Why am I finding it painful?

Your might feel tender for the first couple of weeks as you get used to breastfeeding but this should subside. It’s not normal for breastfeeding to be painful or for your nipples to become cracked or damaged.

Breastfeeding is a skill that you and baby learn together. It’s normal to find things difficult at first and during those early days your nipples might get sore if the attachment isn’t quite right. This can usually be fixed by some tweaks to your baby's latch and a bit of practice.

Your baby’s mouth can slide down the nipple during the feed, even if they were originally latched effectively. You’ll see a bigger gap between your baby’s nose and your breast. Unlatch your baby and start again if you feel uncomfortable during a feed. It's better to break the seal by putting your little finger in the corner of your baby’s mouth rather than pulling your baby off the nipple. Your nipples should look the same after the feed. If they look a different shape or colour after a feed this could mean the latch isn’t quite right.

If your nipples are damaged or cracked

Put a couple of drops of breastmilk on as this has healing properties. You can also use something like petroleum jelly or purified lanolin to help the wound heal.

Stopping breastfeeding suddenly can lead to mastitis so try to continue if you can. If it’s too painful to feed on the breast you may want to look at our page on alternative ways to feed baby which includes information on nipple shields. If your baby isn’t feeding at the breast but you would like to continue breastfeeding it’s important to express your milk to maintain your supply.

When breastfeeding isn't quite going to plan, this can lead to other problems and really make you feel down. Find out more about mastitis and thrush below and reach out for support if you need it.