Breast pain while nursing

Breast pain during feeding is a common problem for young and inexperienced mothers. The reasons can be very different - from an uncomfortable position during feeding, which needs to be changed, to various breast diseases. It is important to determine why breast pain occurs during feeding so that the mother and baby can feel comfortable. More about this.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ]

Uncomfortable position when breastfeeding

Very often, mothers, due to inexperience, take the wrong position when feeding their baby, which is why they experience pain in the chest. To avoid this, you need to try different positions during feeding - yours and your baby's. Here are some tips for comfortable positions during feeding

• Make sure your back is well supported by the back of a chair or a stool, or the headboard of your bed. This can help relieve breast pain when feeding.
• The baby's head should rest firmly on the crook of the mother's arm.
• The baby's tummy should be opposite the mother's tummy. His face and knees should be facing the mother's chest.
• The mother's fingers, which support the breast during feeding, should not interfere with the baby's sucking.
• The baby's mouth should be wide open during feeding - it should grasp the breast well.
• The baby should capture the entire nipple and most of the areola in his mouth.

Difficulty in milk flow

Young mothers often have difficulty letting down milk. Then the baby tries to suck out milk with effort, which aggravates breast pain during feeding. When the flow of milk from the mammary glands is obstructed, a young mother may feel pain or tingling in the breast, as well as heaviness in it. Do not worry - your body must get used to the fact that the baby is sucking the breast. You just need to express milk strictly on time or use a breast pump. This is a good remedy for breast pain during feeding.

[ 3 ], [ 4 ]

Too much milk flow

It is very good when a young mother has a lot of milk. But this can cause pain in the breast during feeding. The breast swells from a large amount of milk, and then it is very difficult to feed the baby. To avoid this problem, it is important to do several useful things.

• Express milk strictly on time
• Avoid drinking a lot of warm or hot liquids during the day.
• Avoid yeast foods - this increases milk flow (avoid white bread, beer)
• During feeding, you can express some of the milk, then give some of the milk to the baby. If there is too much milk and the baby is capricious, throwing the breast, or choking, put a cloth or a jar nearby and express some of the milk into it until the stream becomes thin, convenient for the baby to suck.
• Try not to put pressure on your breast with your fingers while feeding, as this can increase milk flow and lead to pain during feeding.

Flat or small nipples

Breast shape is also very important when breastfeeding. If the mother has flat or too small nipples, the baby may find it uncomfortable to suck and increases the pressure on the breast. Breast pain occurs when feeding.

It is necessary that the doctor or nurse show you how to stretch the nipples with your fingers before feeding (they tend to get bigger) in the maternity hospital. This is called nipple stimulation. The nipples need to be directed into the baby's mouth at the right angle - then he will be able to grasp them completely and not cause discomfort and pain to the mother. If the baby is full-term, energetic and active, he will easily stretch your nipple without any help from you. If the nipples are small, you can use a breast pump - it will help to stretch them out. A good method for getting rid of breast pain during feeding.

[ 5 ]

Too big breasts and big nipples

Another extreme that concerns breast shape is too large nipples and breast size. Because of this physiological feature, a mother can suffer even more than because of small breasts. Large breasts fill with milk, become heavy and can be very painful during feeding. Various types of mastitis and bleeding from the nipples occur more often in women with large breasts or large nipples.

Follow these tips and breastfeeding will not be a torture for you because of breast pain.

• Make sure that your breastfeeding position is comfortable and that your back is well supported. If the baby is not holding the breast correctly (too tightly), the mother will be in pain. She will suffer from engorgement and inflammation of the nipples, mastitis. Therefore, when feeding, make sure that you are sitting comfortably.
• A mother with large breasts sometimes finds it easier to lie down while feeding than to sit.
• A rolled-up towel can be placed under your elbow to make it easier to hold your baby while feeding.
• You should not massage your breasts too much before and during feeding, because this increases the flow of milk. Breast pain occurs during feeding.
• Support your breasts with your hands while feeding, but make sure your fingers do not touch the areola – this may interfere with the baby’s sucking and increase the pressure on the breast. The breasts should be supported from below, and very carefully.
• When using a pump, make sure it is connected properly. Also make sure you have chosen the right shape and size breast pump.

