What are the first hurdles we face when breastfeeding?
When breastfeeding, nipples hurt!
Although nipple pain is an intuitive feeling for mothers, the causes of nipple pain come from three aspects:
1. The reason for the mother, because of the mother's own condition, such as sensitivity, physical damage and other reasons caused by pain.
2. The baby's reason, because of the baby's oral problems and other reasons caused by nipple pain.
3. Other reasons, due to improper use of tools, such as breast pumps, milk collectors, etc., causing nipple injury.
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Therefore, Wen Li will be divided into 3 articles to give a brief introduction to the causes of nipple headaches during lactation.
Today is the first article, let's talk about the causes of nipple pain, the reasons from the mother and how to deal with it.
1. Sensitive nipples
In the third trimester or early breastfeeding, the nipple becomes so sensitive that it hurts even to touch it!
What to do?
This nipple sensitivity will be reduced as the breastfeeding progresses, and after a few days of feeding, the sensitivity pain will be reduced.
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2. Incorrect feeding posture
The vast majority of lactation pain is due to this reason!!
When we emphasize the latching position, we always say that the baby should open his mouth wide and latch on more. In fact, adjusting the breastfeeding position refers to the adjustment of both parties, and if the mother does not cooperate well, she will also have sore nipples.
What to do?
Adjust the mother's feeding position. At the time of feeding, the mother should be:
First of all, you should feel that your body is comfortable, whether it is hands, shoulders, back, waist should be relaxed, learn to use cushions/pillows/nursing pillows/chair armrests/bags/clothes, etc., as long as you can borrow strength, let yourself save effort to use all the items!
Secondly, the contact with the baby is close to each other. Especially for newborn feeding, we talk about "fitting". The mother should be "attached" to the baby.
Whether it is a cradle, a cross cradle, a backward position, or a side position, the baby and mother should be belly-to-belly and have as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. Of course, if you have a caesarean section in the side lying position, you can place a quilt/small pillow near the wound to prevent the baby from kicking/pressing on the wound. Even if it is an olive pose, the baby's body should be as close to the mother as possible, so that sucking is not easy to get a breast headache.
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3. There is papillary vasospasm (Raynaud's phenomenon)
It is the kind of situation where it does not hurt when feeding, but it hurts after feeding. And it's not just the nipples that hurt, the nipples also change color and turn white, red, blue.
What to do?
If you want to relieve this discomfort, it is relatively simple, just don't let your nipples get cold!
After feeding, cover your nipples and breasts with a warm dry towel/warm hand covering. In most cases, this pain can be relieved very well. And it was immediate, and it worked great!
However, if the measures are not obvious and the attacks are frequent, it is recommended to see a doctor.
4. Nipples have rashes, eczema, breast herpes, and unbearable itching
Because I have met the itchy nipple areola, I can't help but scratch my breasts, and the mother who returned to milk in the confinement really feels sorry for her.
I didn't feed the milk I wanted to feed, and I was super uncomfortable.
If you have a skin disease on the breast, seek medical attention promptly. Accurate diagnosis and timely medication can make you feel better and not delay subsequent breastfeeding.
5. Breast blisters
This is still very common.
A milk blister is a white or yellow emboli on the top of the nipple that is blocked at the exit of the milk duct. Poor milk flow can lead to pain.
What to do?
As long as the outlet is not blocked and the milk is still coming out, insist on breastfeeding/breast pump to remove the milk. There are some pavular emboli that can fall off/pass due to lactation/manual handling.
6. Cracked nipples
There is a wound on the nipple, and it will naturally hurt for the baby to suck.
What to do?
In order to reduce the occurrence of chapping, it is necessary to adjust the feeding position, and the latching must be correct and not painful.
When there is a crack and you want to breastfeed, you can wear a thin breast shield with only one layer.
There are also factors that can cause sore nipples from the baby and external appliances. We'll talk about it in detail in the next part~