Mother's Corner: My breasts hurt while breastfeeding; What should I do?

Every new mother would understand the pain of breastfeeding a baby. Those hungry grabs, and nail scratches can make your breasts feel tender and painful. While some amount of pain is normal according to doctors, if it is unbearable, one should seek a professional’s help.

Here we are addressing a few queries related to painful breasts during breastfeeding.

Why does my breasts hurt during breastfeeding?

First of all, painful breasts need to be differentiated from painful nipples. In the first ten days to two weeks after the birth, nipples may hurt because they are exquisitely sensitive. They're richly supplied with nerve endings and the baby's sucking causes pain. While pain in the breasts may be caused by engorgement or inflammation or infection. An area of the breast that feels firm, with red overlying skin, swelling, pain and/or fever should prompt you to see your doctor.

What should I do?

A good policy is to avoid handling the breasts with pressure, squeezing etc when exclusively breastfeeding, so as to avoid injury to turgid breasts. Just let the baby empty the breast. Wear a good supportive bra, place the baby on pillows to avoid bending your back or pulling at the nipple. Hydrate yourself well. See if there's a new mom support group or a lactation consultant who can help. Also, applying ointment or butter may help keep the nipples supple, and the pain will disappear over time.

Inputs by: Dr Vijaya Sherbet, Consultant - OBG, Columbia Asia hospital Hebbal (A unit of Manipal hospitals)

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Disclaimer: This column aims to address several problems that new mothers face on a daily basis. While the inputs are given by experts and doctors, it is advisable that you do not solely depend on this piece. It is imperative for you to take this for reference purpose only, and get in touch with a professional for help, and proper treatment. Also by submitting your query, you give us the permission to fully/partially edit the content for clarity and ease of understanding of our readers.

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