painful breastfeeding

[catherlyn]

i had been trying to bf bb since her birth. after discharge, i still bf even though very low supply -10ml. but till ytd i had to stop cos the breasts r so painful n hard till when she suckle i was so terribly in pain. it didnt help even when i tried to pump out. nw even got abrasions on both n like someone stepping heavily onto ur breasts. can any1 advise me?? really feel like giving up n feel so depress due to unable to bf her n also low supply... till now everytime pump still ard 10ml only:wecry:

 

[camom]

Hugs...

Is your latch correct? If yes, it's still normal to feel a little pain on contact as the nipples are not toughened up yet. Also, I think your milk just came in, hence the engorgement.

To relieve the engorgement & get some relief, you can try cold cabbage leaves (just cut a hole where the nipple will be and place the whole leave over the breast). However, I did some research subsequently and found that vabbage leaves can decrease the milk supply.

Try to massage ur breasts before you pump to clear any blockages you have. Hold the breast in 1 hand and use the other hand to massage towards the nipple.

HTH!

 

[eileenpxp]

i had been trying to bf baby since her birth. after discharge, i still bf even though very low supply -10ml. but till ytd i had to stop cos the breasts are so painful n hard till when she suckle i was so terribly in pain. it didnt help even when i tried to pump out. now even got abrasions on both n like someone stepping heavily onto your breasts. can any1 advise me?? really feel like giving up n feel so depress due to unable to bf her n also low supply... till now everytime pump still around 10ml only:wecry:

hihi..

do relax...my supply only came in on the 5th day of delivery when i had my 1st child...!!!
i went to see a lactation consultant (sister kang @ Mount Alvernia)...what happened was that somehow...my supply (really little..) got ``stuck'' and i had to massage real hard for many times a day to get the flow..i did let my baby latch on...but sad to say..supply still quite low as my baby becomes uncooperative (too used to bottlefeeding and no latching)...in the end i bf her for 5 months and quitted...

but i have a friend whose daughter refused to latch and my friend persevere thru out by dilligently pumping and after 2 months..her supply increased and managed to bf for 2 years!

Now...my second child is coming to 4 months..i bf him almost 100%...by latching as its super convenient! what i did for the 1st and 2nd day after i delivered: kept massaging my breasts and correct my baby's latching on position...

do try massaging frequently and do not be shy to consult a lactation consultant ...sister kang whom i mentioned--> strongly recommended..she's a bit fierce..but she is experienced...do bring your baby with you and she will guide u thru..i recalled the charges i paid > 2 years ago was $50...

Pls do accept the fact..some ladies get more supply than others even without much stimulation...while others get lesser like myself!

Do drink more fluids to increase your supply...

hope this helps!

 

[uddermummy]

go to doris fok, her charges are really reasonable. I paid about $60 per hour for her services. Do note that she takes into account travelling time though, but all in, i still paid less for her than what i did for lact consultants from thomson.

Do call her to ask her for her charges as they may have been revised.

thomson charges about $100 an hour.

These fees may seem a lot, but when you think about how much you'll save by fully bfing, (about$1400 a year!), they are a good investment. And bear in mind that you have not added in doctor fees cos bf bbs tend not to fall sick so much.

My ger is fully bf and she has not fallen sick at all at the age of 9 months! Mummy on the other hand, has fallen v sick a few times, but bb didn't catch any of my nasty bugs even though i've always been latching her on direct. :001_302:

IN the meantime, google for jack newman's videos on bfing.

Btw, do not judge the amt of milk you have from what you've expressed. The pump doesn't extract milk as efficiently as bb, and you need a while to get used to the pump.

 

[catherlyn]

go to doris fok, her charges are really reasonable. I paid about $60 per hour for her services. Do note that she takes into account travelling time though, but all in, i still paid less for her than what i did for lact consultants from thomson.

Do call her to ask her for her charges as they may have been revised.

thomson charges about $100 an hour.

These fees may seem a lot, but when you think about how much you'll save by fully bfing, (about$1400 a year!), they are a good investment. And bear in mind that you have not added in doctor fees cos bf bbs tend not to fall sick so much.

