How Should Breastfeeding Feel?

[dannii87]

As it says in the title really… I’ve never experienced a “good” feed so I don’t know what is normal and what’s not…

Since Evie’s tongue tie was snipped, feeding feels a little less painful, sore around the areola where it’s like she’s clamping it with her tongue/gums, a bit sore on my nipples where it’s rubbing against the roof of her mouth and there’s a pulling like sensation from inside the breast. I can only assume it’s where milk is flowing down the ducts?

Is this normal? Or do we still have a way to go with the latching and getting it completely painfree?

Can you share how BF feels to you? Thanks!! xxx

 

[charlie84]

The pulling feeling is normal hun as long as its pain free. I feel this when Calleigh feeds. Its just the baby removing the milk from the breast.
I dont know if you can feel it yet as i dont think i did in the first few weeks but you may be able to feel your let down. I feel mine as i have quite a powerful let down, it can feel a little uncomfortable but that lasts a matter of seconds, but then again not all woman feel their let down quite so much.

Keep applying the nipple cream and the soreness should ease up for you soon.

If you are concerned about the latch have you got a breastfeeding clinic you can go to, so you can have it checked or maybe your HV can check for you.

Good Luck with the feeding hun, you have come this far and the worse should be over

Enjoy the feeding

If you have anymore questions feel free to ask hun

 

[beanie]

I'll be honest, I find breastfeeding a little uncomfortable, but I have pretty sensitive nipples (I can't believe I have wrote those words on an internet forum lol). I used to compare it to sticking a dyson on your boob but it has calmed down lol.

When I feed Cally I feel a mild clamping down sensation on my nipple and aereola and then as she starts to feed i can feel her sucking and the milk start to move. I have a painful let down so I get a strong sharp pins and needles feeling just after she starts, but this passes. Cally is being a sod at the mo, always pulling off and chomping down but you have a while before this stage.

Your nipples are still healing so will feel tender but this will pass.

 

[dannii87]

I feel a mild clamping down sensation on my nipple and aereola and then as she starts to feed i can feel her sucking and the milk start to move. I have a painful let down so I get a strong sharp pins and needles feeling just after she starts, but this passes.

OMG beanie I'm so glad I asked this Q even for your reply alone!! That sounds v. similar to how it feels for me! I get the pins & needles feeling too but thought it was thrush! What is a "let down" btw?

Thanks Charlie! I started at a BF clinic last week which helped. Hopefully now Miss Evie's tongue tie has been snipped, feeding will become easier in time! x

 

[charlie84]

Here you are Danni

My letdown is also how beanie describes, but as i have said it only last a few seconds so i can grit my teeth through that

• The letdown reflex

You may experience fleeting pain in your breasts when your milk "lets down". The letdown reflex, also known as the milk ejection reflex, is caused by the action of the hormone, oxytocin. Oxytocin stimulates the muscles of the breast to squeeze out milk. In the first few days after the birth, the hormone is released in response to your baby suckling. Later, anything that makes you think about your baby, or feeding your baby, can trigger this hormone release. Some mothers find that their breasts leak when this happens.

The letdown reflex feels different to different mothers. Some feel a slight tingling, some feel immense amounts of pressure and slight pain or discomfort and others feel nothing at all.

Most mothers are unaware of the letdown reflex in the early days of breastfeeding, although they may be aware of "afterpains" - the pains experienced after birth as their womb contracts down to its pre-pregnancy size - which is caused by the same hormone. They may be more aware of the letdown when their baby is a few weeks old. As time goes by and breastfeeding becomes established, most mothers become less and less aware of it.

 

[beanie]

the pain of thrush will last for longer, it will be all the way during feeding and after too (I always felt like my nipple was burning after I fed both girls, and that was thrush). let down will last for a little bit then go. my let down is strong and makes me wince at times but it is normal and it passes straight away.

 

[trixipaws]

yes the pulling feeling is normal, its "let-down". i thought it felt like little thin tubes inside my boobs constricting really tight, a little painful tbh. and it was worse if i'd left it too long between feeds and let my boobs get too full.

the latch should be completely painless, except if u try to pull baby away without breaking the suction- ouch! always put little finger in corner of evie's mouth to break the suction. x

 

[KJ]

Hi Dannii,

My let-down was also a bit painful. All the midwives said it should feel like 'slight tingling'. Well all I can say is 'slight tingling' my arse!! More like someone sticking needles through my nipples the wrong way!!

