Breastfeeding Help - Coraopolis,PA

Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby! I don't know if this is your first baby or not but the week 2 and 3 are always the most uncomfortable for breastfeeding but after the first month you'll be a pro. Hang in there! Regarding the pain you are feeling, it is hard to say for sure without more info but if it is always in one area of your breast, you could be getting a clogged duct, if this is the case you will begin to feel a bump in the area that is hurting. Like I said, it is hard to tell but if this is the case, try applying warm compresses to the area before and during nursing if possible. If the pain is on the nipple it may just be normal discomfort. If you are really concerned call your doctor or lactation consultant. If is not too soon to begin pumping but you must remember that additional pumping is going to stimulate your body to produce more so if you are haveing any issue with engorgement you may not want to pump yet unless it is just to releive the pressure. Only pump 2 oz at a time. Everyone differs in when to introduce a bottle but I think if she is latching on and feeding well for you from the breast and you are only giving her a bottle once a day you could probably start at week 3 wihtout nipple confusion. Every baby is different and I am sure you are doing a great job! I hope some peice of this helps and good luck.

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. I can remember (my son is 5 mos.) both sides stinging, but one side definitely stung much more than the other. Unfortunately, the only thing you can really do is work through it. Mine got much better with time as my breasts toughened up! It won't be that bad forever.

It's never too soon to start pumping. Might as well start stocking up! As far as the bottle goes, you can start introducing the bottle as soon as the baby is established with breastfeeding. This is usually at about 3 weeks. If you wait longer than that it is usually more difficult for the baby to adapt as he/she is so used to only the breast. At about that mark the baby will have the breastfeeding down, but will still be willing to try the bottle. So I think you're right on track, and you should start thinking about introducing the bottle in the next week.

Same thing here, you could always follow up with a cold ice pack on your breast.
Go ahead and start to pump. It is NEVER too early to introduce the bottle. I waited each time with my kids and it was a complete nightmare. My son was 6 weeks old and he absolutely refused to drink from a bottle. He would go the entire 6 hours I was gone without drinking, screaming the whole time. With my daughter, I started at 3 weeks old. She was hesitate the first few times, but by 9 weeks old, she was taking it like a champ.
I know this is a bit "conspiracy theory-like", but I think that the reason they want people to exclusively breastfeed at first is because its soooo much easier to bottle feed. For that reason, if you are going through the trials and tribulations of breastfeeding those first few weeks and you also bottle feed, you might be more apt to bottle feed only. Even though you feel a bit of discomfort now, if you stick with it, you'll experience much more closeness to your child. Best of luck.

I would get stinging pains when I first started breast feeding my son too. It really seemed to hurt when he first latched on, but went away after a few moments. After a while, the pain subsided completely and only returned if I was really engorged. I chalked it up to my body learning how to breastfeed and also learning how much milk I needed at each feeding, since I always felt engorged in those early days.

Hello!
I agree...you should call a LC just to be sure, but I'm sure the pain will subside shortly. The same thing happened to me, and it was over in a few days. Make sure you are feeding frequently (8-12 times/day).
I must add, when Karen W said, "I think that the reason they want people to exclusively breastfeed at first is because its soooo much easier to bottle feed" my jaw dropped. I completely disagree (sorry, Karen!). I think bottlefeeding is waaaaay harder (I bfed my first until age 2, and just hit 6 months with my 2nd). We had to make a bottle of formula JUST ONCE for her the other day, and it was such an ordeal (measuring, the right water, temperature, all of the equipment, etc.) It was such a pain! Just get through the first 6 weeks, and it is SO EASY AFTER THAT! Think of it this way...do you want to lug yourself out of bed how many times a night and take 15 minutes to prepare and warm up a bottle, all the while your baby screaming and waking up the whole house? If you breast-feed, you roll over, grab the baby from the "side-car", latch him on, and drift off! It takes 2 seconds! Plus, I lost all of my baby weight PLUS 6 LBS after a MONTH WITHOUT TRYING!!! People have seen me and joked that they are going to go out and get a baby...the next big diet fad is lactation! lol
Stick it out the first little while, and it PAYS OFF! :)
Good luck!!
ps I know I kind of went off the topic...sorry...I'd wait a week or two before introducing a bottle with pumped milk..try "Adiri" "Avent" or "Nuk" bottles...all reported to help avoid "nipple confusion". Just do one bottle a day so the baby will always be able to switch between them...perhaps your hubby could take a feeding...

HI T.,
The first thing I would like you to do is see if the baby has any white patches in her mouth....if yes, you may have a case of the thrush - a yeast infection in her mouth and in your breast. Is this a shooting pain that goes straight through to you back? Go to a LC IMMEDIATELY! It is normal to have some pain in the beginning, no one is used to being sucked on for that amount of time, but I have been in your position with a Dr. who was not breastfeeding friendly or knowledgable (formula promoter) and did not get advice that helped me cure up the yeast, so I suffered. There is no reason to suffer, find a La Leche League in your area or a Nursing Mothers group, they can look at what you are doing and help you in person.
Good luck and Nurse on!
P.S. DO NOT START PUMPING until you reach the 6 week mark, this is not only so your baby will breastfeed but it is to establish your milk supply. Pumping can set you up for engorgement if you are doing it to early.
L. S