My ger is fully bf and she has not fallen sick at all at the age of 9 months! Mummy on the other hand, has fallen very sick a few times, but baby didn't catch any of my nasty bugs even though i've always been latching her on direct. :001_302:

IN the meantime, google for jack newman's videos on bfing.

Btw, do not judge the amt of milk you have from what you've expressed. The pump doesn't extract milk as efficiently as baby, and you need a while to get used to the pump.

do u hv her contact number?? so she does house visiting?? i don mind the charges as long as i can bf my ger(something tat i decided to do once discovered pregnant...)

 

[Phoebii Cheng]

I think you got engorgement

You need to clear the blocked ducts first before you can successfully BF your bb, yes like what all the other mummies advise, why don't u engage an LC and help u clear the blocked duct.....

Where did u deliver? You can call up the hospital tht u deliver and request the help of the LC otherwise, get ur gynae to help u get the LC, the other time my gynae helped me to get the LC

 

[uddermummy]

her number is 9638 7660.

like what phoebe said, you can call up the lactation consultants at the hospital you delivered. Or call the BMSG hotline (available somewhere in this bfing forum).

 

[uddermummy]

her number is 9638 7660.

like what phoebe said, you can call up the lactation consultants at the hospital you delivered. Or call the BMSG hotline (available somewhere in this bfing forum).

you may want to refer to this thread for lactation consultants? http://www.mummysg.com/forums/f72/good-lactation-consultant-recommend-22754/

 

[yingbin1005]

Go to Sister Kang from Mt Alvernia .. she is good... i asked her to come to my house n help me too when i had problem latching my boy on... =)

she charges $80+ per hour now...

 

[Jamiejhy]

i had been trying to bf baby since her birth. after discharge, i still bf even though very low supply -10ml. but till ytd i had to stop cos the breasts are so painful n hard till when she suckle i was so terribly in pain. it didnt help even when i tried to pump out. now even got abrasions on both n like someone stepping heavily onto your breasts. can any1 advise me?? really feel like giving up n feel so depress due to unable to bf her n also low supply... till now everytime pump still around 10ml only:wecry:

I understand hw u feel but hang on there..the painful days wil soon b over. It took me abt 2wks b4 the milk supply was consistent, along w/nonstop BF & pumping. its v painful but dun give up..think of the goodness BM can provide 2 yr bb. once the blocked ducts is cleared, everything will be alright..

 

[catherlyn]

i called the kk LC then she advise me not to let bb latch till my ducts open n pump out every 3 hrly, 15 mins per breast. i tried n managed to c increase in the output-30ml/pump. but nw i don think i can even pump cos both breast got broken skin n nipples bled.... think will hv to endure the pain till the wound heal then start pump again....

 

[uddermummy]

i had bleeding nipples too for the first month.


The pump shouldn't hurt when you're extracting milk. If it hurts, it may be too tight, and is pulling on your nipple. I rested for a day to let my nipples rest while i pumped the milk out.

doris fok taught me how to express the milk using manual hand expression. It's v tiring, and you need to get the hang of it, but it's gentle enough for the sore nipples and really helps to clear the blocked ducts.

When your nipples have healed, directly latching bb on is actually the best way to clear the blocked ducts, and not expressing milk, provided your bb is latching on correctly.

I think you may be having prob latching on as well. If your prob are really severe, or if they continue to bug you, either get a lc to see you or go to one. I find that face to face consultations work the best, cos it's really hard to describe problems over the phone.

 

[camom]

Which pump are you using? If it's electric pump, is the suction overly strong? Try to adjust it lower so it doesn't pull too much.

Use a gd lanolin cream or bm to apply on your nipples. That'll help with the healing.

 

[catherlyn]

Which pump are you using? If it's electric pump, is the suction overly strong? Try to adjust it lower so it doesn't pull too much.

