OMG My Breast Hurt

hang it there, it is worth the pain. my preemie was in for 6 weeks and i pumped 3 times a day. it really helped me when i took the pump over by his bed. i could see him and it made it all worthwhile. don't give up.

a little about me: I am the mother of 3. Girls are 18 and 14, son is 6. We also thought we were done, then we were also blessed with a miracle baby. Life is good.

P. - something isn't quite right, because you shouldn't be in this much pain. Go to the hospital where you precious little one is and ask to speak to a lactation consultant to help you. Perhaps you have larger breasts, and the "standard" size cups that come with a pump aren't fitting properly. Or maybe the reverse, and you need to get smaller ones. Or it could be, that you have the pump set too high, try to reduce the suction, so it's not pulling so hard. It might take a little longer for you to let down, but that's okay. If there isn't a lactation consultant at the hospital, find the closest La Leche League online and have a leader help you out - they are great. Listen - I've been pumping for 4 months now, because I had to go back to work, and it is hard work, but stick with it, you are AMAZING that you are so determined to do this for your beautiful daughter. DON'T GIVE UP, HANG IN THERE MOMMA! If you need to talk, shoot me an email, I would love to be your cheerleader, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is for you to just love Ahlyssa, so if you can't pump, then you can't. You try your hardest for as long as you can, but if it winds up not working out after you've exhausted all your resources and gotten help from people, then don't feel guilty. Ahylyssa needs your love the most, and it sounds like she's definitely got that! Best, V..

I know exactly how you feel. For the first three motnhs of his life my son was in and out of the hospital so I had to pump too. I don't know what kind of pump you have but there were two things that really helped me. When I would first start to pump I would turn the level of stregnth on real low and gradually move up and by the time the pump was at full preasure I would almost be numb to the pain. The other thing I did was about 1 hour before I was going to pump I would take really hot wash cloths and lay them over my whole breast. It would relax me and then I wasn't thinking about the pain so much. I hope these ideas help you and I hope your daughter will be ok. Good luck!!

Hi P.,
well just like the ladies said, one thing contributing to your pain could be the way you are pumping. Another thing you may want to think about is going to a baby store where they sell a lotion for nipples during your breastfeeding. It is very thick but you use this to put on the nipple when you are done pumping and everytime you need it. It will not harm the child. All you have to do when you are ready to feed your child, just take a warm cloth and wipe your nipples clean. Always make sure you wipe your nipples after you are done and put the lotion back on. Plus what could also help your breast to flow better is to take a nice warm shower. Usually the warm water will relax your breast muscles and you will start to notice that milk will flow out without you appling pressure to them. And it also works for you to relax as well. Plus at the baby stores they usually sell breast pad in which you can freeze if need or heat up. And you can use that to heat up and put on your breast before you start to pump or feed. Hope this can help you in some way.

Oh I remember the horror of pumping milk. For your nipples I highly recommend using a nipple balm (Gerber has a great one that I used throughout breast feeding/ pumping) or if in a pinch I used Palmer's coco butter (but wash off before feed/pump). I had such a hard time with the pumps! I went through 3 different brands before I found one that I could use easily, I recommend that you consult your breastfeeding nurse or your doctor to help you to find a pump that suits you. Most pumps are just hard to use without help and it takes time to learn how to properly pump. I had my breastfeeding nurse on speed dial for the first 6 months. I recommend that you relax (light a candle, put on relaxing music), message your breast prior to pumping ( I usually did this for 5 minutes each), if possible keep your child in the same room (sleeping is usually best-i not possible keep a photo next to you), relax and do NOT pressure yourself about reaching a certain amount, just relax and let your body do its thing while you pump, just keep your child in your mind and try to stay relaxed. Your body has instincts that are kicking in right now and if you stress out and worry you are blocking the natural process. Also at this point your body will not produce large amounts of breast milk, only what your child should need for each feeding. So relax and do not pressure yourself or you will continue to be frustrated and sore.

Wow, I didn't experience any real discomfort when I pumped. I wonder if maybe you should buy a different size suction, or perhaps have the suction setting on too high? Contact a lactation specialist or La Leche League. Maybe take a warm shower before you pump, the warm water may help the letdown and therefore the pumping more comfortable. Good luck! I'm sure some Mom's who did experience pain will have better advice. I hope your little miracle comes home soon, healthy and strong!
K.
http://kellyis.stayinhomeandlovinit.com

What you're doing IS the best thing you can do for your baby! Stick with it! I remember feeling the same way when I pumped. They sell creams/ointments you can put on your breasts that can help A LOT. I have forgotten the names but one is in a purple container and they are in the same section with all the baby stuff in the grocery store. I would hold a warm washcloth to my breasts before, put the ointment on after and stick one of those pads in my bra. It made a world of difference. Also, please know that you will start getting used to it and it won't hurt so much. You WILL be fine and you're doing great! Give that little blessing a blessing! :-)

I am a first time mom of a two month od daughter. I think what may be your problem is that if you are using an electric pump you may need to turn down the speed/suction force until it is comfortable for you. If you are using a manual, then you also can adjust the force of suction. If this does not help, the maybe a new pump would be better. I am using the Playtex petite double breast electric pump. I found it at target for about $100.00 and have found it great for pumping. I hope this may help you with your pain. I don't know if you have tried nipple creams...I noticed it soothed my nipples when they felt sore. Good luck and keep up being a good mommy. We will go through so much pain to better our children

J.

