Why does breastfeeding hurt so bad for me?

i had my baby on friday, and feeding is so painful. it feels like someone is taking a razor to my nipple. and it gets slightly better after a minute or so. but i am still wincing and tearing through the entire thing.
can anyone please give me any suggestions.
i have very small breasts and small niplpes.. if it matters.

i have the lanoil stuff and soothies.
the soothies are nice when im not feeding
but feeding is so horrible.
i would like to know why and how to fix it

Pain that goes away within the first minutes is because the baby isn't latched on properly -even if the latch is "textbook" if it hurts its not right for YOU!

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/11some_bf...
2. It is normal for breastfeeding to hurt.

Not true! Though some tenderness during the first few days is relatively common, this should be a temporary situation that lasts only a few days and should never be so bad that the mother dreads nursing. Any pain that is more than mild is abnormal and is almost always due to the baby latching on poorly. Any nipple pain that is not getting better by day three or four or lasts beyond five or six days should not be ignored. A new onset of pain when things have been going well for a while may be due to a yeast infection of the nipples. Limiting feeding time does not prevent soreness. Taking the baby off the breast for the nipples to heal should be a last resort only. (See handout #3a Sore Nipples).

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/03a-sore_...
The soreness caused by poor latching and ineffective suckling hurts most as you latch the baby on and usually improves as the baby nurses.

[...]

Latching

1.
Now, get the baby to open up his mouth wide. The way to do this is to run your nipple, still pointing to the roof of the baby's mouth, along the baby's upper lip (not lower), lightly, from one corner of the mouth to the other. Or you can run the baby along your nipple, something some mothers find easier. Wait for the baby to open up as if yawning. As you bring the baby toward the breast, his chin should touch your breast first. Do not scoop him around so that the nipple points to the middle of his mouth, but rather to the roof of his mouth.
2.
When the baby opens up his mouth, use the arm that is holding him to bring him straight onto the breast. Don't worry about the baby's breathing. If he is properly positioned and latched on, he will breathe without any problem. If he cannot breathe, he will pull away from the breast. Don't be afraid to be vigorous.
3.
If the nipple still hurts, use your index finger to pull down on the baby's chin in order to bring the lower lip out. You may have to do this for the duration of the feed, but this is usually not necessary. The pain will usually subside. Do not take the baby on and off the breast several times to get the perfect latch. If the baby goes on and off the breast 5 times and it hurts, you will have 5 times more pain, and worse, 5 times more damage. Fix the latch when putting him to the other breast, or at the next feeding.
4.
The same principles apply whether you are sitting or lying down with the baby or using the football hold. Get the baby to open wide; don't let the baby latch onto the nipple, but get as much of the areola (brown part of breast) into the mouth as possible (not necessarily the whole areola).
5.
There is no "normal" length of feeding time. If you have questions, call the clinic.
6.
A baby properly latched on will be covering more of the areola with his lower lip than with the upper lip.




When Latching
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/a-when_la... (pictures)

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/...
Latching and Positioning Resources

No matter what latch and positioning look like, the true measure is in the answers to these two questions:

1. Is it effective?
2. Is it comfortable?

Even if latch and positioning look perfect (and, yes, even if a lactation consultant told you they were fine), pain and/or ineffective milk transfer indicate that there is a problem somewhere, and the first suspect is ineffective latch/positioning.

If baby is transferring milk and gaining weight well, and mom is not hurting, then latch and positioning are - by definition - good, even if it's nothing like the "textbook" latch and positioning that you've seen in books.

La Leche League
FREE in person breastfeeding support and meetings
International: http://www.llli.org/webindex.html

USA: 1-877-4-LaLeche
IBLCE - International Board of Lactation Consultants Examiners
Listings
http://www.iblce.org/

The pain that you are feeling initially is because your baby is not latched on well. What is probably happening is that the infant is taking in a smaller portion of the breast when she/he starts to nurse and then after a minute has been able to 'suck' in extra breast tissue to position the nipple better. When it hurts your nipple is probably rubbing between his tongue and his hard palate, then when more breast tissue is in there the baby is able to take your nipple to the back part of his throat where it is no longer being rubbed.
When latching on make sure that the infant is taking in a large amount of the breast tissue on the lower side of the areola. Your nipple should aim for the top of his mouth not the middle of his mouth. Here is a great video to help explain
http://video.about.com/pregnancy/Breastf...

Congratulations to your new baby!

It's pretty normal for nipples to hurt at first. It was pretty hard for me at first, too. First of all make sure baby latches on correctly. Baby needs to have most of the areola in the mouth, not just the nipple. Baby's lower lip should be out, not sucked in. Check out, if your pediatrician has a lactation consultant, or contact your local LaLeche League to find somebody to help the two of you with the latch. Once the two of you have figured out latching on properly, your nipples will heal quickly.

To improve your nipples feeling, express a little bit of breastmilk and let it air dry on your nipples. Also, in the privacy of your home expose your bare breast to fresh air for a while without any creams. They heal the quickest that way.

