Breastfeeding isn’t always easy. Because many mothers face a few challenges along the way, we’ve uncovered 14 breastfeeding problems you might encounter, plus solutions to help you fix your breastfeeding relationship with your babe. If these ideas don’t work for you be sure to seek out expert help from a lactation consultant, a public health nurse, your midwife or your doctor.
PROBLEM 1: LATCHING PAIN
It’s normal for your nipples to feel sore when you first start to breastfeed, especially if you’re a first-timer. But if baby has latched and the pain lasts longer than a minute into your feeding session, check the positioning.
Solution:
- Try to achieve an asymmetrical latch where baby’s mouth covers more of the areola below the nipple rather than abo
ve. - To reposition him, place your index finger inside baby’s mouth to take him off your breast. Tickle his chin or wait until he yawns so his mouth is wide open and seize your opportunity.
- When he is correctly positioned, his chin and nose touch your breast, his lips splay out and you can’t see your nipple or part of the lower areola.
- If baby’s position is correct and latching on still hurts, your nipples may be dry. Make sure to wear loose clothing and avoid washing with soap. Lanolin-based creams are good for applying between feedings.
ve.
PROBLEM 2: CRACKED NIPPLES
Cracked nipples can be the result of many different things: thrush, dry skin, pumping improperly, or most likely, latching problems. During the first week of breastfeeding, you may have bloody discharge when your baby is just learning to latch or you are just beginning to pump. A little blood, while kind of gross, won’t harm baby.
Solution:
- Check baby’s positioning — the bottom part of your areola underneath your nipple should be in baby’s mouth.
- try breastfeeding more frequently, and at shorter intervals. The less hungry baby is, the softer his sucking will be.
- As tempting as it is to treat your cracked nipples with anything you can find in your medicine cabinet, soaps, alcohol, lotions, and perfumes are no good — clean water is all you need to wash with.
- Try letting some milk stay on your nipples to air dry after feeding (the milk actually helps heal them).
- You can also try taking a mild painkiller like acetaminophen or ibuprofen 30 minutes before nursing.
- If all this fails, try an over-the-counter lanolin cream, specially made for nursing mothers and use plastic hard breast shells inside your bra.
PROBLEM 3: CLOGGED/PLUGGED DUCTS
Ducts clog because your milk isn’t draining completely. You may notice a hard lump on your breast or soreness to the touch and even some redness. If you start feeling feverish and achy, that’s a sign of infection and you should see your doctor. Most importantly try not to have long stretches in between feedings — milk needs to be expressed often. A nursing bra that is too tight can also cause clogged ducts. Stress (something all new mommies have an over abundance of) can also affect your milk flow.
Solution:
- Do your best to get adequate rest (you should recruit your partner to pick up some slack when possible)
- try applying warm compresses to your breasts and massage them to stimulate milk movement.
- Clogged ducts are not harmful to your baby because breastmilk has natural antibiotics. That said, there’s no reason why you have to suffer. Breastfeeding should be enjoyable for mom and baby.
PROBLEM 4: ENGORGEMENT/HIGH MILK SUPPLY
Engorgement makes it difficult for baby to latch on to the breast because it’s hard and un-conforming to his mouth.
Solution:
- Try hand-expressing a little before feeding to get the milk flowing and soften the breast, making it easier for baby to latch and access milk. Of course, the more you nurse, the less likely your breasts are to get engorged.
PROBLEM 5: MASTITIS
Mastitis is a bacterial infection in your breasts marked by flu-like symptoms such as fever and pain in your breasts. It’s common within the first few weeks after birth (though it can also happen during weaning) and is caused by cracked skin, clogged milk ducts, or engorgement.
Solution:
- The only sufficient way to treat the infection is with antibiotics, hot compresses, and most importantly, frequent emptying.
- Use hands-on pumping, making sure the red firm areas of the breast and the periphery are softened.
- It’s safe and actually recommended that you continue breastfeeding when you have mastitis. Take paracetamol or ibuprofen (not aspirin) to relieve the pain, as instructed on the packet or by a pharmacist.
- Keep breastfeeding or pumping frequently. Your milk is still safe for your baby to drink. Flowing milk will help clear any blockage and prevent further painful build-up. Stopping suddenly could exacerbate symptoms.
- You may need to express any leftover milk after feeds.
- Offer your baby the affected breast first. This may help your baby to drain it adequately. If this is too painful, start on the non-affected side to get the milk flowing, then switch.
- Rest, drink and eat well. Make sure you’re having plenty of fluids and eating nutritious foods.
- Massage the area in a warm bath or shower, or compress with a warm flannel or heat pack to help release the blockage and ease symptoms before feeding or expressing. Use a cool pack after feeds to reduce inflammation.
PROBLEM 6: THRUSH
Thrush is a yeast infection in your baby’s mouth, which can also spread to your breasts. It causes incessant itchiness, soreness, and sometimes a rash.
Solution:
- Your doctor will need to give you antifungal medication to put on your nipple and in baby’s mouth — if you’re not both treated at the same time, you can give each other the fungi and prolong healing.
