Aside from milk supply issues, the second most popular tear-jerker in my support group is about latch-on pain.  The truth is, it’s very normal to have some nipple tenderness and discomfort in the first week to ten days postpartum—you might not notice it in the first few days after you deliver, but hormonal changes may make you very sensitive to nipple pain.  Again, this is very normal!

So what isn’t normal, or better yet, desirable?  Sore, cracked, bleeding, blistering nipples…something is off, and typically it’s the baby’s latch.  This does not mean that there’s a severe problem with the baby and his ability to latch, forcing you to throw in the towel.  In my practice, I would estimate that, about 75% of the time, the poor latch is caused by not-so-hot positioning.  That’s it.  All it takes is the slightest readjustment in the baby’s and the mom’s position and the latch immediately feels better.  Just yesterday in my group, there was a mom with low milk supply who was also concerned about how her baby was latched.  The baby was lying more on his back, with his head cocked to one side, with a pretty shallow latch.  Amending this was simple.  We pulled out a breastfeeding pillow so the baby was right up at breast height; turned him so that he was tummy-to-tummy with mommy; and changed the position of her hand holding the breast from a “C” hold to a “U” and he latched on beautifully.  (This is also called the cross-cradle hold, which is most popular with the newborn set.)  There were no major issues.  It was a simple little tweak.

Of course, if something like this does not make you feel better, we really have to assess what’s happening with the baby’s mouth.  Sometimes the baby’s frenulum is tight or short, causing nipple pain; sometimes we can be brewing an infection like thrush.  It goes without saying that if you’re having any nipple pain at all, please get help from a lactation consultant or attend a breastfeeding support group, but have no fear…these problems can be fixed!  Don’t give up!