My baby is 7 days old and when he eats it feels like pins and needles in my nipple, is this normal for first time moms or am I doing something wrong?
Totally normal! It even happened with my third child. But it goes away! I can't remember when, but my baby is 2 months old now, and it hasn't felt that way for quite some time. Hang in there!
Totally normal. That's the let down of the milk. :)
Yes, that's a great sign, because it's your milk coming down. Over time, it gets less noticable.
What Lee Lee said, again. The first few days of my milk really coming in and letting down, I thought "this is awful". It does get better and not so dramatic as you continue to nurse.
My boobs hurt like a b**ch for FIVE weeks with my first every time she ate (and every time my milk came in - that 'pins and needles' feeling). I would have lost my mind without breast shields.
That being said, the subsequent convenience of breastfeeding made all that pain totally worth it.
Good for you for sticking it out. What you described sounds completely normal.
I'm on baby number 3 who is now 10 days old and mine were ding the same thing. My SIL told me about some nipple shields at Babys R Us. She wasn't able to find them anywhere else but now that I'm using them the pain is way less. There is still some but not near as much. They run $10 for a set of 2. Definitely worth the money.
What Lee Lee said. This is common when letting down milk. I've heard that it's not bad for some women, but it hurt like heck with me. It did mellow out after a couple of weeks.
If you have concerns, visit a lactation center. My DD's nursing did hurt at first, but some of it was poor latch. A lactation consultant can tell you how to fix your latch, know he's latching well, and other tips. You may find it beneficial to rub lanolin on after a nursing session or use some of your own milk.
kellymom.com is a really good resource, too.
It gets so much easier, but you have to persevere. It took about 6-8 weeks with both of my daughters to iron out all the issues (not latching on one side, pain, sleeping through feedings, milk production, blah, blah, blah...) but once we got past that point it was such a blessing. Keep it up, Momma! You're doing great.
Contact your local La Leche League. Here's a link for Utah. There's a branch in Salt Lake City. http://www.lllusa.org/UT/Utah.html
Their lactation consultants can help you. :-)
The first few weeks will definitly have your nipples sore, if not cracked and bleeding. Check your latch and power through if you can. If you don't think latching is the issue for your pain, there are other possibilities. The let down sensation should not last the whole feeding. If the pain is constant when he eats, you may look into and discuss with the dr the possibility of a yeast infection or the beginnings of mastitis.
It is pretty painful for the first couple of weeks. You will get used to it and your baby will get better at sucking and latching, so it won't hurt nearly as much in another week or so. To help, put some nipple cream on. I really like the Motherlove brand, as it is totally safe for baby, so you can put it on before you nurse. It helps to ease the pain a lot (you can reapply after nursing too).
Also, if you can, let your nipples air dry a bit when you finish nursing. It will help avoid irritation.
A. ,
Congrats on your baby! So happy you are breastfeeding--good for you~ Best for baby and the perfect food. You are experiencing your let-down and sometimes it feels like pins and needles. It will get better with time as your nipples adjust and you get your milk supply adjusted. You aren't doing anything wrong. Just make sure that your baby isn't just on your nipple- make sure you have a good latch and you can hear the suck/swallowing etc. Good luck!