I PROMISE it gets better!!!! My baby is now 5 months and I don't feel a thing! I pump everyday at work and then feed when I am home. To be honest the true breastfeeding hurts far worse than the pump! They say labor is bad - that person never tried breatfeeding. The good news is as much as the pump hurts it is getting your breasts ready for your baby to latch which won't hurt as bad as you are preparing your breasts for that. I used to sit in the lazy boy and cry it hurt so bad -but again hang in there - I PROMISE it gets better I think it was about a month and a half to two months. The health benefits are worth it!

Hi P.,
First off, congrats, hope your baby girl comes home soon!
I breast fed my first son for 13 mos. till I got mastytis (Breast infection), I struggled in the beginning, even got a really expensive consultant to come help me. It was very important to me, so I stuck with it. The only thing that helped the pain was soothies (kept in fridge, cold breast pads), and lansinoh cream, after each feeding/pumping.
Good luck and stick with it if you can, if not don't be so h*** o* yourself (that is what I am finding with my 2nd)

Hi P.!

I can absolutely relate to the pain you are having; and I didn't have to pump at first like you. First and foremost, kudos to you for sticking with it. To be honest, it took me 2 months after my son to get the hang of nursing and pumping, but I was so glad I stuck it out because it turned out to be the BEST experience ever!! I do have some pointers for you 1) Get Medala pure lanolin. Before pumping, rub a small amount inside the shell and funnel of the breast pump and some around your nipples. This definitely helps with the movement of the breasts. You can also use the lanolin inside your bra (under your pad) daily. 2) Get cooling gels! I got them from our hospitals breast feeding clinic,but you should be able to find some at a baby supply store. The are small round rubbery looking and you keep them in the freezer. You put them in your bra for comfort. Loved them! 3) Go to LaLecheLeague.org. This is an organization that is a great support group for anyone wanting to breastfeed. I hope you find that my suggestions really helped. Like you, I had to figure something out because I did not want to stop! Way to go!

Charity

Talk to the Dr/ Nurse attending to your daughter at the hospital. They may be able to give you advise OR direct you to someone that can. When I had my son 2 1/2 years ago, I was sent to an "after care center" for mothers and newborns. They taught me HOW to pump right so the pain was not so bad. Sometimes when it's hurting it's because the suction is too high, or one of the parts is not working as well as it should. Also, how old is she? the first 2-10 days is painfull to EVERYONE! Pumping or not. It does get better with time and learning how. If you need more advise, feel free to PM me. ~J.

P.:
There has to be something wrong if you are in so much pain from pumping your breast milk. Have you tried inquiring with a lactation consultant? I pumped for 6 months and i never experienced anyhting close to what you are mentioning. Do you think maybe your milk is drying up? Sometimes, it can happen if you don't have the baby near you. I was told by my lactation consultant to bring a used (baby) clothing item and smell it when I started pumping to ease the milk flow. When you are not with the baby, you don't produce enough hormone for your body to produce milk, the baby's scent stimulates that hormone. Best of luck to you. Plese feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions.

Oddly I am pumping as I write! OK first thing to check out is if your nipple shield (the part that goes around your boob) is big enough. If the nipple is pinching it is too small. You can get bigger ones from your hospital. It will be free from them. If not, call a lactation center and you can buy them.

Second, it gets better as time goes on. Mine hurt really badly the first 5-6 days, and now I don't even feel it except fro the first 3 seconds or so. I am even able to pump on 4 at a higher suction level and I so could not have done that a week ago. My son was in the NICU for the first 10 days and so we had to pump, too. I think it is hard when you are not getting the baby to breast because you do let down better when it is a human milking you and not a machine. I assume your daughter was a premie so she likely cannot do that yet. Just keep trying to pump. I have all sorts of medical issues that make breastfeeding a challenge for me and so if this were any other situation, I would likely be doing formula. Since my son was so ill in the NICU we were told he really needed to not get sick for 3 months in order to avoid him going back to the hospital. That means that he needs all the help with his little immune system I can give him. Just try to think of it is a gift to her. Also, I TIVO tv shows (right now I watch Law & Order) and watch 25 minutes worth each time I pump. It distracts me from the amount of time it takes to pump, makes it go so much faster and I don't hurt as much. After that, try cold compresses or bags of frozen peas in your bra after and maybe even for 5 minutes before to numb the girls up!

Good luck!!!

Hi P.

I am also nursing my 3 month old, her name is Khendra. She is the youngest of 3 girls I have.
ANYWAY, I had the same experiences each time nursing. THIS time around, I ABSOLUTELY smother my nipples with Lanolin. I just get messy with it*smile* and let my bra's get messy with it too !!! (ITS WORTH THE MESS!) Sometimes more than every hour or just as much as possible, just when I think of it.. 3 times between each feeding etc. I never let them dry out or I never let my nipples NOT have cream on them, if that makes sense.
Something else I do is make sure I have lots of milk in the freezer and sometimes keep Khendra on a bottle over 2 or 3 feeds so I can also have some time to rest and heal. and then the pumping starts again!!
I have found I never sit with the aches or pains or bleeding for more than a day, and if you haven't already done this.. I hope it could be something that can help you.

xoxox Bev

Talk to the lactation consultant ASAP. Use lanolin, ice, heat, whatever you need. Also, do not pump too often. Every 3 hours during the day and once in the middle of the night should be enough at this point. Breast milk is best and you are doing a great thing, but if you have too much pain and you begin to resent your baby for making you do this thing that causes you pain or start to get depressed about it, slowly stop to "wean" off the pump and realize formula is OK.