Hi there

Indeed the first days of breastfeeding are very hard, but believe me it gets better so don't give up. I went to hell and back with the breastfeeding. As already said in a previous post. A lot of times the pain is caused either from a bad latch, or tongue tie. .I would definitely contact a lactation consultant. I used indira Lopez from Wimbledon. We managed to work together when I was at point of giving up. Now I continue happily breastfeeding and my little one is 7 months old and will continue doing it so until the last drop. Lots of courage and don't give up it is the most wonderful gifts that you can give your little.

Hi there
I used a lovely lactation consultant who was very no nonsense. Her method was more pinch and push (a while ago now and can't remember her name!) but essentially lot less of fannying about. Waited for baby to be hungry, open mouth, then squeeze nipple and shove into its mouth! It worked much better for me- everyone different so worth trying to see what suits you.
She also gave me Medela nipple shields. I bought some for my sis when she had her baby and she said they were her best present. Baby was a slow feeder and on there for hours and I'd have given up much sooner without the shields- they are the BEST advice for nipple pain as just gives you a break and you don't have to use them at every feed. Lots of old fashioned advice around regarding them restricting flow etc but that was before they were this v thin silicone and have a bit cut out on Medela ones so still skin to skin.
do whatever works best for you- and remember that BF is a nice little bonus for baby but by no means essential and your happiness much more important for them so don't beat yourself up about formula feeds x

Hi Rebs
Sorry to hear you are in pain; sore nipples are miserable. The most common cause of sore nipples is normally positioning and attachment and as others have said getting a breastfeeding expert to observe a breastfeeding may help. Ideally at 3 days you should be getting support from your midwives at home but if you are ok to travel, then the Clapham NCT breastfeeding dropin takes place this morning (Monday) between 10am- 12noon in the private dining room at Harrison's at 15-18 Bedford Hill, Balham.

It is a free resource (funded by donations and Clapham NCT branch fundraising) and staffed by two qualified NCT breastfeeding counsellors who can provide you with face to face support and information.

Alternatively, please have a look at our website http://www.nct.org.uk/branches/clapham/ ... al-support for details of other breastfeeding drop-ins and support in the area as well as details of phone support and internet resources. There is something every day of the week in this area where you can find support from midwives, health visitors, breastfeeding counsellors and LCs.

Good luck

Jenny, NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor
Clapham NCT Volunteer

I just wanted to add a different experience because all you ever here is to stick with it and how wonderful it gets. I breastfed for the first two weeks and they were the most miserable two weeks of my life. My baby had a tongue tie corrected by his 5th day and i was told the latch was correct by several midwives but still I was in so much pain i had to bite down on something everytime he latched on i got through 3 tubes of lansinoh and all it did was to stain my clothes. My baby was never satisfied during those two weeks despite being attached to each boob for an hour each time and lost more than 10% of his bodyweight. I was constantly crying the whole time as was my baby who hardly slept at all. I literally didn't move from my nursing chair everyone tells you to express but I couldn't spend the small pockets of time he wasn't on my boob expressing mere drops even near two weeks on that's all I got out! I then got struck down with mastitis and could hardly move during which time a different health visitor told me my nipples just didn't stick out enough! Anyway we switched to formula and the change in my baby was instant there was no way in hell I could have coped with husband back at work and no family in London. Breastfeeding for me was the most unnatural natural thing and it's ok if it doesn't work out for you I really beat myself up about it but at the end of the day I had to do what made both my baby and myself happy despite what the breastapo say.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby! I know it's hard, but try not to get too upset - it is still SUCH early days breastfeeding-wise and your milk may not have properly come in yet, hence the amount expressed. I would echo what others have said here:

1. use lansinoh - I was very sore in the beginning (definitely for the couple of weeks or so) but this stuff really helped (I literally applied it straight after a feed and you dont need to wipe it off before the baby next feeds either);
2. have a word with a lactation consultant if possible - they can ensure that your positioning etc is good and will provide you with reassurance;
3. remember that this stage is tricky for the majority of mums but within no time you and the baby will hopefully get the hang of it all and any discomfort you're experiencing now will be a distant memory. Using formula is also not a crime!

Best of luck!

