I am having severe pain in breast while breastfeeding.Please advice.

Question

Hello doctor,

I am having severe pain in breast while breastfeeding. The pain is present only in the right breast while feeding. My son is 24 days old and I had started feeding since day 3. From then, I have been suffering from this pain. Though it is painful, I am still feeding him.

Please advice.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You have not mentioned the specific site where you get the pain. Is it in and around the nipple or is it deep inside?

If the pain is in and around the nipple, then it is most likely due to faulty technique while feeding. These are the instructions for proper breastfeeding technique:

Make sure that you insert not only the nipple but the whole areola (the dark-colored area around the nipple) into baby's mouth. By this way, the nipple lies touching the baby's hard palate while sucking.
Also, do not forget to rest the baby's head in the corner of your elbow.
While feeding, your baby's tummy should touch your tummy.

Now considering that you are not doing any faulty technique or posture and still getting the pain deep inside:

It could be due to opening of milk ducts each time the baby sucks.
Also check out if there is any congestion, i.e., milk clogging in your breast.
Also, see for any crack in your nipple which is very common in the initial days of lactation.
Examine your breast with the palm of your hand, and if you could notice any lump in your breast, it could be milk trapped inside.

In any of the above reasons, you have to visit a gynecologist as soon as possible.