrush and vasopsasm (thankfully no mastitis). At one point I had blood blisters caused by Milos 'intersting' attachment and sucking action.

I saw a couple of lactation consultants and went to a few breastfeeding day stay programs at the hospital. You should enquire if you haven't already about these at your hopital or any of the large public ones that have maternity wards.

I also rang the ABA (during the blood blister episode, Milo was about 4-5 weks old) and spoke to a lovely woman Yvette who was just fantastic.

It really does get easier. For me it took a lot longer than normal, but for most people by 5-8 weeks its a lot better.

For the soreness etc, the best advice and treatment I found was to

1) air dry after each feed, and try to keep them exposed as much as you can (I unsertand the difficulty of this, believe me)

2) don't overdo the lansinoh/marcalan - a tiny smear really is enough.
Also make sure that your nipples are really dry before you apply it, otherwise you will be trapping the moisture in and aggrevating the problem.

I hope you find that feeding improves really soon.

I think the two things you have to do Leah is get an appointment with a LC (this doesn't have to be expensive. Most ECC's have access to them or can reccomend you to one) to check atachment & feeding styles. Continue with the lanusoh & after seeing someone set yourself a cut-off date. I am in no way suggesting that you stop breastfeeding BUT you also don't want to be robbed of this precious time with your daughter by very real stress, pain & anxiety over BF & feel like it will never end. I had initial problems & set myself a cut-off of six weeks.... if we hadn't found our groove in six weeks I was going to FF. In my mind I would do everytjhing possible to make it happen within that time but I had an 'end date' for me to know that, if it wasn't working, I wouldn't hesitate to make the switch for both our sakes.

This is such an emotional time for you.... as it turned out I had it sorted withing 4 weeks & went on to feed for ten months.

Best of luck Leah but certainly find someone ASAP to sit down with.

Hi - just wanted to add that I just saw in the "Live Expert Chats" that Pinky is going to be on, august 21 at 8pm.

Pinky is a lactaiton consultant, so it might be worth send in a question?

I also had pain and lots of difficulties for the first 4 weeks (and had to use nipple shields for this time). After that it got better. As they get bigger they can attach much more easily. I am sure a LC could help and I recommed you try, but at least you know it should get better pretty soon.

Good luck,
Melanie

This has been really interesting for me to read - I have inverted nipples and always wanted to know how others did it.

mmm thanks for all your responses... i caved last night and im changing to formula... i was in tears and have been all day i went to the doctors and saw her cause it feels like im loosing milk and she said the only way to get more milk is to feed more and i couldnt think of anything worse.... am i a bad mum??? i did call the comunity nurse thing and i coulndt get somone to help until a week and a half.... thank u girls flr the support though ... :(

Of course you are not a bad mum!

happy mum = happy baby.

You need to do whats best for you, so that you can do whats best for your bub!

Lucy has had a great start, and I'm sure she will continue to thrive!

Aaw Leah, don't think for a second you are a bad Mum. I totally agree with Rachael - happy mum = happy bub.

You have given her a great start & I'm sure she will continue to thrive. :hug:

Awww Shinee, welcome to the joy's matey!!! I was exactly the same having had to have a c/s i was in hospital for 6 days and i had sooo much trouble feeding Hayleigh as i have one nipple a different shape to the other so they said she was having nipple confusion :confused: I went to lactation consultants, tried expressing from the bung nipple and it was toe curling pain, so i caved after 1 week as it was really getting me down and i was started to dread feeding my own child and i did not want that, so we switched to formula and we never looked back and Hayleigh thrived, i wish i could have bf for her sake but when the clinic nurse came for the home visit, he told me that his job was to promote that breast is best but he said in his eyes a happy mum means a happy baby and i took that info on board in coping with my inability not to bf, Its a great gift when you can bf but when you simply can't and have tried it does not mean your a bad mum, you are just doing what is best for the both of you!
Best of luck sweet! Oh and Lucy is just gorgoeous, You & Danny should be very proud!

Shinee there are a million gazillion ways to love your baby & be a good mother.... BF is just one of them :)

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This has been really interesting for me to read - I have inverted nipples and always wanted to know how others did it.

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I have flat nipples and am still using a nipple shield. Cooper gets on and sucks away happily.

Awe fanks girls.. :o i love belly belly i wouldnt know what to do without all of you!!! xxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxox oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Leah,
I so know how you are feeling hun, I have large nipples, and a little flat.
With my children, I had all hell troule feeding them, the best feeder i have was actually the one that the ECN thought would never feed, he was severely tongue tied, but I used a tommie tippee sheild as it was super thin all over, it let my nipple "slide" back enough to feed him. He fed for 16 months. With my other children though, it was so painful, i was in tears at each feed. My nipples got ragged, bled and also had blisters on them. I persisted as long as I could, but with my first, he self weened . My last son was the worst by far. He also suffered reflux, and due to it burning him, he wanted to comfort suck all the time. He also had such a savage suck due to his pain. I ended up giving up the breastfeeding, but got an avent isis breastpump, and expressed his feeds. However at 4 weeks old, he was hospitalised as he just could not keep any of his feeds down and got dehydrated. The doctor told me his reflux needed AR formula, and told me to stop expressing as it was just wearing me out, and my milk was also gradually drying up.
I never felt so bad after stopping the breastmilk for good. But came to realise, it was truley for the best as he thrived after the switch, and was such a happy baby as well, whereas before, he screamed all the time.
You are such a great mum trying for so long, never forget that you have given your bub the absolute best start in life with all that colostrum, being the most important of all breastmilk. You truely have a lucky bubba there :D