Guest Post by Thassia Dazen
Breastfeeding and nipple pain seem like they go hand in hand. The truth is that breastfeeding should not be painful.
In the early days after having a baby, breastfeeding can be painful for a number of reasons but as you both figure out what a good latch looks and feels like, the pain goes away.
For some moms, even with a good latch, they continue to experience severe nipple pain.
In today’s guest post, Thassia tells her story of how a simple little breastfeeding accessory helped eliminate her severe nipple pain which allowed her to achieve her breastfeeding goals!
Breastfeeding and Nipple Pain: Thassia’s Story
My breastfeeding story is a true example of how breastfeeding, like many other things you do and learn in your life, requires practice, perseverance and time to master.
I always knew I wanted to breastfeed my baby! Still, I had no idea how hard it would be to finally get to the position where it felt natural, pain and effortless.
Even though it is a natural process with instinctive behavior from mom and baby, breastfeeding is still a skill that you and your baby must learn and develop.
It is normal and actually likely, that breastfeeding won’t be all roses when you just get started. And that’s ok! My advice is to always seek professional help if things don’t just fall into place naturally.
My breastfeeding troubles came from a different place. Unlike many mothers, I didn’t have any shortage of milk supply.
Unlike many mothers, I didn’t have any shortage of milk supply.
My breasts started leaking colostrum when I was 18 weeks pregnant – I hardly had a baby bump, but my breasts started leaking then!
My baby was also born around my estimated due date and was very healthy with a good latch.
One could say that we had everything in place to succeed at breastfeeding with ease. And yet, it was really difficult in the beginning!
It was a long month of pain and healing, trying everything breastfeeding experts were telling me to do.
It was a long month of pain and healing, trying everything breastfeeding experts were telling me to do.
I just told myself that I was going to keep going but the pain was getting worse by the day that even I started wondering if it would work out.
I had to pump many times a day and offer my breast milk to my baby in a bottle to allow my nipples to heal. But the pumping wasn’t enough to empty my breasts and they became engorged which added a whole new level of pain.
I am sure it would have taken a lot longer than a month for breastfeeding to feel comfortable had I not been helped early by professionals.
After talking to a nurse one day about my breastfeeding problems she advised me to use a silicone nipple shield.
It was the first time I had heard about it. And at that point, I was going to try anything!
This little inexpensive pair of breast protectors changed my whole breastfeeding experience.
After the nurse instructed me on how to use the shield I started offering my breast again to my baby. As the name suggests it worked like a shield and helped my nipples not to get further damaged.
The shield also provided a longer nipple area where my baby could latch on easily and her nursing treated my breast engorgement in a matter of a day!
I used the shield for many weeks until my nipples were 100% healed and my baby was a bit older and better at breastfeeding too.
From there I had the most perfect breastfeeding experience which felt finally natural.
From there I had the most perfect breastfeeding experience which felt finally natural. Our bonding breastfeeding times are the fondest memories I have of my child’s first year.
Our breastfeeding experience changed over time as my baby grew.
When I started back at work my daughter was 5 months old and we alternated breastfeeding and pumping for the hours I was away.
At the time we introduced solids we started to gradually replace a breastfeeding time for a meal until she was having only one breastfeeding session a day in the morning, just before breakfast at the table with us.
She was around 9 months old when I didn’t offer the breast one morning. She never searched for it again.
I knew it was time; our bodies and minds were ready for the next phase. My supply stopped naturally with no adverse reaction.
If you experience nipple pain while breastfeeding I totally recommend trying the nipple shields.
To learn more about how to relieve Nipple Pain, Click HERE!
About the Author
Thassia blogs about all things family at her blog Meraki Mother. She writes about family lifestyle, kids activities, and motherhood. She strives to inspire and empower women and mothers with informative content that educates and enhances motherhood and family life.
Leave a Reply