Use a good lanolin cream or breast milk to apply on your nipples. That'll help with the healing.

im using avent manual pump. today just tried to hand pump cos i don wan to prolong the healing. n like wat uddermummy said, i may hv latching pro too but not sure is becos i scare pain so subconsciously im not doing well... hand pumped 20ml but was tiring but i will keeping doing it for my bb.... my hubby said its ok if i cant bf don b depressed but i just cant help feeling crying...:wecry:

 

[uddermummy]

im using avent manual pump. today just tried to hand pump cos i dont want to prolong the healing. n like what uddermummy said, i may have latching pro too but not sure is becos i scare pain so subconsciously im not doing well... hand pumped 20ml but was tiring but i will keeping doing it for my baby.... my hubby said its ok if i cant bf dont b depressed but i just cant help feeling crying...:wecry:

babe, you're already trying your best! *hugs*

If you can, and if you really need help, maybe you can call doris fok? or the BMSG helpline? Note that doris fok only turns on her hp from 8am to 5pm on weekdays.

when you latch bb on, is your bb opening her mouth wide? It may take a few times for bb to get the hang of latching on.

you may want to try getting a bigger funnel? Cos there should be space in the funnel for the nipple to pulled. Before your express the milk, drink warm drinks, take a hot shower, and massage your breasts to get the milk flowing.

 

[camom]

When you latch bb on, you bring bb toward your breast, not move towards bb (u noe what I mean?).

I usually use the cradle hold position, I find it easier. To get a gd latch, u must make sure bb's mouth take as much of your aerola as possible. The milk ducts are in the aerolas, not in the nipples. When bb's tongue palate compresses the aerola, the milk will come. One very useful tip I was taught was to make sure that you hold your aerola in the same direction as bb's mouth so that milk extraction is more efficient, i.e when bb is lying down and facing you, bb's mouth is a vertical line, so you don't compress your aerola in a c-shape, u hold it in a upright u-shaped position.. u get what I mean?

You can use your nipple to tease bb's mouth, naturally, bb's mouth will open wide and you can pop your aerola and nipple into bb's mouth. Note that bb's lips should be flipped outwards like a goldfish. If latch is no gd, then u need to unlatch bb properly and try again. Bf should not be painful (apart from the initial adjustment) if the latch is correct.

For cradle hold, the bb's body should be parallel to yours.. then the mouth will be aligned with your breast for easy feeding.


HTH!

 

[camom]

im using avent manual pump. today just tried to hand pump cos i dont want to prolong the healing. n like what uddermummy said, i may have latching pro too but not sure is becos i scare pain so subconsciously im not doing well... hand pumped 20ml but was tiring but i will keeping doing it for my baby.... my hubby said its ok if i cant bf dont b depressed but i just cant help feeling crying...:wecry:

Hugs!

U used the pump with the petals? They are gentler on the breasts than without...

 

[catherlyn]

Hugs!

you used the pump with the petals? They are gentler on the breasts than without...

ya im using tat. but with tat it was also painful, think due to the abrasions. i tried to latch her just nw but failed. think the rough skin mk her uncomfortable... i will try latch again when both heal n if fail again i will go to the LC....

 

[catherlyn]

ytd nite i tried to latch my ger n had 2 successful tries but with much difficulties n after which i still need to feed her with fm. but this morning i tried to latch her again, it was unsuccessful..... n again she suckle on the nipple instead..... but when i resumed manual pumping, im able to collect 60mlof milk compare to previous 30ml/pump. hw offer do i hv to pump shall my ger still unable to latch on... i still hope tat she will latch...

 

[uddermummy]

when you latch your ger on, do you stroke her cheek with your nipple so that she opens her mouth wide?

Must really catch her and pop your nipple in when her mouth is open at the widest. Like what camom said, do you hold your nipple in line with your ger's mouth?

If you find that your ger is sucking on the tip of the nipple, use your index finger knuckle to pull her chin down. When you pull her chin down, she will open her mouth wider.

Latching is usually less painful when her ger has most of the lower, not the upper, areole in her mouth. To make sure she gets most ot the lower areole, make sure her tummy is against your tummy and it may help if you push her neck in towards you.

Have you googled Dr jack newman's breastfeeding videos?