PROBLEM 7: LOW MILK SUPPLY
Breastfeeding is a supply-and-demand process. If your doctor is concerned about baby’s weight gain, and he is being plotted on the World Health Organization curves designed for breastfeeding babies, this may be the problem.
Solution:
- Lactation Cookies or Lactation Muffins by Singapore Lactation Bakes will help you with more let downs. Combined with frequent nursing and hands-on pumping during the day can help increase milk supply.
- Pump or latch when you are having let downs or when fuller breast after having the SLB lactation cookies or SLB lactation muffins helps to tune your body to make more milk.
PROBLEM 8: BABY SLEEPING AT BREAST
Baby is sleepy in the first couple of months after birth (hey, he’s been through a lot) so falling asleep while nursing is common. All that bonding makes baby relaxed!
Solution:
- Milk flow is fastest after your first let-down, so if you want to increase efficiency, start off at the fuller breast, then switch to the other breast sooner, rather than later.
- When you notice baby’s sucking slowing down and his eyes closing, remove him from your breast and try to stimulate him by burping, tickling his feet, or gently talking to him while rubbing his back, and then switch breasts.
- As baby gets older he’ll be able to stay awake longer, so don’t fret.
PROBLEM 9: INVERTED/FLAT NIPPLES
You can tell if you have flat or inverted nipples by doing a simple squeeze test: Gently grab your areola with your thumb and index finger — if your nipple retracts rather than protrudes, you’ve got a problem, Houston. Not really. But breastfeeding will be more challenging.
Solution:
- Use a pump to get the milk flowing before placing baby at your nipple and use breast shells between feeds.
- Once you feel like your milk supply is adequate, try using nipple shields if baby still has problems latching.
PROBLEM 10: PAINFUL/OVERACTIVE LET DOWN
Your breast is like a machine — when you let down, all the milk-producing engines constrict to move the milk forward and out of your nipple. Sometimes the working of these inner parts can hurt, especially when in overdrive. Some mothers feel a prickly pins-and-needles sensation and others just get an achy feeling.
Solution:
- If this feeling of pins and needles goes beyond a mere tingling and feels more like a hundred little daggers poking your breasts, you need to check for a breast infection (yeast or bacteria). Sometimes this pain develops when you have an excessive amount of milk.
- Try feeding baby longer on one particular breast and switching to the other only if you need to.
- If the result is an infection (fever, aches, and chills may be present), you’ll need to get antibiotics from your doctor.
- No matter how unpleasant it is for you, it’s still safe for baby to nurse.
PROBLEM 11: BABY WON’T LATCH
Solution:
- Skin to skin is the way to go,”. It’s like a magical cure for the non-latching baby (and helps with other issues too).
- Get naked from the waist up, strip baby down to just a diaper, and get yourself comfortable in a semi-reclining position with baby on your chest.
- When your baby is ready, he’ll scoot down to the breast and latch on. (You many need to provide your baby with expressed milk in a cup or syringe until he figures it out, and pumping or hand-expressing during this time will also help build up your milk supply.)
PROBLEM 12: BABY IS CONSTANTLY NURSING
Solutions:
- This may just be a perfectly normal baby. Babies have small stomachs and they really do need filling up frequently.
- Imagine if you were asked to double your weight in the next six months, as an average baby will do. What would you have to do?
- You’d eat a lot.” Some mothers also have less storage capacity in their breasts, so while they produce plenty of milk over 24 hours, the baby needs to eat frequently (it’s called cluster feeding) to get enough.
- If the baby is otherwise gaining well, having at least two or three poppy diapers each day and your nipples are not sore, frequent feedings may just be the norm for your baby. If baby is not gaining well, speak to your paediatrician or family doctor.
PROBLEM 13: BREAST NO LONGER FEEL FULL
Solutions:
- This usually happens somewhere from six to ten weeks and mothers are often concerned that their milk production has faltered for some reason.
- In most cases it’s actually good news, It means your breasts have adjusted to meet the actual appetite of your baby.
- Instead of filling up between feedings, the milk doesn’t start to flow until the baby is nursing.
- Just keep an eye on your baby’s weight gain and diaper contents to be sure everything is going well.
PROBLEM 14: Ouch! BABY IS BITTING OUR NIPPLES
Solutions:
- Most babies will try out their gums or teeth at some time
- Try pulling the baby in close so that your breast blocks his nose and he has to let go to breathe, rather than trying to pull back which can make him clamp down harder.
- If you’re alert when the baby is nursing, you may be able to catch the moment when he pulls his tongue back in order to bite down.
- Be ready to stick a finger in the corner of his mouth and prevent him from chomping on you. Be gentle —he doesn’t mean to hurt you!
So there you have some quick breastfeeding problem-solvers that may help you past some of the common breastfeeding challenges. Still having problems? Don’t hesitate to seek out more assistance from some of the lactation experts in your community, who can tailor their advice to your situation.
