When will it stop feeling like needles being jabbed into me every time she nurses?! HELP. I feel like quitting!
*I am using cream on them
*Taking a pain killer (which is helping)
*Occasional nip shield
Monday, May 26, 2008
Need some serious tips for the nips
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
17 comments:
awww, i'm so sorry. i feel for you. i know i told you this when you were still prego, but i remember those first weeks of nursing as being almost worse than labor. you should seriously call the hospital where you delivered and ask to speak with a a lactation consultant. i found their information soooo helpful. (otherwise my aunt's one, so if you're having a hard time tracking one down, she's helped hundreds of women, and would gladly speak with you.) the first couple weeks are the hardest and most painful, no question, but it get's better, promise! and the benefits for you and the baby are invaluable. is kate latching on properly? are your nips cracked at all? are you using that ointment on them? some advice that professionals would disagree with but that worked for me was a nipple shield. professionals' concerns would be that the infant would get used to the plastic and then struggle with nursing, but i would use it every other time or so, just to alleviate some of the pain for me, plus claire was always eager enough to eat that she didn't care if i was using it or not. seriously, call me if you want me to explain that tip further. just stick out ani, that's the best tip i've got. it's rough, but it will improve and you'll be glad you did it. then again, it's a personal decision and so in the end, do what you've got to do and if you need to quit, do it and don't worry about what others think cuz it's your body and your baby.
yeah, it hurts... for a few weeks. by six weeks i could always handle it fine, but it seems like forever getting to that point. nipple shields do provide some relief, but they can also cut down your milk supply, so watch out. CONGRATULATIONS though on your beautiful baby! hang in there! it's hard, but worth it....
First I am going to say Don't quit! I HATED it at first. Everyday I vowed I was quitting, because it would take forever! It did get better, and I am still nursing 6 1/2 months later. I supplement with a bottle or pump and give her a bottle to give me a little sanity. Second, I think you should know it is o.k. to stop. It is totally personal, and fine. My doctor almost has been encouraging me to stop (weird I know). He tells me it is up to me, and bottle feeding is just fine. I know it will get better for you, and if you hang in there a little longer you'll see, but if you can't handle it don't worry about switching to formula.
are you using Newman's Cream? It's and Rx and amazing!
my sister used to use cabbage leaves... sounds gross but she said it helped.
my sister used to use cabbage leaves... sounds gross but she said it helped.
I had to use a nipple shield for a long time--4 1/2 months! Yep, Kyle is just NOW nursing without it. When I finally got him to latch on without it it hurt so so bad, but I would use it every other feeding until I was used to it. Now he nurses so much easier and life is great! I also give him a couple bottles a day
Oh man, I so feel your pain. Just thinking about how much nursing hurt at first makes me cringe. But really, what everyone has said is true. IT WILL GET BETTER! If you can just hold on for a little longer it will slowly start to improve and then before you know it you will be an old pro. For me it took about 2 weeks until I wasn't absolutely dying the whole time my baby sucked, and then another 2 after that until it didn't still kill just when he latched on.
But Ani, breastfeeding is worth it. It is totally the best thing for your little baby, and you will soon come to learn how convenient it really is (I know it doesn't seem like that at all now).
Having said that, however, I would like to echo what others have said and say that if you end up deciding not to keep nursing, it is okay! Don't beat yourself up about it, and don't lose sleep over it. Your baby will grow and be healthy and beautiful either way.
Good luck!
Oh, and I saw that someone suggested cabbage leaves. Seriously, that totally soothed my cracked nipples and I would highly recommend it.
I have also heard cabbage leaves myself, and also tea bags. Soften them with warm water and put in bra. Messy, but it did work for me in the beginning. Honesty, it hurts like heck and enough to make you cry, bleed, and squeeze your husbands arm off. But...I promise it goes away and it will be totally worth it in the end.
Good news, for my second baby it didn't hurt at all. Hang in there!
Hang in there girl!! I promise it DOES get better!! Just grit your teeth and get through the first few weeks- it WILL get easier!!! I promise!! Call me if you need some more encourgement!!!
Hi, Ani. It's Eve Whitacre, do you even remember me? I found you through some other Capo 2 blogger and have been checking in on your cute site every so often. I have to comment here and just echo the other women that have responded to you. I remember feeling the same exact way as you and telling my mom that I was just going to give in and give my daughter a bottle that first week. The thing that I tried that FINALLY worked was sun exposure. It sounds weird, but my lactation consultant basically forced me to give it a try and it really healed things up. You can just lay in a sun spot inside your house near a window even if you don't have a private place in your yard. I also used a medela nipple shield at the same time which gave me a chance to heal a bit. I waited too long before trying them and went through weeks (actually months) of unnecessary pain.
My daughter is 9 months now and we are still going strong with nursing. For me, I knew that if I supplemented with formula in that first hard patch that it would be easier to give up, so I held out on a bottle for 4 weeks. We actually have never used formula, but she occasionally has a bottle of pumped milk when I am out.
When Kate gets to be a few months older, you will LOVE nursing. It is cuddly, fast, simple, and healthy for both of you. (Basically the opposite of what it feels like now!)
Congratulations on your cute family!
Oh, and these. I would put them in the fridge during feedings and they felt like heaven on my cracks and blisters (yeah, blisters. Gross.).
How many comments can I leave on one post? I forgot to tell you that when I did the sun exposure, it was for like 10 minutes at a time once or twice a day. I would also express a few drops of milk and let it sit on my nips and dry in the sun.
I hope it works for you. Why can't breastfeeding just be simple in the beginning??
just stick it out...I promise it's easier in the long run.
poor little ani!!!! first of all congrats on your baby because she is seriously ADORABLE! i get so excited for people when they have babies because it is really so special. anyways i feel your pain...the nips hurt REAL bad. but i promise it goes away...just keep using that cream religiously and the nipple shield really saved me. i don't think it is a bad thing to use it a lot. plus, make sure that she is latching on correctly (i just glanced at the comment before mine and i am pretty sure i repeating everything she said...oops). anyways, not to be graphic but she needs to put her mouth over the "whole thing" if you know what I am saying...that means you have to grab your whole you know what and hold it in her mouth for a couple minutes while she is sucking and then let go and it will probably be better. sorry for grossing anyone out who is reading this. ok good luck woman...you can do it!
I guess I was one of the lucky few who never had a problem (besides them being so full I felt like they'd explode.) But I was talking to a good friend about this and she SWEARS by these:
http://www.amedababy.com/product/6-10075-17262-7.html
i want to cry...
Post a Comment