I’ve heard it said before that while breastfeeding is natural, it certainly doesn’t come naturally. Numerous women find that they have to quit because it is so painful! Unfortunately, not many women are told that it shouldn’t hurt at all. Pain is not normal while breastfeeding, and if you are in pain something is wrong.
If breastfeeding is painful, it is frequently because your baby has a bad latch-on technique. Latch on technique is not difficult to fix, but it does require patience. The key to fixing latch on technique is to not allow the baby to nurse if it is painful. Keep re-latching the baby until it doesn’t hurt when he sucks. Here are some more common problems that will cause pain, cracked nipples, even bleeding if they aren’t fixed right away!
Baby’s mouth is not open wide enough. . .
In order to nurse well, the baby’s mouth has to be open very wide. There is no such thing as a full term infant’s mouth being too small. The way to think of it, is that your nipple should be almost in the back of the baby’s throat. One way to get a baby to open his mouth wider on his own, is to use your nipple to open his lips. If he still won’t open his mouth, push down gently, but firmly on his chin while he is latching on.
Baby’s lips are turned in. . .
This is essentially “gumming” the breast. The real problem is that by baby’s lips being turned in, his mouth isn’t open wide enough. Both of baby’s lips should be turned out. If he latches on with his lips under, you can use your finger nail to turn his lips out. If this doesn’t work, use your finger to break the suction and try again. DO NOT continue to allow your baby to nurse thinking that the pain will go away–it will not unless you fix the problem.
Baby is sliding on and off. . .
Some babies like to “slurp” the breast into their mouths. It is similar to how we would slurp a long string of spaghetti. This will result in pain so don’t let your baby do it! The only way to train your newborn infant not to slurp is to essentially not allow it. Force your baby to open his mouth very wide and them “pop” him on the breast. If he does it incorrectly, use your finger to break the suction and do it again. Likewise, your baby needs to open his mouth and release your breast rather than sliding off. If your baby likes to slide off, use your finger to break suction before he is finished eating.
Poor positioning. . .
Proper positioning is important for getting your baby latched on properly. The best way to get the baby latched on is to use the football hold. (This is also how you would breastfeed after a c-section.) Essentially, you hold your baby’s head and neck under your arm like a football. You should bring your baby to your breast as opposed to brining your breast to the baby. (That will give you a sore back!)
A bad latch on technique will continue to make you miserable unless you fix it. Even with cracked nipples, you can still nurse pain free once your baby’s latching technique is fixed. In the mean time, you can try Lanolin cream (frequently sold as Lansinoh) to help heal your breast if needed. Lanolin cream is safe for baby so you can nurse him without worrying about washing off the cream first. You can also try a product called soothies which are glycerin gel patches to place on your breasts to help ease discomfort while you and your baby are getting the hang of nursing.
For more information, see these pictures of a baby latching on properly to the breast.