[ 6 ]

Raynaud's syndrome

Raynaud's syndrome can manifest itself in paleness and spasms of the limbs. In particular, paleness and dysfunction of the nipples. Now this is a common problem of breastfeeding, which affects up to 20% of all women of childbearing age.

Raynaud's syndrome is not caused by breastfeeding, but by spasms of the arteries that supply blood to the nipples, causing narrowing of the blood flow, numbness, burning and pain in the breast. The skin in the area of loss of blood supply turns blue, and then changes to a reddish color. Raynaud's syndrome usually occurs due to changes in very hot or cold water or air temperatures, as well as when a woman experiences emotional stress. What to do with this disease? How to relieve breast pain?

• Try to be less nervous - this reduces the likelihood of Raynaud's syndrome
• Avoid temperature changes
• Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages - this worsens the course of the disease
• Eliminate caffeine from your diet, as it can increase the risk of Raynaud's syndrome
• Beta blockers and oral contraceptives may increase chest pain in Raynaud's syndrome - avoid them, use other methods of contraception
• Do aerobic and cardio exercises - they can help relieve chest pain and symptoms of the disease
• Take vitamin B6. 150-200 mg once daily for four days, then 25 mg/day once daily will be enough to relieve chest pain due to Raynaud's syndrome.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, which can lead to decreased blood flow in your blood vessels and breast pain when feeding.

Breast abscess

A breast abscess is a painful lump in the breast tissue. It is one of the most serious breastfeeding problems and occurs quite rarely in 6% of mothers who suffer from mastitis.

A breast abscess can occur if you have been suffering from breast infections (mastitis) for a long time. The mother's body will try to get rid of the infection by forming a hard lump of tissue in the infected area of the breast, and a large amount of milk in the breast will only make this process worse. Bacteria feed on milk, so they will multiply, and the process, if not stopped with proper treatment, will become increasingly worse. As a result, the mother will have extremely painful, swollen breasts, she may have chills, and a fever. These symptoms may resemble the flu. What to do?

• First of all, you need to take good care of your nipples, lubricating them with olive oil and washing them well after each feeding and after that. This will prevent cracks in the nipples, which is what causes the abscess.
• Stop using corticosteroids, which may be causing the abscess.
• Quit smoking – smoking may increase your risk of breast abscess.
• Massage your breasts and express milk in time to avoid the development of an abscess that causes pain in the breast during feeding.
• If the abscess gets worse, you should see a doctor who will prescribe antibiotics for treatment.
• Don't go out poorly dressed to avoid catching a cold in your breasts. This will help prevent breast pain when feeding.

[ 7 ], [ 8 ]

Preventing Breast Pain During Breastfeeding

To prevent breast pain during feeding, a mother should follow simple rules. This will help avoid many problems for both her and the baby.

First of all, it is worth paying attention to breast hygiene. The breast should not be washed often with soap or gels, because they dry out the delicate tissue of the nipple, and cracks may develop on it, causing pain during feeding. After washing, the nipple should be thoroughly dried so as not to soften it more than necessary. If the nipple is often wet, it will become more vulnerable to friction and abrasions.

You need to buy a special support bra for nursing mothers. It should not be tight (now all the bras you wore before pregnancy are tight, you should definitely change them for more suitable ones). The bra should be clean to avoid infections that can easily multiply in a humid environment (milk often oozes from the nipples).

When the baby is full, you need to remove the nipple from his mouth smoothly. If you pull it out abruptly, you can damage the nipple. Then the breast will hurt during feeding due to your fault. If the baby does not let go of the nipple, gently press his nose with your fingertips and hold for a few seconds. The baby will open his mouth, and the nipple will immediately be free.

If you have pain in your breasts while feeding, do not tolerate it under any circumstances. This will negatively affect your own health and the condition of the child. Be sure to consult a doctor for examination. Perhaps this pain is associated with serious diseases, the progress of which must be stopped in time.

Breast pain during feeding can occur for a very banal reason - simply because the mother has little information about how to properly feed the child. Do not hesitate to contact the doctor at the maternity hospital, the gynecologist at the clinic or a mammologist specialist so that he can show you in practice how to properly breastfeed and care for the mammary glands. This will eliminate health problems that cause breast pain during feeding.