Is It Normal To Experience Pain Breastfeeding?
You’ve probably heard this common myth: It’s normal for breastfeeding in the first week or so after delivery to be painful?
This is absolutely not true! A bit of tenderness perhaps but breastfeeding certainly should not hurt!
Breastfeeding Should Not Hurt
Our advice is to try to throw out all of the taught methods of holding and latching a baby and go with what feels right for you. There is no perfect hold or way to latch a baby and perhaps we’ve made things more difficult for moms….with a hundred pillows, sitting very upright and aiming for the “perfect” latch.
Biological nurturing is a term used to describe a very natural unfolding of breastfeeding and using a babies natural neonatal reflexes to help. It isn’t a prescription for an ideal latch but instead allows moms to discover along with their babies what will work for them. This can help minimize the chance of experiencing pain during breastfeeding.
Some tips for pain-free breastfeeding are:
- Spend as much time as possible skin to skin as this will elicit these natural responses from your baby.
- Get comfortable….lean back, put your feet up and use gravity to help support your baby on your chest.
- Don’t worry too much about “proper” breastfeeding positions-if you feel your baby’s latch is comfortable and so are you then everything should be fine!
- And one other piece of advice- IF you are experiencing pain or pinching while nursing then it’s wise to seek out help early! You can look up a practitioner to see if they are an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in your area using this search tool: Public Registry
Looking for more tips on how to have a successful breastfeeding experience? We’ve got you covered! If you are experiencing pain during breastfeeding, check out this article from Today’s Parent on How to Deal with Painful Breastfeeding.