Common Breastfeeding Problems & How to Solve Them

To everyone who joined in our breastfeeding blog carnival last week to celebrate National Breastfeeding Awareness Week - thank you! We hope you had a great week of breastfeeding.

One thing the blog carnival highlighted was how many new mums battle to breastfeed for a number of reasons. So we asked Laura Nelson from The Breastest News to write an article for us on common breastfeeding problems and how to solve them.  Our thanks to her for this great article. If you have any tips for mums on any of these issues, please share them in our comments section below.

Sore or Cracked Nipples
Lets not beat about the bush here ladies. Breastfeeding can be hard to start with even for women who have breastfed before and usually for the first few weeks your nipples can be a little sore as they attempt to adjust to their new role. The most common reason for sore or cracked nipples is usually that your baby hasn't quite latched on correctly thus your nipples become sore and, if the latch is not corrected, can become cracked.

The best thing to do is take your baby off the breast gently by putting your finger into the corner of their mouth until they release their tongue from your breast. Then start again by making sure you are comfy, your baby is in a good position and then attempt to help your baby latch back onto the breast. Make sure they have a good mouthful of breast!

Don't ignore the pain as this could only make things worse! If your nipples start to crack and bleed it may be best to see a breastfeeding support worker who will help you improve your technique and help make sure your baby is latching on properly and effectively. There is no need to stop breastfeeding if this happens, I didn't and my son was completely fine. So don't let it deter you!

To help ease sore or cracked nipples I was told to squeeze out a little drop of milk after a feed and gently rub it into the skin. This did seem to soothe the soreness so I would really recommend trying it. I would also recommend you invest in a tube of lanolin cream. This stuff is safe to use whilst breastfeeding and does not affect your baby but oh what wonders it does for your nipples, brilliant product.

Some other suggestions would be to let your nipples dry before putting your clothes back on or wear a cotton nursing bra to help the air circulate. Also make sure and change your breast pads often so they don't irritate your nipples.

Unsettled Baby
You'll know yourself if your baby is unsettled whilst feeding and this is often because they are not attached correctly so they are not getting enough milk to satisfy them. I made the mistake of attaching my son to the skin on my breast beside my nipple and I never even noticed until he screamed the place down with hunger as obviously he wasn't getting any milk at all! My poor breast was a bit bruised after that but it recovered really quickly so don't let that put you off.

So the best thing to do for your unsettled baby is remove them from the breast and start again.

If you are struggling and need some support check out the NHS breastfeeding site for the best support near you.

Engorgement
Every woman who breast feeds will suffer from sore breasts at some point. This may be due to engorgement which is caused by swelling of the breast tissue as blood, lymphatic fluid, and milk collect in the ducts as the process of milk production begins, usually day 3-5 after birth. This is quite a common thing to happen and I suffered from it myself a few times when my son missed a feed if he was sleeping. The best thing to do is get your baby to feed from the engorged breast as soon as possible. It may be a little difficult for your baby to latch on as the nipple becomes flat as your breasts get fullier with milk so try a little hand expressing first before breastfeeding your baby.

Other suggestions to help relieve engorgement is to feed frequantly and for 15-20 minutes at a time, put chilled savoy cabbage leaves on your breasts (sounds crazy but it works!), try different positions to help empty the breasts and place a cold compress on your breasts between feeds to help reduce swelling.

Engorgement usually lasts for 24-48 hours so although it is sore it will pass and you'll soon forget all about it. As with anything if it lasts for longer than this or becomes worse/ extremely painful then please see your doctor.

Blocked Ducts
Blocked ducts are often caused by a build up of milk and skin cells which prevent the duct from being cleared properly during breastfeeding. Signs of a blocked duct are a tender or redish lump on the breast. It often only occurs on one breast and is not very painful, it's really just a little tender. Again I had this myself, it was more of a red rash type look on my breast than a lump and it did feel tender to the touch but really wasn't that bad.

I noticed that I would get a blocked duct if I accidently squished my breasts by sleeping on my front at night, I think this may have contributed to the ducts becoming blocked because they were being compressed.

The best way to treat a blocked duct is to have your baby empty your breast of milk so that it gives it a chance to start producing again, have a hot bath or shower to help milk flow and a gentle massage of the breast can often help remove the block. The key it to keep feeding as this really helps, I can definitely vouch for it.

If the block does not clear within a few days it may be best to see your midwife or doctor just to be on the safe side.

Mastitis
I have never had Mastitis myself but I am told it is the inflammation of the breast which is thought to be caused by infection. Symptoms include a hard, red, tender, swollen area of one breast and a fever. Other symptoms include muscle aches, chills, and feeling ill - kind of like having the flu!

To treat Mastitis it is best to continue breastfeeding often (do not stop) and take some pain killers to help ease the discomfort. I would also recommend you see your doctor ASAP as normally a course of antibiotics are prescribed to treat the infection. Also as with blocked ducts breast massaging may help ease the discomfort as well as a nice hot bath.

Thrush
Signs of thrush for yourself include sore pink nipples after feeding for a while without problems. Also itchy nipples or shiny nipples with a white substance between the folds. Signs of thrush in your baby are often a white furry like substance in their mouth which if removed will leave a sore red patch. This will cause discomfort to your baby and may bleed. Be careful not to mistake this for simple milk residue after feeding but if you are concered see your doctor.

To treat thrush you will need to see your doctor who will prescribe you with cream or an oral tablet. Both yourself and your baby will need to be treated at the same time even if only one of you is showing symptoms.

Tongue-tie
Some babies are born with a small piece of skin which holds the tongue to the bottom of their mouth and often prevents them from feeding properly. However my son has quite a tongue-tie and it has never stopped him from breastfeeding properly so some babies are completely fine with it. If you do think your baby has a problem feeding because of a tongue-tie then speak to your midwife who will refer your baby to have the little piece of skin cut. It's a very small simple procedure and your baby won't need an anesthetic or anything.


So there you have it, some common breastfeeding problems and how to solve them. If all else fails go straight to your doctor or consult your midwife. They will be more than happy to help.