How to Deal with Pain During Breastfeeding

Most women experience some discomfort during breastfeeding, but some women find the pain excruciating or unbearable. There are many things that can cause painful breastfeeding, from incorrect positioning of your baby's mouth on the nipple to breast infections!

The first major cause of pain while breastfeeding is usually the baby's mouth being positioned incorrectly on the nipple. You need to make certain that your baby is latching on properly, meaning he has taken the nipple and part of the surrounding areola into his mouth. If your baby takes only the nipple into his mouth, it will make it difficult for him to get any milk out, and he will suck harder, which will be very uncomfortable for you. The nipple should be near the back of the baby's throat, and is should be lying almost flat on your baby's tongue. If you need help getting proper positioning, you can contact your local La Leche League.

Some women develop sore or cracked nipples while breastfeeding. This condition can be extremely uncomfortable and may make breastfeeding unbearable. If your nipples are becoming cracked, you should regularly apply a baby-safe pure lanolin product to your nipples to soothe the pain, and let your nipples air dry naturally for a few minutes after each feeding.

Engorgement can be a common problem. This is when the breasts produce much more milk than the baby is using. This problem will correct itself in a couple of days, but if it is extremely uncomfortable, there are a few ways to relieve it. First of all, you could try using a breast pump to express some of the milk. You could also do this by hand rubbing your hand down the breasts toward the nipples to get the milk flow started, and then gently squeezing and pulling the nipple to express the milk. One more way to relieve the discomfort of breast engorgement is to take a very warm shower. The warm water will help soothe the discomfort, as well as stimulating your milk to let down. You may experience leakage in the shower, which is good, because it helps get rid of the excess milk.

Babies are prone to getting thrush, which is a yeast infection of the mouth. This condition can spread to the nipples of the mother and become very painful. If you notice white patches on your baby's tongue or the inside of his cheeks, you may have thrush. Visit your baby's doctor and he can prescribe Nystatin, a medication that you can both use orally, and you can also use it directly on your nipples. It is a very sweet liquid and doesn't taste bad at all.

If your breasts become very red and tender, and you have flu-like symptoms, you may have mastitis, which is an infection of the breast. You should contact your doctor about this condition, but you may continue to breastfeed safely. This infection will not harm your baby.

Sometimes you may also get a clogged milk duct. This will cause a painful lump in your breast. If this happens, apply warm compresses or take warm showers and massage the breast to try to unclog the duct. If this condition does not clear up in about 48 hours, you should contact your doctor, because it could lead to an infection.