10 Causes Of Painful Breastfeeding Every Mother Should Know About

The most satisfying thing for a mother is to see a well-fed baby. Who thought we could make a baby this happy, right?

But don’t you often wish breastfeeding was as easy as pushing a pacifier in the baby’s mouth? Breastfeeding often hurts at the beginning for most women. But then comes a time when you will dread the feeding sessions!

Here are a few reasons that make breastfeeding painful. Once you are aware of these reasons, you can work on them to ease the process. Remember, everything wonderful comes after a little bit of trouble.

10 Causes Of Painful Breastfeeding

1. Breastfeeding latch

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The most important part of successful breastfeeding is the latch. If your baby is not properly latched onto your breast, feedings could be painful. The position in which you hold your baby is also crucial. When a good position and latch is obtained, breastfeeding can be blissful.

2. Tongue–tie

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A baby’s tongue is tied if he/she isn’t able to lift the tongue or move it forward normally. This prevents them from sucking the milk from a mother’s breast. Instead, the baby will push the nipple up with their tongue causing a lot of pain and nipple damage. Noisy sucking or noisy snap-back sucking is often reported by mothers during breastfeeding. Infants in this condition can often be breastfed with special attention to a deeper latch that maximizes tongue contact with the breast.

3. Breast engorgement

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Engorgement happens when your breasts are over-filled and the baby is having less milk than the mother produces. Common symptoms are swollen, firm and painful breasts with flattened sore nipples, making it tough for the baby to latch on. You can apply a warm compress for a couple of minutes before you breastfeed.

4. Bubble palate

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Bubble palate is a very high palate, which means it’s harder for babies to create the vacuum suction required. This can make breastfeeding extremely painful. There is a sharp pinching pain on the areola as the baby sucks vigorously. It usually worsens through the day as if the nipple is increasingly bruised.

Parents can be proactive in learning appropriate feeding techniques and mouth development activities, after consulting a doctor.

5. Thrush

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Thrush is a common yet harmless infection in a baby’s mouth that can affect you during breastfeeding. Breastfeeding creates an apt condition for thrush. It sustains in warm, moist, sugary places, which is exactly what your baby’s mouth is like during breastfeeding. The thrush infection can then pass to your nipples and can cause a burning sensation. Unless thrush is treated, it can pass back and forth between you and your baby.

6. Bleb

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A bleb is a white spot which almost looks like a pimple, located on the tip of the nipple. It is normally filled with milk, and normally appears on one of the nipple pores.It can be really painful when the baby suckles. By using wet compress and applying pressure gently, you can get rid of these blisters.

7. A teething baby

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Most babies begin to teethe around three to six months of age. For breastfeeding moms, teething can be a difficult time.

To help this situation, give your baby a teething toy or a washed soft cloth to chew on.

8. Blocked duct

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Clogged or blocked ducts denote restriction of milk flow in some part of breast. You can recognize it as a painful lump in your breast that might be red and sore. It happens mainly when the milk flow is restricted. Massage the breast and apply a hot wet towel as moist heat is the most effective and highly recommended treatment for this condition.

9. Flat or inverted nipples

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In women who are pregnant for the first time, it is common for the nipple to not protrude fully. The baby might find it difficult to be able to suck milk, and the struggle will cause immense pain to the mother. If the nipple is truly inverted, you may need to use the pump to provide stimulation and help to generate breast milk.

10.Mastitis

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Mastitis is a common condition in new mothers. The tissue around the infected area becomes inflamed. This happens when your baby isn’t latching properly or is feeding more from one breast than the other.

A little preparation, help and support go a long way towards preventing common breastfeeding problems. Take care and we hope everything is perfect in your “Mommysphere”.

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