Congratulations on your new Baby!
I remember breastfeeding difficulties all too well too! It's not easy at first, at least not for me.
There's some great advice already posted to you and I'd echo that.
Few things that worked particularly well for me:
1. Lansinoh - will help you heal and get you through these first few particularly tricky weeks
2. Get the right breast pump for you - I started off with a Tomy Tippee one but, like you, struggled to express much at all. A friend then recommended a Medela swing pump - more expensive but the best bit of baby kit money we spent - could express so much more, more easily, and a lot more quickly!
3. Breast feeding counsellor - I used one through the NCT network but there are lots out there. I think I just needed a few tips and reassurance from them and that helped too.
It took me several weeks until I felt comfortable and confident breastfeeding - I'm really glad I kept going as, once I had it sorted, it made the night feeds more pleasant(!), helped us bond lots and all the other good stuff.
Just know you are doing a fantastic job already - thinking of you xx

There is also a breastfeeding cafe tomorrow morning from 10am until 11:30 at Stormont Health Centre (5-11 Antrim House, Stormont road, SW11 5EG).

I definitely recommend you see someone to check your baby is latching properly and show you various positions or techniques so ensure the baby isn't just attaching themselves to your nipples, causing you more pain.

I had a lot of nipple damage for the first 6 weeks with my first child due to tongue tie and then had nipple thrush for around 4 months. Various techniques that helped me was the “breast-sandwich” technique to get more breast tissue into baby’s mouth and 'laid back' or biological nurturing position (videos on YouTube- such as some of Jessica burton's clips). Skin to skin with the baby helped also and maybe get tongue tie rules out as a cause of the discomfort.

Let your breasts get plenty of air and you can also use cabbage leaves/ hydrogel pads to help sooth them. The GP prescribed Novogel gel pads to help with the damaged nipples which were great.

There is lots of support out there i.e La Lache League, lactation consultants (http://www.lcgb.org/consultants_local_london.html#S), NCT helpline...... Unfortunately that for something so 'natural' it can be a bumpy road at the beginning. I promise it will get better and one day (soon) everything will just click into place and you won't look back

Oh boy, do I remember this. So sorry you're going through this Rebs. I'm sure there will be a ton of responses, as it's a pretty common issue. I remember how stressful this time was. I am all for breastfeeding, but no one ever really tells you how difficult it is to get going.

I think that the best thing you can do is to reach out to your Health Visitor and schedule a Lactation Consultant to come see you. You need someone to watch what you're doing in the comfort of your home and give you the confidence to know that it's going to be okay (or not). I know that the NHS does have ones that will come to your house but If the wait is too long, you can hire one privately for relatively little cost and I definitely think that it's worth it. In the meantime, you can call the La Leche League hotline on 0845 120 2918 to get advice from a volunteer asap on the phone.
Also, make sure the baby is checked for tongue tie (the LC or your health visitor can do this). This seems to be more and more common.
With regards to expressing, everyone has a slow start. But you should definitely continue to do it because it will kick start the milk production even faster than baby alone. You have to be feeding at least every 2 hours at first to get the milk going. This basically means that you're hooked up to the machine or the baby constantly. It's not fun, but if you give it 2-3 days, you'll start producing like crazy. How realistic it is to keep that up, is up to you, but after a while you can slow down.

I have a lovely NCT friend who was in a similar situation and she became somewhat of an expert in BF (the baby has only ever breastfed). I'm sure that she could be a wonderful resource for you. She lives locally and if you would like me to put her in touch, I'd be more than happy to connect you two. Just send me an email.

You poor thing. Have you tried Lansinoh cream, or a nipple protector (they're made of silicone I think and v thin so baby can feed through them while you heal) - just don't use the protector for very long or it is counterproductive. I think the first week can be the hardest, you're doing really well to keep going and it is v rare I think for it to continue to hurt into the next few weeks. Btw Lansinoh cream is hard to get out of some clothes but I wasn't wearing my best clothes at this stage of feeding, as you might imagine!! Good luck, and try calling the La Leche League for moral support!!

Gosh I feel for you, those early days are a killer!

Remember babies tummies re SOOO tiny so an oz would def do a feed/two! Best advice is to fee din the morning, then express out both boobs and then express after each feed... Should increase milk supply.

I would also highly recommend a dummy as a pacifier... Try no to let baby use to fall asleep ut to push out feeds (especially at night) they are brilliant. Also nipple shields, cabbage leaves and lots and its of lansinoh the nipple cream! Try to make sure baby latched on properly too...

You are doing brilliantly and breastfeeding is so hard to start with... It will get easier though! If you need to top up with formula then do be it- not the end of the world!

Finally get a professional breastfeeding expert in... Friends used one but can't remember name. Wll repost if I remember!

Hi all. I had my baby three days ago n have been breastfeeding. My nipples are so sore and at night time I'm close to tears as my baby wants to feed all the time and making me more sore. I was thinking of expressing a few bottles for the night to give my nipples a break and hopefully heal. I just tried to express but could only manage 1 ounce. Which obviously won't be enough to feed my baby all night. Has anyone got any advice for me please? I'm feeling quite down and don't want to have to switch to formula. Especially not just yet anyway. Please help.