Anyway, only lasts for a few seconds, maybe 10. Until the milk flow gets going. I just used to grit my teeth and count through it. But let-down is perfectly normal if that's what you're feeling. If you have a noticeable let-down this can also caue problems with getting to grips with expressing. It's often really difficult to get the let-down to happen using a breat pump. Babies are much better. The first few times I tried I gto nothing, and thought I jsut couldn't express. But tried a few more times and hey presto! Got the let-down and then pumping was really quick and easy.

K.xx

 

[LisaJ1986]

I feel my let down in both boobs!!! The one i'm not feeding off i can feel near my arm pit and down the side. Occasionally makes it leak too.

I can still find it painful sometimes. Not often but occasionally. Even more if earlier on she's turned her head without releasing the nipple first! Lol

 

[Squiglet]

Lil miss has just upped her sucking power and its really strong again.

I'm with Beanie on this one... Its still uncomfortable in some ways to feed. I get a tingling in my boobs with the let down. Lil miss has always been a lazy latcher. She sort of sucks the nipple into her mouth which can be quite uncomfortable. I've never actually been shown what a good latch is... I would assume I'm doing it right

I get that pulling sensation from inside the nipple... But since lil miss has started to get stronger, it feeling like my whole boob and aeorla is being pulled down to her throat.

I've found this thread really hard to answer

Biting hurts like hell though... I've got really really sore nipples atm for biting...either you get a biter or your don't... so its like when I first started feeding again Nah its not that bad.

Dannii...its a really good sign that it doesn't hurt as much as it does before

 

[zebrastripes]

As others have said, it'll always be a little...not uncomfortable...just...well you'll feel it,IYKWIM? When I get a let down it feels almost....fizzy..and there's quite a bit of pressure and it can ache a bit...and thrush won't help and then there's biting.....but s'all worth it, and Dannii, just want to say again, you're doing a FANTASTIC job...keep up the good work!

 

[DebbieM]

I'm weird. I LOVE the pain I get from let down, especially when my boobs are a bit engorged. It's such an odd pain that I secretly (not so secret now) enjoy it. It's really hard to explain. I love the feeling of it being drained.. going from rock solid to empty.

Dannii, I think once you heal, you will feel a lot better. xxxx

 

[charlie84]

I'm weird. I LOVE the pain I get from let down, especially when my boobs are a bit engorged. It's such an odd pain that I secretly (not so secret now) enjoy it. It's really hard to explain. I love the feeling of it being drained.. going from rock solid to empty.

Dannii, I think once you heal, you will feel a lot better. xxxx

No your not weird, well if we are we can be weird together
Even though my letdown is painful i like the feeling of going from really full to empty too. Its a really big sense of relief iykwim

 

[DebbieM]

LOL Thanks! We can be called "The Weirdo's" then

Matt always laughs at me because of the pleasure/pain sounds I make.

 

[Squiglet]

When I get a let down it feels almost....fizzy..

Yer thats it...

Don't worry debs... I find the pain of tattoos oddly nice...

 

[DebbieM]

Even tattoos don't really bother me...

 

[purple13]

I'm weird. I LOVE the pain I get from let down, especially when my boobs are a bit engorged. It's such an odd pain that I secretly (not so secret now) enjoy it. It's really hard to explain. I love the feeling of it being drained.. going from rock solid to empty.

i really like that feeling as well!

 

[DebbieM]

I'm weird. I LOVE the pain I get from let down, especially when my boobs are a bit engorged. It's such an odd pain that I secretly (not so secret now) enjoy it. It's really hard to explain. I love the feeling of it being drained.. going from rock solid to empty.

i really like that feeling as well!

WIERDO!!!!!!!! WEIRDO!!!!!!!!!!

 

[zebrastripes]

 

[zebrastripes]

.....do you mean kind of like when you really need to pee,but you can't, then when you do you're like WELL THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT