The Challenges of Breastfeeding in the Early Days

Breastfeeding can have many challenges and often it starts with how it makes new moms feel physically- from nipple pain to cracked & bleeding nipples to hot/tender breasts to knowing when to seek help.

Getting good education while pregnant is always helpful. For example, a breastfeeding basics class. Doing something like this can make new parents feel empowered. For now, I will give some helpful tips on how to troubleshoot the above issues as they are some of the most common issues that go along with breastfeeding.

Nipple pain is usually due to the nipples feeling sore and to some degree this is normal in the early days of breastfeeding. This will take some getting used to as the nipples have never been used in this capacity before, so having an expert in the field (a postpartum doula) to help teach a new mom how to get the baby to properly latch and also how to properly break the latch will be key.

Cracked nipples usually call for some troubleshooting of products that are commonly used by the mom and contain alcohol. So, it may be needed to remove certain soaps, perfumes and detergents that contain alcohol to prevent dryness. If the nipples are already cracked, try hand expressing and rubbing the milk over the nipple and allowing it to air dry to toughen them up. Nipple ointments such as #lanolin from #target and gel breast pads are good for when the nipples are actually bleeding. If it feels really severe, contact your provider for some all-purpose nipple ointment.

If a breast is hot and/or tender, it usually means there is a blocked milk duct. It may also appear red. Use a warm compress to put over the area and massage to release any blockage. Also, the more you put your baby on the breast to nurse and/or pump at a higher setting will also be beneficial.

I suggest parents to-be start having conversations around feeding their baby while pregnant so they can come up with a plan. Also, even a code word like "pineapple" to indicate when/if breastfeeding has become too much and mom needs to move on to another more sustainable plan. Additionally, lean into your resources. Maybe discuss doing a meal train setup so that you have one less thing to think about while you're trying to focus on navigating breastfeeding. A bonus is that is also a way to ensure you're getting those extra 500 calories a day to make enough milk!