I often hear mamas say that they are aware that breastfeeding hurts and a painful latch is normal in the beginning. They think that their nipples need a little time to toughen up and get used to breastfeeding. However, the steps for breastfeeding pain relief are much more simple than you think.
Oh how I wish that every new mom knew the basics on latch and positioning before starting out on their breastfeeding journey. In short, breastfeeding should not hurt. A latch should be pain-free.
Why a painful latch and how to get relief
In most cases, a painful latch is because your baby is on the breast too shallow. It’s not intuitive how deep the baby is to latch. A good latch means most (if not all) of the areola is in his mouth. When the baby latches too shallow, the tongue presses the nipple up against the hard palate.
Place your tongue to the roof of your mouth close to your teeth. Do you feel the ridges? A shallow latch is like raking your nipple on an ol’ fashion washboard. A shallow latch can quickly break down the tissue and lead to cracked and bleeding nipples. Ouch!
How To Get A Good Latch
Your goal is to have your nipple land at the juncture of the hard and soft palate. Now place your tongue where the hard palate meets the soft palate. Feel the difference? There is clearance for your nipple and a nice cushy pillow-like landing pad.
9 Steps For The Ultimate Breastfeeding Pain Relief
Your breasts are filling with milk and many times are larger than your baby’s head. How do you possibly get your nipple to land all the way in the back of the baby’s mouth?
- Hold the baby in your forearm with your thumb and ring fingers behind the baby’s ears.
- Bring the baby to breast height. Line up the baby’s belly button with your non-nursing nipple.
- Turn the baby all the way in towards you. His belly should not be facing up towards the ceiling. Remember tummy to mummy.
- Using the hand on the same side of the nursing breast, compress your breast into a skinny sandwich. Be sure to place your hand underneath the breast forming the letter U with your hand. This ensure the “sandwich” is horizontal to the baby’s mouth.
- Line up nipple to nose.
- Wait for the gape. When baby opens his mouth wide, sweep the baby in close going up and over the nipple.
- Both lips are flanged like a fish.
- You should feel pulling or tugging but not pinching or pain.
- No pain? You’ve mastered a deep latch!
Get Help With Breastfeeding Pain ASAP
The nipple tissue is so delicate and often deteriorates very quickly. Unlike delivery that has an immediate end goal, breastfeeding is an ongoing journey. Newborns come to breast every 2 – 3 hours. You can’t afford to have damaged nipples when nursing over and over again.
If breastfeeding is painful, reach out to an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for help. With just a few tweaks, you can eliminate the pain and be on your way to an enjoyable breastfeeding journey.
Download Pain-Free Latch Guide
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