The size of your breasts and nipples don't matter. What does matter is if the baby is latching on correctly. When you attach the baby to your breast, does he/she have their mouth open all the way? Try placing the lower part of your arreola on their bottom lip before putting your nipple in the mouth. Try picturing taking a bit of a big hamburger. You will get a bigger bite if you put the bottom bun on your bottom lip first and then the top lip over it. I hope that makes sense. You can always see a lactation consultant. Or even ask to speak to someone at a WIC office. They know alot about that too.

Try lanolin cream and see a lactation consultant before it gets worse!
If the cream isn't doing its thing then your latch is probably off. My son is three weeks old tomorrow and I've been in terrible pain breastfeeding, to the point of crying! I seen a lactation consultant today and she had some GREAT tips like massaging the breast while feeding to make sure baby is getting the hindmilk, and how to position him so the nipple is on the soft palate. Its worth going, believe me.

I have been thinking about this alot lately... as I am due in 2 weeks and determined to breastfeed! This is my 5th baby and it is true... latching can be a factor... but I remember the midwife saying that my baby was perfectly latched and I was in horrendous pain! In fact I held my breath (from the pain) so long a few times that I passed out! The best advice that I can give is to stick to it. There were times when my nipples were bleeding so I used a breast pump and had to discard the milk from that side... but then all of a sudden, like within a couple of weeks, the pain subsided and it became incredibly easy. I was so glad that I had stuck to my breastfeeding plan as it was so easy to feed baby in the night without having to make bottles. Good luck, and don't feel like a failure if you can't continue, If it is making you miserable... that's not good for baby either :)

It sounds like the baby isn't latching on properly. Breast and nipple size shouldn't really be a factor. Were you able to talk to a lactation consultant in the hospital? Below is a link showing how to get a baby to latch properly, with photos to help show how. I was pretty sore for about a week and once I got him nursing properly I healed up pretty quickly. If you're still having trouble in another week or so try to contact someone from La Leche League (link is below too) and see if there's anyone in your area who can come to your house and give some pointers on how to make it more comfortable.

I remember that pain!! its not fun!!! But it does get better so don't give up. At the hospital they gave me this gel pack thing thats specifically for sore nipples...you can get them where you get regular breastfeeding supplies. Try using Lansinoh nipple cream right after the baby feeds and as often as youd like. I promise your breasts get used to if if you just give it a little while longer to adjust. Size shouldn't matter. You're made to be able to nurse your newborn...but it does take time to get accustomed to it! Theres not much you can do during the actual feeding. Try switching the babies position and switching sides the baby feeds from. You'll both be pros at it soon enough!!!

Try different positions with your baby (if you have and nothing is working, try to find a lactation consultant - possibly at your hospital - or a local breastfeeding group where other moms can help you) and get some lansinoh (near baby medical supplies and feeding supplies) to apply to your nipples for pain.

My nipples hurt for the first 2 weeks or so. I had a lactation consultant come to my house. She made sure baby's mouth was open wide enough, etc. She showed me some different holding positions. I could never get comfortable with the "football hold," but I found that the side-lying hold worked best for me in the beginning. She determined that I was doing it correctly. I guess I just had very sensitive nipples.

Also, I would pull at the side of her cheek/mouth to unlatch her and try again. I know it seems like it'll always hurt, but it won't. I promise. Just keep at it.

I'd make sure your baby has a good latch... if baby is trying to feed on just the tip of the nipple, ouch definitely. When he/she opens their mouth make sure they have a huge mouthful of areola. Also, it does hurt a bit in the beginning. It did for me. Look up your local la leche league.

http://www.lllc.ca/ <-- canada

http://www.lllusa.org/ <-- usa

They can look for you and see if your latch is ok, and also give you other tips on breastfeeding!

try gettin a nipple shield. ur baby probably isnt gettin all of either nipple ino his/her mouth. a nipple shield will cut down on the pain and ur ababy will latch on better.

are u drinking PLENTYof fluids?.....ur milk may still be tryin to come in, that is painful as well. the only thing i can tell you if that's whats wrong is jus try to grin through it.

Speak with a lactation nurse to ensure you baby is latching properly.

However, for the first little while it can hurt. Once you know baby is latching properly and you still have pain, buy a good ointment and go topless as much as possible.

I know it hurts... it will get better...
take an ibproferen... smallest dose.. that should help a little bit

it just happens... your nipples go from being left alone all day to wham-bam in a baby's mouth every 2 hours ....
it'll get better
put the lanolin cream on after every feeding, change the nursing pads regularly

It should not hurt like that. You should try different latch positions.
I had a similar problem with my son. The only thing that worked for me was to push down on my son's chin to open his mouth more after he was latched on, there was instant pain relief.

Go see an LC they will help. Are your nipples inverted? Is your baby tongue tied?

You can always try a nipple shield, you can buy them at babies r us

there are creams for breastfeeding that make it more soothing. they are available at walmart!